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General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 - Travel (533) - Nairaland

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Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by dumbiri99(f): 1:15pm On Jun 07, 2019
Leone26:


Lolz. My dear he was on a 3-piece suit o. She asked him like 3 times to tell her why he wanted to study that course (Accounting), and what it would do for him. He kept on saying that he has a passion for teaching and so on.

Pls check through my transcript for my COA as well as the funding I have. I definitely can't be the first she approved cos I was for 7 a.m., and many where there for 6.30 & 6.45 a.m.
Okay 14k deficit
If i may ask whats your salary like, over 200k?

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by sharwama(f): 1:21pm On Jun 07, 2019
Floral895:

In between @ shawarma, can't wait to meet you in ETSU Biological science department (the best in ETSU ( free foods and stationery) lus our executive aide is bae) and Johnson city where the Transit bus is free for students grin, housinga nd food are cheap too wink
Queens see Queens
Yes, the future is female.
I look forward to meeting you in fall.
Congratulations my friend grin grin grin

5 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Time2win(m): 1:22pm On Jun 07, 2019
@sharwama oya share the testimony cheesy

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by 1stdami(m): 1:23pm On Jun 07, 2019
shawarma we await your testimony

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by sharwama(f): 1:33pm On Jun 07, 2019
Time2win:
@sharwama oya share the testimony cheesy
What my eyes have seen, I cannot tell it all.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Praise the Living God grin grin grin

9 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by sharwama(f): 1:39pm On Jun 07, 2019
1stdami:
shawarma we await your testimony
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Hallelujah grin grin grin

10 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ecoleco: 1:43pm On Jun 07, 2019
LagosismyHome:


Greetings to you . Trust you and family are well . Dont forget us ooo, come more often smiley

Will do dear. Thanks.

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ayodejiheph: 1:51pm On Jun 07, 2019
toluene1234:
Good morning guys, my visa was denied day before yesterday June 3 at Lagos 6.45am appointment .

Here is my transcript
Me: Good morning madam
VO (A young white lady): did not even answer. (She had denied a lot of people before my turn)
VO: your passport and I20
ME: I passed it.
VO: why are you going to the US?
ME: I am going to the US to pursue my master degree in information security and Assurance, I paused a while, before I added at Johnson and Wales university Providence Rhode Island
VO: what will this course do for you?
ME: there are efforts made by government and private institutions to combat the cybercrimes that are prevalent in our economy, there are limited security experts to join fight this menace. I felt she wasn't even listening or not feeling what I was saying. She cuts me off.
VO: how did you hear about the school?
ME: in 2017, Bcie organised an edu fair in ikeja, that was where I heard about the schools, and also some of their representatives were on ground for the edu fair
VO: did you apply to other school?
ME: yes I did
Vo: mention them.
Me: I did
Vo: did you write any entrance exams?
Me: yes GRE
Vo: who is paying for this
Me: my uncle, he's more or less like a father
Vo: what does he do?
Me: he has a printing press company In Lagos Ekitu and kwara. She cuts me again, (I wanted to add that his company is responsible for printing state government materials and all educational materials for primary sec and tertiary institutions and also into property and estate management.
Vo: are you married,?
Me: I said yes.
Vo: pass me my docs and a pink paper.
Me: I left devastated.

Sincerely this happened within 3mins. She didn't allow me express myself. The way she asked the questions as if let me ask you and give u pink paper and go. She doesn't feel concern at all.

Cost of attendance on i20 is $34000

I do not have any funding, I can only get it during second semester, I was expecting her to ask me questions about why d school, your plans after school and others I have prepared for.

What can I do better? Please advise before I take the next line of action. I don't want to rush to reapply, what should I do please?

Cgpa: 2.93 GRE: 279.
@toulene1234, sorry about this, but i want you to encourage your self and ask expert here and re-fire again.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by AgreatMan: 1:52pm On Jun 07, 2019
NewAjala:
Anyone here who can help me with schools that don't require application fee?


