nmicky:
can someone present his father's company statement of account during f1 visa interview processes.

I believe so but you'd have to show proof that your father is a signatory to the company's account. You'd get that from the bank

Hi everyone.

I had to retrieve my password to submit this post as I forgot it as soon as I opened the account years ago. This is because I think it's really important to also drop my transcript here as i have read several transcripts from the older threads which really helped me today at the embassy. So I'd like to thank everyone who has made a comment or another since the beginning of US visa thread (I'm not sure if 'thread' is what they call it but you know what I mean yeah?)

The pre-screening section was fine but i got a bit scared when a lady who's supposed to confirm the passport right before the bio-metrics shook her head while looking through my I-20. She didn't say what the issue was but I knew I had to start praying immediately. I then noticed pink and yellow slips being issued to most applicants. If I hadn't read through this thread from part 13, I would have assumed they were all granted the visa because some of those applicants had been the US and many other countries before and sounded legit. I personally didn't understand the reason for the denial. Anyway, lets skip to my interview.

I was interviewed by a guy at the third booth which went like this
VO: Good morning
ME: Good morning
VO: Pass me your passport please
ME: Here
VO: So you're going to Georgia state
ME: Yes I am. i intend to study for a master's degree in Geosciences at Georgia State University
VO: oh Student Visa
ME: yes
VO: pass me your I-20
ME: here
VO: (looks through the i-20) ohhh Master's
ME: yes, Masters in geosciences
VO: How long is your program
ME: 28 months
VO: how many schools did you apply to?
ME: three schools. Kansas state university, the University of North Dakota and georgia state Uni but I chose Georgia State Uni because I was impressed by its academic ranking in terms of innovation, commitment to teaching and also research. I was also interested in the work of Dr Hassan who has worked extensively on structural geology. I intend to use the acquired to further study the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta hosts the largest oil reserve in Nigeria.
VO: (nods) very good. so you intend to go for a PhD afterwards?(then he looked right into my eyes)
ME: (looking confused) No, I believe the knowledge acquired would be enough to independently study the Niger Delta. My plan is to apply to Shell Nigeria, where I did my graduate Internship, as an experienced Geologist wherein I'd use the data acquired over the years to further understand reservoir connectivity and communication which would in turn boost hydrocarbon production.
VO: (nods) very good. So you did an Internship at Shell
ME: Yes
VO: good...I see you have a deficit of $12000 aside your assistantship. Who'd be paying for that?
ME:My Uncle
VO: Pass me his Bank Statement
ME: Okay but give me a second to get it...here
VO: (looks through it for longer than I expected and I suspected that he assumed the statement was in Naira but I didn't say anything) Oh he's in switzerland so the currency is in CHF
ME: yeah
VO: (he looked me in the eye again) i will be issuing your visa (pauses for a second to process my reaction) you should pick it up at the point...(I didnt hear the rest cuz I was trying to absorb the fact that my visa was granted)
ME: (emotionless face) Okay, thank you
VO: Please go there to pay your reciprocity fees. You should always take your I-20 with you when you travel......(I zoned out again but tried to appear like I was hearing it for the first time even though my school has put me through the entire process but of course he was trying to help and I appreciated that)
ME: ( nods) Okay, thank you.

What I learned from this is
1. Don't memorize your answers. Practicing a billion times would give you an default, memorized response but try to be flexible with it so that you can think while responding. This is because most times, the tension could cause you to forget the rhythm of your response and that could disorient you completely but if you're listening to yourself speak you can always replace a forgotten response with a more logical answer....Half of my responses weren't delivered as rehearsed.
2. Don't wait for the VO to ask every question. if you've gone through this visa posts long enough you'd see a pattern in the questions. e.g which schools did you apply to, why that school and what are your plans after the degree. Answering them before being asked shows that you actually have a plan already and didn't just cook something up because they asked. While sounding smart with your brief and combined response, the VO also wouldn't have the opportunity to pay special attention to each response like if they were asked individually.... I learned this while rehearsing with my Kid bro last night
3. Please don't lie. there was a man who said he hadn't been denied by any country as he has traveled to so many countries only for the VO to roll his eyes and say "really? are you sure?" then he started to confess and ultimately got denied. You can't tell how much info they have of you.
4. Please please and please, practice your response with the intention that you wouldn't stay any longer in the US than the degree you're going for. The PhD question that was asked of me was a trick i believe. If I had said yes then it would have shown that I wasn't eager to come back and that I'd stay back in the US at the slightest opportunity.. I actually didn't realize this until after the interview.
5. Be prepared. Practice as much as you can and be confident. If you're a genuine student with the intention to study for a better future, remind yourself of that every time because you deserve the opportunity.
6. Speak up and speak out. Don't frustrate the VO by sounding like you've got a sore in your mouth. If you have stage fright like me and tend to speak at a low tone in an interview, lean closer to the receiver. Also, once you notice that the VO is struggling with an Info, especially funding, clear the air before he gives you the pink slip. I should have spoken out immediately i noticed him struggling with the Bank Statement ... Thank God he realized it eventually but not everyone gets that lucky.
7. I don't need to tell anyone to pray. That's default. You should go in with the conviction that your prayer has been accepted. That can loosen up the tension a bit and also improve confidence.


I'm so sorry for the long post, i just wish to give back as much information as I gained from Nairaland. I hope this helps a lot of people.

by the way, hold your reciprocity fee. Its N40,700 or $110. You must show the fee in *CASH*in either currency before you even get past the second checkpoint and there are about 5 of them before meeting the VO (but they'd only confirm that you have the fee once). If you get the Visa you'd pay the fee and if you don't then you'd take your money away with you.

Finally(I promise), don't pray for the VO to retain your Passport because the system has changed. the VO would return your passport to you with a tiny pick slip and the usual white paper which you'd take to the booth where you'd pay your reciprocity fee. that's where they'd retain your passport and the tiny pink paper.

Thank you.