/home/dayanandasaraswati

Hello guys this post is entirely flicked from my friend(Naveen’s) information on how to apply for visa. I’m copying here for public reference with due credit to him.
This is what he had to say about the process:

hi guys,
Today I got my visa, I just thought I would share the steps with you to speed up things. The disarrayed website can drive you bonkers! so I’m giving you all links as well.

booking your visa
===========

After you get your i20

1. once you get your i20, you need to pay your SEVIS fee. http://www.fmjfee.com/ , you need the sevis fee receipt at your visa, so if are planning to book the visa interview earlier, choose express delivery of the receipt, (comes to around 50$ for DHL)

2. All the visa transactions of the consulate are handled by vfs, it’s an private visa gateway.http://vfs-us.co.in/

3. you will need a photograph , go to any kodak studio, ask them it’s for an US visa, they print you some copies and give you a digital copy, you will need the digital copy for the DS160 form

4. All the forms DS 156,157 blah blah, have been replaced by a single form DS 160, it’s basically the complete information about you.
you need to complete this form, The form expires every few mins, and it’s freaking annoying, however the form has a save option, you can keep saving often to prevent time outs.

https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/applicationformDS160.html

5. once you are done with that, you can book your appointment, you need a HDFC bank receipt for some 6k odd, the bank is stupid enough not to accept their own DD’s , so get it from a different bank.

https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/student_visafees.html

After you get your HDFC recepit, voila!, you can book your visa now
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/visaappointment.html

PS: often they ask you something called CEAC number, it’s the bar code that comes in your DS160 form.

preparing documents for interview
=====================

Here’s the check list you need for the documents.

https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/student_NCHK.html

1. You need strong documents to show that you have a reason to return back to india .

2. First, get all your house documents and contact this person, he’s an govt authorized land valuation guy.

vijaya ragavan
9840054097
26184096, 26182232

He’ll evaluate your land documents and give you an document stating “this house/land is worth xxxx” with all kinds of seals and stamps from the bureaucracy hell.

3. Talk with your bank and get a statement of consolidated reports of all fixed deposits and savings account.

4. Next up, you need to contact your auditor and give me the valuation reports+ bank statements+ postal savings+ other savings and ask him to prepare a consolidated report.

I don’t know if step 4 is really needed, if your dad is salary paid you can skip to step 5, My dad’s self employed, so I just followed what my auditor asked me to do.

5. Contact a notary republic (Advocate), and get valuation reports+ bank statements+ postal savings+ other savings and ask him to prepare a consolidated report. Get an affidavit of it, get your mom/dad to sign it, this is the proof that they are willing to fund you.

6. Get bank statements of all the transaction for the past 2 years from your bank, this should show your dad/mom have lots of liquid cash flowing.

7. Remember the property document is the only proof that will show you, that you will return back to india, so have a good estimate of it.

On the day of the visa
=============
Remember you are an non-immigrant, say it 10 times before you enter the consulate

I should say I was lucky, the interview lasted for < 1min, she was a young women.

Me: Hi !
she: Hello, it's an hot day.
Me: Indeed, yes!
she: so you want to do your masters.
Me: yup.
she: what are all the admits that you got?
Me: Cmu dual degree Ph.D. with funding and purdue.
she: Congratulations on the admits, both are good schools, why did you choose purdue?
Me: They have a strong research background.
she: what area you want to specialize in ?
Me: Operating systems
she: That's nice, congrats naveen, I'm approving your visa, but I can only process it 120days before the course, *hands me over a paper*, bring this before 120 days (next week) and get your visa printed.
Me: Thank you, Have a good day .

Literally that was all the conversation.

A guy near me was denied the visa. The officer said "you do not have enough connections in india," even before the poor guy could talk he said he said "bbye, next". What the consulate official meant was, "he doesn't find enough reasons for him to consider him as an non-immigrant."

Remember, according to the US legislation, all visa applicants are potential immigrants, unless you prove the otherwise. The only way you can do that is by showing you have properties, money invested.

Other stuff

1. If you have an brother or sister pursuing higher education, this is what I did, I got a letter from my brothers professor, saying he's fully funding my bro. This is to make sure all your parents funding will go for you and only you.

2. If they ask you what's your specialization, you need shut your yap and give a modest answer like operating systems, programming languages or something simple they can comprehend. *Oh no, I want to show off and use sophisticated terms like FPGA ,grid and confuse them*-> doesn’t help by any means!, they give you a pink slip arranging further technical interviews for another 2 weeks. you might as well give some standard answer.

3. Some officials were strict, some were really polite and smiling all the time. So I would say it’s all about luck, but if you have admit from a good school, it shoudn’t be an issue. In any case, apply as early as possible, cause even if you are rejected you need time to reapply.

4. Think of some standard answers for low gre scores/toefl scores, like I was working on this publication, so it would be wise to take your resume.

All the best, stay confident!