Michigan technological University. The school na original "Akagon" for funding but You fit lucky tho.

2 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by naira0(m): 1:59pm On Jun 07, 2019
sharwama:

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Hallelujah grin grin grin
Sharwama you can do better than this winkwink
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by kacey007: 2:05pm On Jun 07, 2019
sharwama:

You know this My friend grin grin
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Glory glory glory grin
Congratulations on your approval. Oya share your transcript.

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Floral895(f): 2:08pm On Jun 07, 2019
grin
sharwama:

What my eyes have seen, I cannot tell it all.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Praise the Living God grin grin grin
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Floral895(f): 2:09pm On Jun 07, 2019
smiley
sharwama:

Queens see Queens
Yes, the future is female.
I look forward to meeting you in fall.
Congratulations my friend grin grin grin
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Pefuele(m): 2:13pm On Jun 07, 2019
NewAjala:
Anyone here who can help me with schools that don't require application fee?


http://www.giyf.com/

2 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Pepperoni001: 2:20pm On Jun 07, 2019
PROPOSED TRANSCRIPTS.

PEOPLE OF GOD, YOUR FEED BACK IS NEEDED.

THANKS

VO: Good Morning, Pass me your I-20 and SEVIS receipt.
ME: Good Morning, handed over the requested docs.
VO: Why are you going to US?
ME: I am going to US for my Graduate Study in Sustainable Energy.
VO: How Many Universities did you apply to?
ME: 4 Universities: Eastern Illinois University, North Eastern Illinois University, Murray State University and Georgia Southern University.
VO: How many accepted you and how many rejected you.
ME: Eastern Illinois University and Murray State University accepted me, NEIU rejected me and I am awaiting decision from GSU.
VO: Why did you Choose EIU.
ME: I met with an Alumni who gave me firsthand information about the Sustainable energy program and the faculty at large. The Renewable Energy Center in EIU is the largest university biomass in the country. The center will afford me the firsthand opportunity to learn how renewable energy is utilized to support the need of a campus or community. I exchanged series of email with the Director of Studies; Dr. Peter Liu who advised me to apply after vetting my credentials and supporting documents.
The ratio of Lecturer to Student, and the state of Art facilities where also the convincing factors.
VO: Any standardized test?
ME: GRE: 280 and TOEFL: 80?
V.O: What will the degree do for you?
Me: The program is a science-based and technology management focused, it will equip me, put me on the edge to accept the challenging mission of achieving renewable energy utilization and its sustainability in the food industry, which will reduce our over dependence on crude based source of fuel which will lower the prices of and demand for natural gas by increasing competition and diversifying our energy supplies.
VO: Who is paying the school bills?
ME: My dad is paying the bills.
VO: What does he do? Pass me his SOA
ME: He’s a lecturer of Law at University of Ibadan, hands her SOA
VO: I can see you married with Kids, why are you not going with them.
ME: My wife just got started work with XYZ bank and there’s a bond she signed with them that won’t allow her leave her duty post for two years.

VO: You can pick your visa in 3 days.
ME: Alright, have a great day.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by LagosismyHome(f): 2:21pm On Jun 07, 2019

5 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ecoleco: 2:22pm On Jun 07, 2019
Anapuna01:
Hello house
Pls my interview is fast approaching...
How do I answer this pls??

Are u quitting ur job??

Going for my masters in public policy n admin @ Jackson state uni@ Mississippi

Providing a bit more contextual information about your situation would help to give you good suggestions for this question.

If you are really planning to quit your job when your visa is approved, you might consider putting a study leave request in your place of work just before your interview so that you could say to the Vo that you applied for leave and it is pending approval. This is just one line of action you could follow.

Like already said, more contextual information you could provide will help craft you a good answer.
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by godG: 2:24pm On Jun 07, 2019
Pepperoni001:
PROPOSED TRANSCRIPTS.

