Profile Detail:
University: University of Houston - Clear Lake
Course: MS in Engineering Management
Hyderabad Consulate
Date: December 2016
Status: Approved
Counter No: 13
Visa Interview Experience
Went to the consulate around 2:30pm and was allowed before 3.
Directly guided for the verification of the passport and everything but they asked for a photograph without glasses which I didn’t have.
Gave me a gate pass and asked me to go out of the consulate and get them done.
Got them done and went back. Done with the upload of the photograph and was asked to wait in the lobby. Was asked to stand in a line around 3:40pm.
CGPA- 7.69
GRE- 294, Q- 152, V- 142, AWA- 3
TOEFL- 94
3 years work experience (Own business)
VO: Hello sir.
Me: Hello sir. How are you?
VO: Good. Thank you for asking. How are you doing today?
Me: Good sir.
VO: Alright. So, you would be Engineering/Industrial Management?
Me: Yes sir. Industrial Management.
VO: So, What will you do after learning this course?
Me: Well, we are the dealers of steel, iron and cement and I’d like to set up my own factory rather than being a dealer to someone else.
VO: Is this your family business? And does your dad take care of this?
Me: Yes sir.
VO: How long has he been in this business?
Me: 20 years. To be precise, 19 years.
VO: Alright. So how are you going to pay for the fees? Any loan, savings or anything?
Me: I have a loan of 25lakhs for Andhra Bank and savings of 10,70,000. And yeah, savings of 5lakhs in the form of LIC policies.
VO: Could you please show me the loan letter?
Passed the documents.
VO: Okay. I’m approving your visa. Have a nice day.
Me: Thank you sir and you too.
I’m being honest here. I was shit scared until the yellow line. As soon as he greeted me, I just got the confidence and gave him the answers in a loud and clear voice. You might stutter or tell him something unrelated but just be confident. They know that you’ll be tensed and all and they’ll understand. They have nothing personal against you. If you’re right from your end, they have no other option than approving your visa. And please don’t mug up your answers. Even though, you plan to give a generic or a scripted answer, tell it a comfortable way. I saw one guy just telling an answer for ‘why this university’ as if it was a script. The VO interrupted him and asked other questions. And they too were scripted and he got rejected. And please don’t argue with them, there is no point in that. One of the VOs shouted at one guy “You’re just not eligible for this. Don’t you get it?”
Just be confident and try to do it in your own way. Not like you prepared for days for this.
And please carry cash for the interview. No one knows what might come. I had to pay 200 rupees for 8 photos of worst quality.
All the best.
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