My F2 Experience...

Though it is very difficult to hear a successful USA visa interview story these days for many, my experience is different. In a very special situation, international students marry either before they finish their degrees such as MS/PhDs or before getting admissions to these degree programs. In both the cases, they need to process an F2 visa for their spouses so that they can live together while studying. Students working on Optional Practical Training (OPT) also go through similar experiences. Considering the seriousness of all these situations, I decided to share my experience of  USA VISA interview  on this blog with the hope that it'll be useful to many prospective VISA applicants in India.

My husband is a PhD student, and is on student visa (F1). After our marriage in December 2015, naturally I was seeking an F2 visa so that I could join him in the US. I am briefing my F2 visa interview experience in the following lines:  

Embassy : Mumbai.

Date         : 29th Feb. 2016.

Decision  : Approved. 

Profile of F1 visa holder: 

Degree : M.S. (Mechanical Engineering)  in University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, USA.

Current Program:  PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics (Mechanical Engineering) in University of North Carolina, Charlotte , NC, USA. 

Documents For F2 visa  interview:

·   Passport

·   F2- I20 

·   F1- I20 (copy) 

·   F1 Passport copies all 36 pages (color copy) 

·   Marriage Certificate 

·   Marriage Album  

·   Marriage Invitation Card 

·   Copies of Transcript (F1) 

·   F1's last 6 months bank statement (bank in united state) 

·   F1's last 6 months salary slip 

·   F1's  U.S. tax documents for last 2 years 

·   My educational documents 

·   My documents based on previous job experience

Preparation for Interview:

I searched many blogs on internet, but found questions for F2 visa interview on following link useful.

http://binaryjunction.com/2010/07/08/f2-visa-interview-questions-for-united-states-of-america/

I prepared all these questions. After doing my own preparation, my husband took mock interviews a couple of times on Skype before actual interview date. 

Interview Experience:

First of all let me confess that it was a pleasant experience for me & want to share with all, especially who are worrying for it.I found the interviewer very practical & helpful.

My interview was scheduled on 29th February 2016 at 10 a.m. My finger print appointment was already over on 26th February. On 29th February, I reached the consulate approximately at 9.30 a.m. and I was inside the consulate at 10 a.m. sharp. After doing all initial checks and processes, they called me for an interview at about 11.00 a.m.

And finally the interview......

Me: Good Morning Sir (Smile on Face)

Consulate officer: Good Morning (with smile too)

Give me your passport please. (I gave my passport to him)

 So when did you get married?

Me: On 25th Dec 2015

Consulate officer: Oh great! Congratulations!

Me: Thank you, sir.

Consulate Officer: So is it arrange marriage or love marriage?

Me: It's arrange marriage, sir.

Consulate Officer: then why your parents selected this guy for you?

Me: Actually for me, they were looking for highly educated person. He is doing his PhD and I liked his profile too. So decision was easy for them :-)

Consulate Officer: Oh great. In which university he is?

Me: in University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Consulate Officer: Is he enjoying Charlotte?

Me: Yes, very much.

Consulate officer: What  does he eat there?

Me: Dal, rice sometimes pizza, burger.

Consulate Officer: (with smile) Can he cook?

Me: Mostly he cooks dal rice as it is less time consuming and easy to make.

Consulate Officer: Can you cook?

Me: Yes sir...

Consulate Officer: Will you cook once you join him?

Me: (smiled and replied) of course, sir.

Consulate Officer: (With big smile) Congratulations Sarika, your visa is approved. You can collect your passport from consulate within two days 

Me: Thank you so much sir. (with big smile of delight :-)...)

Consulate Officer: You have done a very good job. Have a nice day. Bye.

Me: Thank you, sir. Have a nice day to you too. Bye.

So this is my visa interview story. This looks very simple. It indicates that F2 or H4 dependents should not face many problems for visas. Having said that, I also have heard of sad stories of husband-wife separation for long periods of time due to multiple rejections. I hope this story helps for those who want to apply for F2 someday. I will also answer any specific questions to help the applicants better. Following is my contact information:
 sarikadighe15@gmail.com 

Wishing again all the very best to the prospective visa applicants.

-Sarika