PEOPLE OF GOD, YOUR FEED BACK IS NEEDED.

THANKS

VO: Good Morning, Pass me your I-20 and SEVIS receipt.
ME: Good Morning, handed over the requested docs.
VO: Why are you going to US?
ME: I am going to US for my Graduate Study in Sustainable Energy.
VO: How Many Universities did you apply to?
ME: 4 Universities: Eastern Illinois University, North Eastern Illinois University, Murray State University and Georgia Southern University.
VO: How many accepted you and how many rejected you.
ME: Eastern Illinois University and Murray State University accepted me, NEIU rejected me and I am awaiting decision from GSU.
VO: Why did you Choose EIU.
ME: I met with an Alumni who gave me firsthand information about the Sustainable energy program and the faculty at large. The Renewable Energy Center in EIU is the largest university biomass in the country. The center will afford me the firsthand opportunity to learn how renewable energy is utilized to support the need of a campus or community. I exchanged series of email with the Director of Studies; Dr. Peter Liu who advised me to apply after vetting my credentials and supporting documents.
The ratio of Lecturer to Student, and the state of Art facilities where also the convincing factors.
VO: Any standardized test?
ME: GRE: 280 and TOEFL: 80?
V.O: What will the degree do for you?
Me: The program is a science-based and technology management focused, it will equip me, put me on the edge to accept the challenging mission of achieving renewable energy utilization and its sustainability in the food industry, which will reduce our over dependence on crude based source of fuel which will lower the prices of and demand for natural gas by increasing competition and diversifying our energy supplies.
VO: Who is paying the school bills?
ME: My dad is paying the bills.
VO: What does he do? Pass me his SOA
ME: He’s a lecturer of Law at University of Ibadan, hands her SOA
VO: I can see you married with Kids, why are you not going with them.
ME: My wife just got started work with XYZ bank and there’s a bond she signed with them that won’t allow her leave her duty post for two years.

VO: You can pick your visa in 3 days.
ME: Alright, have a great day.



Great. But don't be too rigid about this. Be flexible. The interview may not go as planned. I usually encourage people to be confident about their choices and be ready to answer questions (in any form) about them. Good luck.

2 Likes

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by godG: 2:25pm On Jun 07, 2019
LagosismyHome:


smiley cheesy grin

Lagosismyhome still comes here. Nice. cool

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ecoleco: 2:29pm On Jun 07, 2019
Quonchovsymenez:
i just made a mistake in my ds-160 form but i have not paid for visa how do i correct it

If you have not submitted it, edit and correct the mistake. IF you have, start another DS-160 and ignore the current one.

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ayodejiheph: 2:49pm On Jun 07, 2019
Good day guys, I am grate to God, and to you all, I posted my transcript here i was corrected and i made necessary corrections, and had several mock with a friend.

My interview was scheduled for 7:45am June 3rd, @lagos Window 2

Me- Good morning with a confident smile.

VO- ur I-20 and passport

ME- I gave her.

VO- what school are you going to?

Me- Stephen f Austin university Nacogdoches, Texas.

VO- how did you get to know about the school?

me- I started researching about schools that had comprehensive masters program in physics. and offer a concentration that aligns with my research interest.

VO- whats ur research interest?

Me- nuclear energy with a concentration in fusion power in generation of advance electricity generation.

VO- she den attacks me( but your I-20 says Biological and physical sciences

me- ( in my mind i was like chai what is this..? within split seconds... also i remember that during my mock interview with my friend he said i must always be spontaneous and respond to every and any question.) i said yes ma, the biological and physical sciences is my college while my
department is Physics.

VO- she said NO, ( i quickly cut her politely)( she was kind of having doubts, but i kept looking at her and smiling with confidence)

me- I said i have my admission letter to prove this

VO- alright, pass it, ( i did) after she looked at it and she started typing but i kept my focus on her

VO- she then said where do you work?.

