₦airaland Forum

So below is my transcript as promised. Please once you are at the embassy, pay attention to every announcement. Arrange your documents as advised to avoid being sent back to the beginning of the queue as this might affect your mood and confidence. [Never let those hustlers outside staple your passport to your confirmation print out]Ensure you have your 1-20, GTBank payment slip, interview conformation slip, SEVIS fee receipt and your DS160 Confirmation page.

So inside the interview hall [after waiting for the VOs to arrive and take their seats] people were arranged in lines of threes. Guys please don’t be intimidated. The VOs are professionals. Don’t think “Oh I’ve read that the Chinese looking guy is mean and does not give visas.” What all the VOs really want is to make sure you have put in some thought towards your decision to study in America. The VO’s are pros, they don’t know you and can’t make any judgments apart from what you fill and the interview. Keep calm. Don’t try to impress. The guy in front of me messed up big time, the look on the VO’s face was like “Gerrarahere mehn” and signaled me to come up. Here’s how it went

ME: Good morning sir [I greeted first, try and make it a conversation, it helps you relax]

VO: Good morning [sounding friendly, I was the only one who was first to greet any of the VOs]

ME: So how are you this morning then?

VO: I’m fine thank you, and you? [he looked up at me with interest, I nor send]

ME: Yeah I’m fine too, thanks. [I passed my documents across. He begins to think this one knows what to do. He returns my passport photo]

VO: Have you applied for a US visa before?

ME: Oh yes sir, I did last year.

VO: What was it that you applied for a visa for?

ME: I applied for a B1/B2 visa to attend an annual conference at Laguna Niguel in California. It was the Kairos Global Summit [I am a fellow] but my application was rejected [I didn’t wait for him to ask me whether it was rejected or not]

VO: Are you single or are you married?

ME: Single, very single

VO: So why are you going to study Theology in America?

ME: So okay I’m a preacher sir, I have preached in more than three countries around the world [he didn’t want to hear further after ‘I am a preacher’ so waves me to stop]

VO: What will this degree do for you in Nigeria?

ME: Well most importantly it will get me ordination at my church. A degree in theology is a core requirement for ordination. Though I am a minister, I am not an ordained pastor, then also my school upon graduation will give me an international license as a traveling minister of the Gospel [he cuts me]

VO: Did you apply to other colleges?

ME: Yeah, [I named them, and told him I stopped one of the application halfway]

VO: Do you want to tell me how you found out about this school?

ME: It’s affiliated to our church sir [he needed no further explanation, nods]

VO: What’s the name of the company you work for?

ME: I’m sorry sir I didn’t hear you clearly [I heard him clearly; I almost said the name a bit wrongly, like place one word in front of the other. I told him I worked as a minister at my church. So I just bought time with the “I didn’t hear you clearly”]

VO: When did you finish high school?

ME: In 2004 sir.

VO: [thinks that’s kinda way back] So what have you been doing since that time?

ME: [Gosh, I started rapping] Well I worked for an Indian company as an I.T consultant till 2010 then I moved to the UK to work as a Christian Missionary. I did one year there and was asked to return back to work there as they were impressed by my service. I completed the second year and was asked to…[signals me to stop with the hand, like ‘e don do, you’ve been quite busy’ while he is looking at my passports, containing four UK visas –three temporary work visas and one General Visitor Visa –two Kenyan Visas, one Uganda visa, one Russian student visa]

VO: Can you tell me the subjects/courses you will be taking in your first semester?

ME: First five books of the Bible, the Ministry of Jesus, Acts of the Apostles [all rubbish, I didn’t plan for that but nearly all the student visa people were asked this, so work on that]

VO: Who’s sponsoring you?

ME: My church is graciously sponsoring me, but it’s not a full ride [if you get a full scholarship, a full ride is more commonly used in America] so my brother is putting some money in and I have saved up as well.

VO: Okay I’m going to issue you a visa. Here’s your I-20

I spoke generally fast, but articulately. I was in charge of the interview. For every question he signaled me with the hand to stop because I had a lot to say. I spoke in a quintessentially British accent with every day British words. Please I say again do not fake accent because it made a lot of people stupid. Speak intelligently and at a normal pace. If you are a slow speaker, don’t increase your pace…speak as you would to a friend but never waste the VO’s time, he has a lot to interview for the day.

Most importantly, here are the major questions that were asked generally while I was there:

Why do you want to study in America?
What will you do when you come back to Nigeria?
Why did you choose this school?
Can you tell me your academic plans or please tell me your first semester courses [please work on these questions].

Here are my suggestions. Type these questions on MS word, then answer them. Print it out and read it. Let it be so part of you that even when you are shaking, you can still speak the answers from the back of your head. People’s answers were too generic. Do further research, steal the show: for example if asked why did you chose America [and not Nigeria or any other country] you could answer like this [this was my personal answer though I was not asked]

“Every year, nearly 1 million students chose to study in America because of America’s commitment to excellence, quality of education respected globally and cultural diversity. With nearly one million people going to America to study, it makes it 30 percent of the world’s international student’s population going to America alone…..” [Try and speak with facts and figures. It makes you look smart and convinces the VO that you’ve put in your time and thought into your decision]

When you print your QandA out, you can have a member of family or friend interview you with these questions [and more] but ask them to ask you these questions randomly [in no particular order] so it keeps you away from the order of prepared answers.
Most people who were asked about what they will do with the degree from USA, they kept saying
“I will use the knowledge to work in my father’s company” while this works for some people, the truth is that your father does not need your masters degree just to work for his company, na your papa get am na. Try and find the relevance of your course in NIGERIA.
Once you are there, do not panic. Take sighs. People that are in front of you may all be getting rejections. E nor mean. Keep calm. Don’t listen to more than four people’s interviews. It might distract your mood. I listened to people’s interviews sha and inside the hall I was laughing and even saying choi! At some responses.

There’s nothing God cannot do. Pray, be confident. If you are the speaking in tongues type, speak in tongues inside your belle or small small for mouth[this is generally good whenever you face any obstacle. It builds confidence]

The key is: C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E, like I said in a previous post, be like a penalty kick taker. Once you are there, don’t change your mind. Stick to the arrangement. Go slay it. Here’s wishing you well. If you need me to interview you over on the phone, that’s fine..ask for my number.

I’m a writer and speaker . I don speak to thousands and have lived and worked in the UK, been to several other countries so I was overly confident. Don’t be carried away by other people’s interview. Don’t wish for any particular VO. Just remain focused. If you nor hear wetin VO talk, just kindly let him know you did not hear with “I’m sorry I didn’t hear that sir or ma’am” or “I beg your pardon I didn’t hear you very well” because this happened to me too. The VO had to increase the volume on his thingy on his desk.

chrisley024:
guy, tension is mostly the cause. It can make some forget the spelling of 'Nigeria'

abujaniv:
Honesty is always the best option. Simply list your current and past employment as requested. Be prepared for questions about this and be honest as to your reasons for omiting it. Do not be surprised if a consular officer asks about this. Consular officers undertand that mistakes and omissions can and do get into the forms you submit, so admitting you made a mistake will allow the officer to apply the facts of your situation to you application with the perspective that your are being honest and candid about the facts at hand. Failing to disclose any requested information or becoming evasive will have the opposite effect.