Have you made it to your dream school in the USA? Then it’s time for you to get ready for your F1 US Visa Interview — your final step into your academic journey.  The interview can be nerve-racking, however, preparation is key to a good interview as it’s going to determine whether you are qualified to get your F1 Visa. Besides rehearsing your answers, it’s imperative you have your documents ready too. Having said that, you are mostly asked for your application/appointment letter, however, it’s always better to be well-prepared in case the interviewer asks for any documents. 

Below is  a list of documents you should carry to the interview:

Mandatory Documents:

1. Visa interview appointment letter
2. Passport (current and all the previous ones)
3. DS-160 Confirmation Slip (with the barcode clearly visible)
4. Original I-20, signed by you and the University authority
5. SEVIS Fee Receipt
6. Passport Size Photograph (as per regulations mentioned)

Educational Documents:

1. Original marksheets and certificates of Class 10th and 12th Certificates and mark-sheets
2. Undergraduate college marksheets
3. GRE or GMAT scorecard
4. IELTS or TOEFL scorecard
5. Bachelor’s Degree/ Provisional Degree Certificate 
6. Letter of acceptance from your University in the United States

Financial Documents

1. Original Affidavit of Support from Sponsor(s) dated 4-5 days before Visa interview date.
2. Bank Account Statement of sponsor (recommended: previous three years)
3. Tax Returns of sponsor (recommended: previous three years)
4. Loan Approval Letter (if applicable)
5. Scholarship offers from your University (if applicable)
6. Original C.A. statement showing summary of fixed and liquid assets — sufficient to pay for the first year of education and living expenses as well as proof of readily available funds to cover the remaining year(s) of studies, dated 3-4 days before F1 US Visa interview date.

Work Experience Documents (For employed students)

1. Work experience letters 
2. Recommendations from employers
3. Pay-slips/salary certificates for the last six months 
4. IT Returns for the last 3 years

It is recommended that you arrange all the files and documents neatly in a partition file and label the sections to avoid any confusion. In case you are asked to show any one document you can easily hand it over without any hassle. Most importantly, remember to arrive a few minutes early. Being late makes for a bad impression at the very beginning. Besides this, you can find more details about the F1 Visa process at the US Embassy’s official website. 

Moreover, we know these interviews can be really worrisome, however, preparation is key. Hence, you can now experience the F1 US Visa interview first-hand by taking mock interviews and shedding all your inhibitions before the big interview day.  If you require any more details about GMAT preparation you can check on the CareerLabs website.