ME- XYZ in lagos as an electrical engineer i further explained my duties for like 45secs

VO- she said the name of my company? i said XYZ and i work as an electrical engineer. she kept typing, i kept talking about my duties again( becos my friend said the vo might want to hear more, that is why they are silent.)
Vo- how long is the program and when is it starting and ending?

Me- ( before then, while on the queue i went through my I-20 particularly the date, i didn't know why my mind said i should memorized it) but am happy i did. i told her.

VO- she cuts me and says who is paying for ur trip.

ME- my mum will be paying for my trip and in addition i got a GA.

VO- cuts me and says what does she do?

me - i responsded

VO- whats her name?

ME- ( for my mind, i was like shey i no go know my mother name again ni) I responded, she den said

vo- but you have a deficit of 7000$

me- no ma, my deficit is $6329, ( she suddenly cuts me)
vo- its approximately $7000

ME- ( in my mind i guess she was looking at the right side of the I-20, which says sponour is $6989, i didn't argue with her further, i just simply said i have my statement of account here.

VO- She said pass it, she then collected it and says i will place your application on administrative processing, and i will hear from them in 7 days time, she gives me a while paper and tick administrative processing

ME- yes ma, with a smile and packed my document and left with thank you ma,

Due to the holiday, i kept checking my status, on 6th June @ 10:20am i saw ISSUED ON MY STATUS

30 Likes 2 Shares

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Adedayo65: 2:50pm On Jun 07, 2019
Haaa! Hmmmm! This one strong o


sharwama:

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
Hallelujah grin grin grin
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by martinz1: 3:12pm On Jun 07, 2019
What are the things to take to embassy for f1 interview,
My sponsor is in the u.s

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Mohene(f): 3:13pm On Jun 07, 2019
Congratulations
ayodejiheph:
Good day guys, I am grate to God, and to you all, I posted my transcript here i was corrected and i made necessary corrections, and had several mock with a friend.

My interview was scheduled for 7:45am June 3rd, @lagos Window 2

Me- Good morning with a confident smile.

VO- ur I-20 and passport

ME- I gave her.

VO- what school are you going to?

Me- Stephen f Austin university Nacogdoches, Texas.

VO- how did you get to know about the school?

me- I started researching about schools that had comprehensive masters program in physics. and offer a concentration that aligns with my research interest.

VO- whats ur research interest?

Me- nuclear energy with a concentration in fusion power in generation of advance electricity generation.

VO- she den attacks me( but your I-20 says Biological and physical sciences

me- ( in my mind i was like chai what is this..? within split seconds... also i remember that during my mock interview with my friend he said i must always be spontaneous and respond to every and any question.) i said yes ma, the biological and physical sciences is my college while my
department is Physics.

VO- she said NO, ( i quickly cut her politely)( she was kind of having doubts, but i kept looking at her and smiling with confidence)

me- I said i have my admission letter to prove this

VO- alright, pass it, ( i did) after she looked at it and she started typing but i kept my focus on her

VO- she then said where do you work?.

ME- XYZ in lagos as an electrical engineer i further explained my duties for like 45secs

VO- she said the name of my company? i said XYZ and i work as an electrical engineer. she kept typing, i kept talking about my duties again( becos my friend said the vo might want to hear more, that is why they are silent.)
Vo- how long is the program and when is it starting and ending?

Me- ( before then, while on the queue i went through my I-20 particularly the date, i didn't know why my mind said i should memorized it) but am happy i did. i told her.

VO- she cuts me and says who is paying for ur trip.

ME- my mum will be paying for my trip and in addition i got a GA.

VO- cuts me and says what does she do?

me - i responsded

VO- whats her name?

ME- ( for my mind, i was like shey i no go know my mother name again ni) I responded, she den said

vo- but you have a deficit of 7000$

me- no ma, my deficit is $6329, ( she suddenly cuts me)
vo- its approximately $7000

ME- ( in my mind i guess she was looking at the right side of the I-20, which says sponour is $6989, i didn't argue with her further, i just simply said i have my statement of account here.

