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Visa Interviews

  • First of all always remember big names never get rejected and smaller universities rarely get accepted so never apply for visa on their basis e.g I know many people who got their visa rejected when going to Albany etc. Although these are good places. I dont understand the reason but big names never get rejected unless or until you commit a blunder(mentioned below).
  • Try to get an acceptance letter from a good university like Cornell, NIH, Yale, John Hopkins, Harvard, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, or any others one may find. Be confident at the interview, be prepared to answer few things like,
    1. things about your elective’s department and the place you are going to
    2. your support in US (any relatives that will pick you from airport and provide you residence at least for time being)
    3. where you will stay in US
    4. previous travel History

    • Most people got visa while they didn’t have great answers to these Qs, so not much to worry about but still be prepared…and SOUND LIKE A DOCTOR & A REASONABLE PERSON, BE WELL-MANNERED, neither begging nor over-confident
     DOCUMENTS to take are your application, passport, acceptance letter/s, bank statement, any support letter from relative in US (relative must be legal)
    DRESS PROPERLY, pant-coat would do, one may try a nice tie as well
    Another thing is CLEARANCE: It may take a few months, so apply well before time of start of your elective

  • You need to answer the following questions at the time of the visa interview

    Why are you going?
    For clinical electives. Make sure you have documentation as proof of your
    acceptance for the clinical experience at hand.

    How are you going to pay for the trip?
    Bank statements with some money do the trick. A bank statement that has some
    money circulating is better that one which is static.

    Proof of ties with your home country?
    Property, Pictures with close Relatives in your home country etc.

    How do I know you will come back?
    Get a letter from your college stating that you are their student and will
    remain a student till you graduate upon announcement of the result. It
    should also state that the college office has all your documents and the documents will be given to you upon graduation.

  • Never say you want to live in US afterwards becz both electives and residency are meant to provide you training so that you can serve your country after returning....show strong family ties...property....photos with family here....never say you want to pursue a residency in US (while are applying for electives visa)...you are just going there for electives to gain some international clinical experience....so that later you can serve your own country in a better way...
  • If you say that I plan to settle in US or if you show a proof showing your strong tie in US rather than your own country, then its a blunder....always keep in mind there are only two things that are looked for your visa....first and foremost....would you return back to your country and wont become an illegal citizen in US....second you or someone would be able to support you in US....but always remember the latter always comes after the first mentioned fact....you can prove the prior fact by showing pictures with family/fiance/spouse, your current and active bank accounts, proof of your property ties in US....mentioning them that you have many reasons to come back but absolutely no reason to stay in US....it is not advisable to say u want to pursue ur career in US and wud do USMLEs...if applying for electives visa; both electives/residency are basically meant to provide US training to people of other country so that they can GO BACK and serve their country NOT U.S. so they dont want you to have the intention of staying there and not coming back and this is the biggest reason for rejections. You/any of your relative/friend should have enough money to support you in US and you should be able to prove it but not at the cost of compromising the first point. e.g if you have rich parents in US to support u....it woud never be a plus...becz thats an attraction for you to NEVER COME BACK.

    always carry as much documents as possible including your pictures with family in your country and proof of your property/ bank accounts in your country....even carrying pictures of your marriage/engagement ceremony is beneficial....mentioning them that you would DEFINITELY return back to your country after electives for your SPOUSE/PARENTS/RELATIVES/PROPERTY/MONEY etc and wont ever think about going to US again!

  • VISA INTERVIEW TIPS
    1)You  must  carry  following  documents  with  you  for  the interview.
    1. Original documents of  electives, including transcripts, LOR s, insurances etc. everything.
    2. Original Confirmation  letter from elective university
    3. Photocopies of  your  Matric  and  F.Sc  certificates, Domicile etc.
    4. Two  affidavits i.e. one  from  you (self declaration)  and  the  other  from your  father(affidavit of support). 
    5. Bank statement  of  more  than 500,000 Rs  and  Job  certificate  of  your  sponsor (father, mother, brother, sister)
    6. No  need  to  carry  any  sponsor letter  from  any  of  your  relative  in  USA, it  will  go  against  you.

