Tips For a Successful Visa Interview

Getting a visa can be very challenging and daunting, it takes grace, patience, and preparedness to get a visa application on a go. While getting a visa application can be easy sometimes, sometimes, fear and anxiety can make one answer the wrong questions during a visa interview. That is why in this article, we will be providing tips for getting a successful visa.

When it comes to visa interview questions, it depends on the country you are applying to and why you are applying. While there are some common questions to ask, some questions are different from each other.

Also, you might be lucky that the only question or questions they may ask are “why are you going there?” “Why don’t you consider here?” and boom! You have your visa to yourself. However, if your questions don’t fall under the easy ones, we will share some useful tips for getting a successful interview question.

Below are the tips for a successful visa interview

1. Be Concise

Note that the officers don’t have so much time on their hands and there are several other people out there who are waiting to be interviewed. So the best bet is to be concise with all your answers. Don’t go on and on when you can go straight to the point.

The officer makes the decision, so they look at your composure, answers, and impressions in the first few minutes and make mental notes of these behaviors.

2.Be Able to Explain Why You Made That Choice

Be it why you chose that country, why you chose that course, or why you chose that career, be able to explain it in a precise manner. This is one of the most common questions asked during interviews.

So as you are preparing for that career path, job, or change of country, the reason you are doing such should be at the back of your mind and must be explainable to your officer during visa interviews.

3.Avoid Lateness

There is something we call ‘African time’ here in this part of the world. Please, when it comes to your visa interview, don’t be late for the interview, this is one thing that can make your interviewer see you as very unserious and not ready to travel.

Visa is expensive, and you would not want to lose your travel plans due to lateness. Prepare for your transportation means and necessaries before the day. Don’t play African time with your visa.

4.Avoid False or Inappropriate Answers

One way to be sent back home is to give either false or inappropriate answers to your officer. If it is found out that you gave a false answer, certainly, your visa will not be approved. Also, where you are asked A and you keep answering B during visa interview questions will lead you to lose your visa application.

If you don’t understand the question, ask for clarity and make sure you stay in line of the question. If it is something very personal, communicate to your interviewer that that question is very personal to you and he will let it go.

5.Avoid Arguing With an Official

Another sure way home is getting into an argument with your official. You know that is the person who holds the key to your traveling out and that point, and you know how important that visa approval is to you, the best thing to do when it seems both of you are contradicting each other is to calmly explain to him your point of view. Talking back in a rude or demeaning way will only make them cancel your visa application.

ALSO, READ Tips For Staying Safe When You Travel Abroad

6.Have Strong Ties to Your Home Country

Places like the United States sees all applicant for non-immigrant visas as intending immigrants in their law, so you must be able to show by evidence that you have a strong tie to your home country and you truly plan to return home.

Evidence like this includes family, properties, investments, and many more. Even if you don’t plan on coming back to your country, especially Nigerian applicants tired of Nigeria, you must still be able to convince your interviewer with the listed evidence above. When it is approved, you know that you never plan on looking back.

7.Necessary Documents

There are necessary documents to bring along during the interview. Most interviews last for not more than 5 minutes. That is if you are lucky. So make sure you bring the necessary documents and not waste the time of the interviewer by making him or her go through the document aimlessly.

Some of the necessary documents for interviews are; a passport that is still valid for the next 6 months at least, a financial statement, a letter of acceptance if it is for academic purposes, an employment letter for employment purposes, etc.

That is why being calm for visa interviews is necessary and mandatory. Even before the day, be calm and don’t be so nervous that you end up messing up during the interview.

8.Dress Presentably

Some may see dressing as not important. But it should be noted that as a visa applicant, you are going to make a positive impression and it includes the way you dress, speak and present yourself. You can’t dress shabbily or like someone that doesn’t care about the world and expect the officer to allow you into their country. They are deciding on behalf of their country, so they must do so with utmost care and importance.

Dressing in a shabby or unpleasant way is one of the reasons a visa might not be approved. Dress well, dress presentable and stay concise with your wordings.

If peradventure you have once been denied of visa and you are skeptical about this one, please remain positive, think of many questions they might ask, and research about the, and the country you are also applying to. Ask someone whose visa was approved for guidance, but don’t give up. Also, it is good to ask the officer why the visa was denied and what necessary documents to bring in case of next time.

ALSO, READ Fully Funded Scholarships For International Students

Originally posted 2022-04-19 07:33:45.