VO- She said pass it, she then collected it and says i will place your application on administrative processing, and i will hear from them in 7 days time, she gives me a while paper and tick administrative processing

ME- yes ma, with a smile and packed my document and left with thank you ma,

Due to the holiday, i kept checking my status, on 6th June @ 10:20am i saw ISSUED ON MY STATUS

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ayodejiheph: 3:24pm On Jun 07, 2019
Mohene:
Congratulations
Thank you so much

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by NewAjala(m): 3:36pm On Jun 07, 2019
AgreatMan:


Michigan technological University. The school na original "Akagon" for funding but You fit lucky tho.

Thanks bro, already have that in my list tho.. You know say funding is the new visa cheesy
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by vickkyruby(f): 3:57pm On Jun 07, 2019
Thanks @Walspring for Sevis fee payment. Payment reflected within few hours.
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by CaptainDee: 3:57pm On Jun 07, 2019
Good day to you all. In a case where the program of study on your admission letter is different from the major on your I-20, however similar though, which one should one input in the DS-160 form?

Also, is there a way to still mail an already submitted DS-160 to yourself just to go over what you've submitted again?
Thanks
Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by LagosismyHome(f): 4:06pm On Jun 07, 2019
CaptainDee:
Good day to you all. In a case where the program of study on your admission letter is different from the major on your I-20, however similar though, which one should one input in the DS-160 form?

Also, is there a way to still mail an already submitted DS-160 to yourself just to go over what you've submitted again?
Thanks

I would put the i20 one

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Brown2Green(m): 4:12pm On Jun 07, 2019
CaptainDee:
Good day to you all. In a case where the program of study on your admission letter is different from the major on your I-20, however similar though, which one should one input in the DS-160 form?

Also, is there a way to still mail an already submitted DS-160 to yourself just to go over what you've submitted again?
Thanks

Anyone.
I would put the offer letter.

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by ecoleco: 4:12pm On Jun 07, 2019
CaptainDee:
Good day to you all. In a case where the program of study on your admission letter is different from the major on your I-20, however similar though, which one should one input in the DS-160 form?

Also, is there a way to still mail an already submitted DS-160 to yourself just to go over what you've submitted again?
Thanks

I20 for sure. VOs can access your I20 and you don't want any conflicting information no matter how small.

I don't know for sure but try and log back into the DS 160 platform with your credentials and see if it allows you to re-print the completed form.

1 Like

Re: General U.s.a (student) Visa Enquiries-part 14 by Nobody: 6:17pm On Jun 07, 2019
I was interviewed by the same VO as @Leone26.

I've heard before that each VO has her/his own approach to interviewing. The VO in question, I observed, focused on your (current and perhaps previous, if any) DS-160 records and would often capitalize on aspects that appear to raise a flag. Case in point: I watched a man that appeared to be in his 50's get denied because he could not explain why he spent 2 months in the States when his (previous!) application had shown that he would be spending only a few weeks. I guess it took him by surprise. I also watched another man struggle to explain an extended stay (not overstay) even though it seemed to have been for a genuine (medical?) reason, or so I thought I heard. He was denied too. While these may have been B1/B2 instances, the same VO was involved (I think), and as you'll see in a bit, her approach to an F1 case was approximately the same.

It also seems––and this is only an opinion, albeit based on what I've heard before––that in most cases, the applicant's "fate" is often decided (perhaps algorithmically (hello, it's 2019)) even before she/he appears for the interview (dunno, but running a visa status check shows that one's "case" is "created" only a few days prior to the appointment date, then updated at the end of the interview). Further emphasis on "most cases." The other cases, I heard, are the ones that are hard to decide without an interview; that's when a successful outcome is 50-50. Perhaps that explains why the VO had predetermined that she would need that many (pink) rejection sheets and so few white ones. Perhaps it's just statistical expectation or a combination of both.

On to the anecdote you're probably waiting for....