    • 2) You  must  be  well  dressed  and  choose  English  language  for  your  interview.
    3) You must  have letter  from   strong  and  good  reputed  universities/colleges/hospitals like Henry ford Hospital, Emory University, Yale  University, Cornell Medical College   etc. Letters  from  institutes  like  Albany  medical  college  have been rejected  by  the  US  embassy for past few years. 
    4) A  lot  depends  upon  the  person  taking  your interview. You must  be  ready  to answer  the  financial  sources  of  your  father  or  sponsor. The  annual income  should  be  answered  to  be  more  than  1000,000  to  1200,000  Rs. THE GOAL OF THE INTERVIEW  IS  TO  PROVE  THAT  YOU HAVE  STRONGER  TIES  WITH PAKISTAN  THAN  ANY  OTHER  COUNTRY ESPECIALLY US.

  • You  must  also  be ready  to satisfy and  tell  the consulate  officer  about  the  status  of  your  blood  relatives especially  brothers, sisters  etc.  that what  they  are  doing  and  where they are currently? Presence  of  your  blood  relatives  outside  Pakistan  will  go  against  you, because  it  shows  that  your  ties  are  weak  with  your  home  country.  So, you must  be  ready  to  clarify logically  that  why  they  are  outside  Pakistan.
  • You must  know  everything  about  the  elective  rotation  that  you  are  going  to  do. Questions like, how  did  you  know  this university, why  you have chosen this elective, what  will  you  do  in  this  elective and  what  knowledge  you  have  about  this elective, may  be  asked.
  • YOU  SHOULD  NOT  SAY  THAT  YOU  APPLIED  TO MANY  UNIVERSITIES  AND  GOT  ACCEPTANCE  FROM THIS, THAT IS WHY  YOU  ARE  GOING  THERE. THIS  IS  A VERY  BAD  STATEMENT  AND  WILL  WEAKEN YOUR  CASE.
    Instead, you should answer  that  you got  to  know  about  this  university  from their  website  and  then  got  further  information  from  elective  coordinator.
    Elective:
    An elective is  an  undergraduate medical program by virtue of which medical students do rotations in the departments of their choice, while being away from their home medical institute with permission.
    1. They can ask you about  your  future  plans. During Interview tell the officer that   you  have  so  far  only  planned  to  do  house  job  and  at  the  moment  only  thinking  about  your  final  exams, electives  and  house   job (Internship). Keep in mind that you don't have to lie; just tell them whatever you are sure about, at that moment.
  • If  unluckily your   visa  gets  rejected,  then  next  time  apply  on  the  basis  of  the  same  letter. DON’T TRY  TO  CHANGE THE  LETTER  AND  YOUR  STATEMENTS, IT  WILL  ONLY  WEAKEN  YOUR CASE. They have  record   of  each  and  everything  that  you  have  said  in  the  previous  interview.
  • You must  have  solid answer  about  your  accommodation  arrangements  during  your  stay  in  USA.
  • Kindly have a look at the following link for more guidance regarding the interview
    process.

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 01:16

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hi wat a timely update man.i went through the visa part,& guess wat TODAY I GOT MY VISA..........THANKS IT WS F GREAT HELP

Nitin Goyal (not verified)

Sat, 08/22/2009 - 04:05

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Hello Umar Bhai...
 
First of all..Thanks a tonnn...got acceptance from Yale for two months.Without you it would not have been possible.
Actually I didnt take toefl so was not going to apply in YALE .But read ur post regarding appli to yale that good CV nd PS r more imp then toefl score....so applied nd got.
 
Want to ask few Qs regarding electives ...hope i am not disturbing you
I got following acceptance....
 
6 weeks-americlerkship enrollment agreement in Boston.(biggest mistake-but nw cant change as fully paid)
Then after it 2 months from yale (clinical infectious diseases nd hematology)
for the same two months duration acceptance from case western reserve uni(cardio nd onco)
Then Next two months from Uni of south alabama (cardio nd endocrino)
 
So my Qs is   1-should I mention enrollment agreement from americlerkship in VISA interview...I also got my tickets done nd mentioned in visa appli that departure date from india is 2nd of September.So cant they ask that why do u want to go early as ur elective start date in Yale is 12th of October (in case I will not show enroll letter)...so what should I do.
 
