Student Visa-Tips and Advice For Those Applying

Obtaining a student visa to study in USA without IELTS involves a number of processes. Megan Mankerian-Stem recently talked with VOA Learning English on ways to increase your chances of finishing the procedure successfully.

Mankerian-Stem is Creighton University’s director of international enrollment in Omaha, Nebraska.

She has spent more than ten years advising overseas students while working at the Midwestern institution for six years. She has several anecdotes of her pupils succeeding in the Zehra Gunes Biography United States.

She is aware of the challenges faced by overseas students even before they enrol in their first college course, however. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain recurring issues have become worse during the last two years.

For instance, conducting visa interviews has fallen well behind schedule at several American embassies abroad. A student visa interview in Abuja, Nigeria, will take 150 days to complete.

3 Different Types OF Student Visa:

According to Mankerian-Stem, applicants for the F-1 student visa often wait too long. One of three visas that allow students to enter the United States is the F-1 visa. The J and M visas are the only ones that aren’t for students coming for a lengthy university study programme. The letter M stands for work authorization, whereas the letter J stands for short-term academic exchange programmes.

Mankerian-Stem said that she recently talked with a South Korean student who wanted to attend Creighton. But the student had not yet scheduled a Seoul visa interview.

Our comprehensive guide will cover how to apply for a study visa for USA from India, the documentation needed for a US student visa, where you can have your interview, what you need to know before you leave India, and what is necessary once you arrive in the US. If you are an Indian student who also hopes to attend college in the US.

It is not difficult to get a student visa for the United States from India, but you must adhere to all regulations and allow enough of time to prepare and submit your papers. Before submitting an application for an F-1 student visa to the US from India, you must be admitted to a degree programme at a recognised US higher education institution.

On a Zoom call with other university counsellors, Megan Mankerian-Stem.
On a Zoom call with other university counsellors, Megan Mankerian-Stem.
She claimed that there is currently a four-week wait time to schedule an interview there. The new academic year at Creighton begins in less than one month.

So I had to declare that there was no chance of us getting you here in time for you to succeed in your studies.

Do not wait:

Mankerian-Stem advised students to begin their visa applications as soon as possible. You can’t afford to put it off or put it off in any manner, she continued. She also suggested that kids become involved with their local Education USA office and go to events where they may learn more about applying for college and visas.

The majority of youngsters who are considering attending school in the United States now probably won’t be able to do so until 2023.

Mankerian-Stem said that the U.S. Department of State sometimes rejects a student who has been admitted to study in the United States and who has a visa interview.

Avoid being rejected:

Some of the most typical explanations for rejecting students are listed below:

They come from a nation with a high rate of fraudulent applications; they claim to have family members residing in the United States; and they claim they want to work in the United States after their studies are finished. However, they have not taken an English proficiency test like the TOEFL, IELTS, or the Duolingo English Test.

She said that applicants from nations including Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, and Nigeria may face rejection. That’s because applicants who came before them lied on their applications.

According to Mankerian-Stem, the visas are set up so that kids may visit the United States for a school programme and then leave right away back home. A student’s visa application may be turned down if a visa officer believes they will attempt to remain longer than is allowed.

Information regarding attending Creighton University in Doha, Qatar, is provided by Megan Mankerian-Stem.
Information regarding attending Creighton University in Doha, Qatar, is provided by Megan Mankerian-Stem.
Students who desire to participate in the U.S. government programme known as Optional Practical Training, or OPT, may run into difficulties because of this. After receiving their degree, students are allowed to remain in the country and work in their area of study for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three.

Practicing is essential:

Mankerian-Stem said that she wants her pupils to be prepared for their interviews with solid responses. She gives students the opportunity to talk with and practise their English with other foreign students who can help them.

They may thus be honest while also being extremely clear about their goals since they won’t be caught off guard by these kinds of inquiries.

Read more : https://sohawrites.com/

There is still work to do:

Mankerian-Stem said that she and other officials are attempting to explain to the U.S. State Department why applicants shouldn’t be turned away. She said, for instance, that some institutions could waive the need for the English test if the student has completed the majority of their coursework in English or passed other exams that demonstrate their English proficiency.

There are so many other methods for a kid to demonstrate their command of the English language, she noted.

She said that foreign student advisors are stressing the value of programmes like OPT to those who are reviewing student visa applications. During visa interviews, students need to be free to express their interest in OPT without worrying about being turned down.

She said that she and others are discussing how to bring up that topic with other members of the State Department with Education USA.

It’s important to note that nations with a lot of students admitted into U.S. study programmes often have designated F-1 days. For instance, the U.S. embassy sometimes hosts a “super Friday,” according to a recent story in the Bangladeshi publication Financial Express. On days like these, embassy personnel make an effort to assist hundreds of students who want visas in order to begin their studies. On July 29, the most recent occurred.