If you’re an aspiring student all excited to touchdown in a foreign land you’ve been dreaming about, this is an important blog for you.
While your study abroad dream is special, remember that lakhs of students apply for a student visa every year.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, over 55,000 US visas, over a lakh Canada visas, and over two lakh Australian visas got approved in the previous year despite the pandemic.
This visa acceptance rate seems promising. However, the higher the number of visa applications, the more the competition.
So, take your visa application process seriously.
Follow these dos and don’ts.
Must-Dos For Your Study Abroad Visa Application Process
You will need to be capable enough to independently attend the visa interview.
Your ability to answer the Visa Officer (VO) is the final step before you are ready to fly. So, make sure you are nailing this.
To successfully crack your visa application process, you must:
Book A Visa Appointment, Be Punctual And Presentable
When should you book your visa appointment?
Book an appointment immediately after receiving an acceptance letter from your desired university abroad.
On the visa interview day, you are given a limited slot with the visa officer. So, make sure you’re punctual or you might miss out on your appointment.
Apart from timeliness, the other important aspects of your visa application are your behavior, your documents, and the necessary financial proof.
Remember that the visa officer interrogates you on the basis of your documents.
Therefore, you should be completely honest about yourself during your visa application process.
Being presentable leaves a good impression. So, dress properly, behave decently, and cooperate with the visa officer to complete your visa process smoothly.
Maintain Full Proof Paper Work
If you want your visa to be accepted in one go, make sure your documents folder is on point.
By submitting all the required proofs, up-to-date, without a miss, your chances of successfully getting your visa approved increases.
Your full-proof student document folder should contain:
- A valid passport
- Visa application
- University acceptance letter
- SOP
- 2 LORs
- Study history documents (Result sheets, transcripts, certificates)
- Passport size photos (Shot according to the requirement of the country you are applying to)
- Bank statements
- Student loan approval email/document (If any)
- Parental income proof
- Test proofs (GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, etc)
- Accommodation proofs
- Health insurance
- Scholarship letters (if any)
- Updated resume
Depending on the country you are applying to, the study abroad requirement varies.
The extensive list stresses candidates about the students visa process. But, having the necessary documents intact will ease your visa application process.
Most student visas are rejected due to insufficient funds or blurry financial documentation.
So, in case of any confusion, you can directly talk to alumni who’s been through the same struggles as you on SelectRight.
In addition to assisting you with information, we can also help you fund your education without any hassle.
Consult An Expert
To study abroad, students need to extensively research, take tests, apply to various colleges, apply for a student visa, and a lot more.
And a helping hand hurts no one. Especially, if it is making your dream come true.
When you sign up to SelectRight, you have access to a team of advisors to help you choose the best university, get the funding, and also, gather the expert advice you need for your career.
Before attending a visa interview, talking to an expert or staging mock visa interviews will help you prepare yourself well in advance.
Some of the most commonly asked questions you must be ready for during your visa application process are:
- Why are you aspiring to study in (your desired) country?
- What will you specialize in for your degree?
- What will be your major?
- Where did you go to school now?
- Who is your current employer?
- Why are you planning to continue your education?
- Can you not continue your education in your home country?
- How are you funding your education?
- Do you have enough funds to survive the tenure of your course in the country of your choice?
Apart from the above list, the VO might ask you a number of personal, financial, and educational questions.
While answering, be mindful, confident, and honest.
By displaying nervousness you will be inviting unnecessary distractions and doubts during your visa interview.
Establish Your Study Goals
It is obvious that the visa officer will ask you questions about your studies, career goals, and future prospects.
Clearly define your career goals. However, provide confidence to the officer about your return to your home country after the completion of your course.
Sniffing a potential immigrant would result in visa rejection.
It is best to clearly establish your interest in studying abroad but also state your plans after the completion of the course in your home country.
Be Mindful About Your Words
Speak with brevity during a student visa interview.
Keep your answers crisp, short, and to the point.
When the Visa Officer questions you, answer to the point.
Do not lie, exaggerate or make any false statements during the interview.
While these are some of the important things to keep in mind about your behavior, documents, attitude, and conduct, refer to a handy list of mistakes you might fall prey to.
Don’t Do This: 5 Mistakes To Avoid During Student Visa Application
These 5 mistakes could prove lethal for your student visa application.
Don’t Make Errors In Your Visa Application
To apply for a student visa you need to fill out a visa application form.
Students visa applications differ depending on the country.
For example, if you are planning to study in the US, you will need to fill out an F1 visa form. Similarly, to study in Australia students need to fill out a Subclass 500 form.
Apart from filling out the right form, you need to also make sure that your student visa application is error-free.
Don’t Be Nervous Or Underconfident
Confidence is key to cracking any interview.
As for your student Visa, the VO will need to see you confident enough to move to another country for the purpose of your education.
Displaying underconfidence during your interview might raise trust issues in your visa officer about you successfully pursuing your course abroad.
Do not fumble or speak out of context during your interview.
Stay focused on your goal of studying abroad and keep calm.
Don’t Lie
Do not be dishonest during your interview. By lying during your visa interview, you will be inviting trouble.
Visa officers match your answers to the submitted documents.
So, confidently align your answers to all the proofs you might have provided during your visa application.
Don’t Mess Up Your Financial Proofs
Insufficient funds or wrongly filed financial documents can directly affect your student visa.
Financial aid is very important for your student visa approval.
If the VO feels that you might have insufficient funds to survive through the tenure of your course abroad, they will reject your application.
To avoid such mishaps, SelectRight experts guide you through the visa and funding process.
From the correctness of the documents, finding the right university, gathering university-specific documents, and also helping you with your last-minute student visa preparation, SelectRight has you covered
Don’t Send Signals That You’ll Overstay Your Welcome
By giving the impression of settling permanently abroad, you might be courting trouble.
Visa officers require your assurance to return to your home country after the successful completion of your course.
To assure your return, you will have to provide the VO with the assurance of a career, job, family or ancestral property in your home country.
Visa officers also keep a check on the ties of the country you are aspiring to move to, for your safety.
On the whole, if you need to get your visa approved in one go, you must make sure your documentation is tight.
You have ample funds to survive and you intend to come back after your education.
A student visa application process can take anywhere between 30 days to 3 months to process.
So, make sure you are applying well in advance.