                       2-Do u think that if I show enroll letter ,it will weeken my appli.
 
                      3-what should I prefer YALE or CASE WESTERN as case is free...nd in YALE fee is too much..Nd you are the best person to tell this as u r doing from yale
 
 ..If possible reply at the earliest as visa date is 26th
 
Thanks

 hi nitin

thanks a lot for your kind words. congrats on securing so much acceptances. I wish you all the best!

well I am not in favour of any paid externship/ electives company like americlerkships or others...anyhow now that u have paid them....it cannot be undone!

the answers to your questions are as follows:

1. I dont know but I dont think it should do any harm.

2. I dont think so.....

3. well honestly speaking if u ask me then after doing the electives, I feel that Yale fees was too much.... there is no doubt that it is in IV league but...... depends upon your money.... no doubt Yale has a huge fees.... so it is upto you.... in short, I agree Yale fees is too much to pay... 

well best of luck for your visa!

tc and best of luck for your future!

Deepak (not verified)

Wed, 08/26/2009 - 04:08

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Hello Umar Bhai,
I went through this section again as you recommended . You have mentioned here that "DON’T TRY  TO  CHANGE THE  LETTER  AND  YOUR  STATEMENTS, IT  WILL  ONLY  WEAKEN  YOUR CASE. They have  record   of  each  and  everything  that  you  have  said  in  the  previous  interview"
But what to say, when they will ask "How the things have changed from the last time u applied?"
I guess if i say nothing , my VISA will be rejected again. So i am very confused regarding the reply of such question. Please guide , how can i modify my answer to satisfy the VO?

Keep in mind I am not saying you to change anything in your application... they wont ask you "How the things have changed from the last time u applied?" but even if they do...I would say... this time I am here with complete documents and answers to all the questions, you wanna know!

Keep in mind...if that's true what you said happened in your first interview...then you were simply unlucky...nothing else and I hope you wont be unlucky this time...but plz make sure u go through the visa interview section in detail...tc and best of luck!

Swapnil (not verified)

Wed, 08/26/2009 - 15:51

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Hello Sir,

Im interested in pursuing Internal Medicine residency and later a cardiology fellowship. Currently Im in the process of applying for electives. I am aware that it is extremely difficult to get fellowship in cardio. A senior of mine suggested that I should first do some research elective in cardio in the US or try for Phd related to cardio. After that I should take my USMLE. Can you suggest me what approach to keep and what else should I do to maximize my chances for fellowship in cardio later?

Well keep in mind...it is not at all difficult to get into cardio as compared to surgery/ radio/ derm etc... u need to complete residency..then few years of research...then cardio...or the better route would be...few yrs research...then residency at a good place and then fellowship as your previous research experience and publications would help you for it... well u need to have electives for a primary care specialty like Int Medicin. Keep one thing in mind... I was once told by an attendings a general rule that electives help for residency and research help for fellowships... but this holds true for primary care specialties like IM only...not for Radio, Patho etc... but if u do research + electives...before residency...u wud definitely get into a good place... tc and best of luck!

ruchi (not verified)

Fri, 08/28/2009 - 11:32

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hi Umar, where do u think we should apply for a visa for observership- a visa centre having a long experience of dealing with visa interviews for USCE or in a centre which is newer to this phenomenon?

 hi ruchi...I am sorry I dont really understand the question but if it is really what I understand it is...then I dont think it makes any difference... however I would prefer the former as they are familiar with the process and might not reject your application unnecessarily!

Are there really such two visa centers?

Umar

Ya I ve heard frm friends that  places like new delhi is used to such kind of procedures, mumbai (nearest to my place) is also used to but kinda complex, whereas kolkata is totally new to all this. so ws just wonderin from where should i apply.

Others also kindly give ur valuable inputs.

Himanshu Adlakha (not verified)

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 05:00

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 Hello Umar............