Oh, before that I'd like to state here that I'm maybe paranoid about social media and privacy; writing this puts me way outside my comfort zone in this regard, regardless of anonymity. As such, I may redact some details that I consider even the most remotely personally identifiable. I apologize in advance. I don't exactly recall verbatim the questions I was asked (or the order thereof), same for the responses I provided (I didn't quite get enough sleep the previous night). What I seem to recall better are my concurrent thoughts. That being said, I will try to describe the session to the best of my (current) ability.

Moi: (Steps in front of the VO, don't recall saying hello.)
VO: Pass me your passport (then notices my I-20)... and your I-20.
VO: (Scans my passport, looks up at her screen, starts to type a couple of seconds later.)
VO: (Continues to type for longer than I expected.)
Moi: (Okay... this had better be good; at least, it shows a different pattern from what I have so far witnessed––she's not asking me questions right off the bat.)
VO: (Continues to type. Still doesn't say a word to me!)

The VO typed for what appeared to be like forever; all the while she did not say a word to me. Not a single question. I suppose time dilates when you're standing in front of a VO but it did seem as if she'd typed for what was the duration of a typical interview. No, I'm not kidding (but consider the psychological context).
Here's what I think was going on: She had observed that I've had a B1/B2 in the past and was trying to make the usual verifications, plus she was taking time to diligently scan my current application (as @Leone26 mentioned, she gives back to you the exact information you filled in the DS-160).
Further context: I spent more than 5 years (junior-mid management) at an American MNC here in Nigeria, have a fairly decent travel history (Europe, US, UK), have not worked since 2017 (since I'm crazy enough to take sufficient time off to focus on career change/prepare for grad school; no, not really––it's what I believe God wanted/led me to do, however unpopular that may seem), and I did not hesitate to make all that information available (including the "unemployed" part) on my DS-160.
Back to the interview....

Moi: (Oh no, I just changed posture. I hope she doesn't think I'm beginning to get impatient. Gotta look well behaved here.)
VO: (Fetches my I-20 and continues to type. She appears to be copying information from the document. She eventually speaks.)
VO: How did you get to know about this school?
Moi: Online research (no, I don't think I said more than that).
VO: What other schools did you apply to?
Moi: (I mentioned 2 other schools. VO did not ask me if I got accepted at those schools).
VO: (Types on. At some point, she places my I-20 on the stack of pink papers as she typed, still picking information from the document.)
Moi: (Thank God! Looks like she's not gonna need any one of those pink papers for me.)
VO: What's your highest qualification?
Moi: Bachelor's degree. (She'd asked about my major; I mentioned one of the mathematical sciences.)
VO: Do you have family in the US?
Moi: No.
VO: I see you were awarded a Graduate Assistantship... what will your responsibilities be?
Moi: I'll be a Teaching Assistant, and... (VO cuts in).
VO: Teaching Assistant? What will you do as a Teaching Assistant?
Moi: I will teach and prepare labs––computer science labs. I will also be assigned to a faculty mentor to conduct research in any one of these areas: Software testing, Programming Languages, Big Data Analytics, and Cognitive Computing, depending on her/his area of research.
VO: (Types on as I said that last part; not sure she was listening.)
VO: I see you're unemployed.
Moi: Yes, I'm taking time off to focus on my career change goal....

This part, this very part, was the only anxiety-inducing part of my entire application. For what it's worth, I am genuinely taking time off to focus on changing fields and to prepare for grad school. However, I am not sure how the average Nigerian or American would perceive this. Could I have done this in spite of a day job? Maybe, but I don't think so; it's not my achievement style. Plus, I don't do ordinary anymore. Life for me begins at the extra mile. Extraordinary focus, time, and sheer hard work. I place a premium on the ability to build intuition about fundamental concepts and to skilfully synthesize insight in novel ways. In fact, I've had to turn down several opportunities to "return to Egypt" (for those who know the Bible) since week 1 of my self-styled sabbatical. No, it wasn't always easy, and I guess I do not need to tell you that it wasn't a welcome decision with quite a few people either.