1. I got acceptance for 8 wk. electives at thomas jefferson......as now i am busy wid final prof. exams.......will be over in dec 09, i hav electives for apl, may 2010, so i wanna ask few questions

   a. when shud i apply for visa interview.......as i am busy now....can i apply in jan 2010, do u think it will b late?

  b. by that i will be clear abt. situation ( acceptance) from other univs ( UCSD, MSSM).......which i think have bigger name than jefferson..........so that i apply on their basis......do u think these will hav a better name for VISA interview?

  c. as i have real bother in US, do u think mentioning him in interview is positive........as a sponsor, or i shud make my father as a sponor...who is not in US...........like u have mentioned

"You/any of your relative/friend should have enough money to support you in US and you should be able to prove it but not at the cost of compromising the first point. e.g if you have rich parents in US to support u....it woud never be a plus...becz thats an attraction for you to NEVER COME BACK." .....so plsease suggest me who shud be my sponsor and support?

 

Regars.........Best wishes

 1. congrats!

a. right now!!! it might be late...quite possible.... not worth taking risk!

b. doesn't matter....get ur visa processing done asap! even if u get visa but ur clearance is not done in time n u dont get the passport back... no use of big names now... u got the visa but were late for remaining process... as u miss all ur electives....

c. well no one can suggest you who would be your sponsor... your sponsor is your sponsor...the one paying for u... keep one thing in mind it is not wise to lie(remember they have all your records and family data even if u dont mention/ hide from them)... but there is no doubt... ur brother in US as ur sponsor does weaken(to some extent) ur ties with ur home country... anyhow many ppl with their siblings in US, are given visa every year! so at the end its upto you who you want to mention....!

Himanshu Adlakha (not verified)

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 13:37

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 THE office of registerar will be sending me the hard copy of acceptance in 2 or 3 weeks.

1. I shud only take appointment once i have acceptance letter?

2. as i have not yet shown them the malpractice n personal health insurance.so on the acceptance mail it is written........" THIS APPROVAL IS CONTINGENT UPON THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR RECEIVING PROOF OF MALPRACTICE INSURANCE AND HEALTH INSURANCE."............so do u think this statement can affect the visa interview.......as i have talked to the registrar, she says submit these till december/ jan.............according to you what shud be done now?

 

bye..........BW

Himanshu Adlakha (not verified)

Sat, 08/29/2009 - 18:16

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 Umar .........

1. can you please tell me what do u mean by clearance in VISA procedures?

2. as i asked u that electives starts in april 2010........n i get the date for visa interview in jan or feb 2010..clearance take how much time......?

 

bye...BW

 1. Once you get visa, you need to it stamped on your visa

2. clearance time is always non-specific...it can take from 1 day to 9 months.... so... go asap!

Guest (not verified)

Mon, 08/31/2009 - 17:58

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sorry not ruchi.qstn was adressed to himanshu!!can u plz answer my q himanshu?

Q:when did u mail in ur application to jeffersons for april may slot?

 

 

 

Deepak (not verified)

Tue, 09/01/2009 - 12:22

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Hello Umar Bhai, i am opting for 4 months as duration of stay in US in my Visa application. Just wanted to ask - Is bank statement of abt 4.5 lacs and a CA statement of abt 90 lacs(including property,fixed assets and bank statement) regarding all the worth of my sponsor , sufficient ?

Do i need to show more in bank statement (the universities in which i am going has no tution fee)?

medisid (not verified)

Sat, 10/10/2009 - 13:49

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dear UT

i have been accepted at NIH for feb, and am in the process of preparing the visa docs. i havent yet received the hardcopy letter from the elective co-ordinator.(its gonna be a month since i received my acceptance email).

Will email acceptance letter printout suffice for acceptance proof.?

please give your imput and any readers who used their email as a source for visa kindly drop in a comment or so.

thanks

hey medsid

congrats for bagging NIH elect...

could u plz gv us tips on how to maximise chances of gtng accepted at NIH?the CV matters?if yes,what kind of profile did u have(if u don mind me askin thes qstnz)

thanks!

thanx pal!

well as per my experiences, if u get >26 in speaking in toefl n good overall toefl scores; they seem to matter the most. PLUS u need to send in LOR from dean n faculty through their email , which is also a hassle, since this and  >26 score filters most of the applications and the few applications that the nih ppl they get, they accept.

i had avg cv, small research exp, no publixn(yet) but good personal statemnt regarding y i want that particular specialty rotation. when u fill out your form online, near personal statement box, u'll see them describing what u should write there. reasons for choosing speacilaty, reasons for choosing NIH. try to give em an attitude that u want to have research based clinical experience. they like that a lot. this year i have seen 5-6 ppl getting into nih in specialties like cards, endocr, etc.