VO: Where were you employed before then?
Moi: (Relieved that she actually didn't see being unemployed for that long as a big deal. By the way, I'll attribute that to sheer divine favor. Don't care if you try to water it down smiley.)
Moi: I was <insert role> at <insert American MNC> for about 6 years.
VO: What position did you hold?
Moi: (Told her. Seems she was checking my DS-160 for confirmation all along.)
VO: (Types on, for a long time. At some point, she pauses to read through what she'd typed. She looked satisfied with herself smiley)
VO: (Changes tone unexpectedly from indifferent to stern, a tone that instantly reminded me of previous sessions I had witnessed, where she promptly dished out denials.)
VO: Why change fields now?

Allow me to say, I was somewhat shaken up. My fluency took a bit of a hit––I was briefly inarticulate. My heart raced and apparently, so did my speaking pace.

Moi: (I start to explain, intent on being as convincing as possible.)
VO: (Cuts in. Don't recall what she said here but she thought I was saying too many things too quickly (obviously!) and needed me to take it slow.)
VO: No offense, but can you summarize what you've just said? (I was relieved!)
Moi: I've always wanted to be involved in technology. I was hired into the <insert business-related field> function of <insert American MNC> but found myself gravitating towards core tech aspects of business. In fact, I worked much outside my major area of responsibility... (don't recall what else I said, sorry, but I'd previously attempted to give examples of technical work I did developing tools from scratch, before she cut in).

Turns out it was a false alarm. It seemed she was simply trying to document my responses. It seemed she'd determined early on to approve my visa. Thank you, Jesus!

VO: How will you fund the cost not covered by the Graduate Assistantship?
Moi: Out of pocket. I have personal funds.... (GA and Out-of-State tuition waiver cover 2/3 of the ~$40k 9-month COA and I-20 shows that I will fund the rest myself. Note that the VO did not ask to see a bank statement.)
VO: Give me a moment (she steps away from her post).
Moi: (Oh yeah, this is looking good... I think.)
VO: (Returns with a few copies of EducationUSA pre-departure orientation information sheet. Apparently, she hadn't kept any with her, perhaps because she wasn't expecting to give out more that day. She removes one, tucks the rest away... she picks up the coveted white paper. grin)
VO: (Says something about approving my visa.)
Moi: Thank you. (Oh no, should I really have said that? I bet she'd merely done her job; she wasn't doing me no favor.)
VO: (Starts to say something about my "original I-20." She was emphatic. I guess it was the usual POE speech.)
Moi: (I didn't quite hear what she was saying, perhaps it was the rush of positive emotion.)
VO: (Nods and smiles at me. All of a sudden, she seemed like a friend who has your best interest at heart, not kidding.)
Moi: (I was elated.)
VO: Pick up your passport...

At this point, my legs had begun to move, I must confess. She was still speaking; I didn't catch the last thing she said. For a split second, after I had left her window, I thought she'd have the CGI guy call me back so she could complete what she was saying.

Sometime after I got home, I ran a visa status check and my application was on Administrative Processing. I did that again earlier today and... "Issued."

Yesterday I mentioned the place of prayer. I wasn't just referring to firefighting, or to prayer that began at some point before or after I applied for the F1 visa. I believe God does process, not magic. I was referring to the place of prayer when I joined an American MNC years ago, when I got to go on my first overseas trips (sponsored by the same organization), when I got to apply for a B1/B2 armed with an "American MNC" job home tie plus some travel history, and when I got to add even more travel history––just because I could then afford personal trips.

What's the upshot here? My F1 visa success story was apparently years in the making. God doesn't just answer prayers because you prayed; no, you don't get to use Him to achieve selfish ends. As far as answered prayer is concerned, your lifestyle counts.

Everyone has a message, and I hope I just got mine across.

God bless you!

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