EARLY application, COMPLETE paperwork, GOOD personal statement which shows your true intent in that specialty and instituion; makes you stand out of crowd. BUT keep in mind electives that were easy b4 have applied or may do so in future stringent rules like step1, high toefl scores, authorization # etc and hav become inaccessible due to that.(mainly because of high number of applications from indo-pak).

so apply online early(4-5 months in advance), send in your trancsript by post and u may send your saved html page of toefl score from your ETS account page.( i did that! and they accepted it). the elective co-ordinator is very freindly and co-operative. be kind n polite to her.

PS- try to post other queries in the respective section; i usually troll the whole website everyday so will try to respond there also.

umar

Mon, 10/12/2009 - 15:42

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 well thanks medisid for the valuable contribution.... hey you don't need to look the whole website everyday.... in case you want to see the new comments.... just click on the "more" link in bottom right of the "Recent Comments" block in the right sidebar.... it opens the following link http://umartariq.com/index.php?q=comments/recent and you can see all the new comments.... take care and best of luck! thanks once again!

hey no need to thank me, umar bhai!

its just give and take process, i took a lot of help from here and from the admin n guests visiting; and am still in the process of taking it. have my visa IV soon. will post my experinces after it. everytime you thank u add one more extra post and i feel sheepish.

so i request you not to thank any more. let it be more like a casual process.

best wishes.

siddiqui

medsid

thank you very much for the detailed reply.

i have 112 in toefl with S26..small time research exp with no pub so far n emailing lor wudn b a prob for my college...i believe my sop is pretty good or so have ppl told me:)

all da best for NIH

 looks pretty impressive..... keep one thing in mind..... if you are eligible for NIH.... you have strong chances of acceptance... just depends upon if they have a spot available in your mentioned specialties at that moment...... tc and best of luck!

Adil (not verified)

Sat, 10/17/2009 - 16:57

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hey..

i got an acceptance 4m NIH 4 jan in otolaryngology...now d thing is im interested in residency in Surgery in states...so wil i get a Surgery LOR 4m NIH??also accepted at NortWestern 4 feb..shud i do both electives??

 An electives in otolaryngology is good for surgery... u get LOR in the specialty where you do electives... u should try to do as much as electives as possible... if u can afford it!!!

thank u so much..

1 more doubt....do u think a NIH LOR for ENT is better dan a Surgery LOR from SUNY or Southwestern while applying for residency...???i am interested in residency in gen surgery.

so wich univ(  NIH<ENT>   or    SUNY<surg>   or   Southwestern<surg>  ) elective shud i accept..???

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 02/11/2010 - 11:17

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Hi Umar,

 

        How r u?My visa date is on feb 25.I need NOC from my college to show to VO if necessary.Please mail me a sample noc as early as possible.My email id venu.medico@gmail.com

 

 

Thanks in advance.....

 I m sorry I dont have any sample NOC... I request everyone if someone has it... plz email it to me... I would post it to this website... thanks!

Visitor (not verified)

Fri, 03/12/2010 - 14:41

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Hi all, VISA TIPS: Some tips: 1.every one says “be confident “ u will get ur visa….So,when will u get confidence?… A)only when u prepare well.we cannot act….Its from my personal experience….prepare very well for the interview….I got my visa after rejection …..only with a good prepaartion 2.So…how to prepare…where can I get the material? A)its individual for every one…only the basic questions like,,,why U.S?what is a clinical elective are general…. Why U.S? U CAN SAY THAT..i WANT TO GO TO US TO DO A CLINICAL ELECTIVE AT……………. IN ---------------- CLINICAL ELECTIVE? SHORT TERM COURSE FOR UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE…. 3.) BE VERY THOROUGH ABT UR BRANCH…WHY R U INTERESTED?WHAT WILL U GAIN FROM THIS?WHAT WILL U DO THERE?be specific abt how will it improve ur clinical knowledge… 4)ABT THE SPONSORER… ONLY UR EXPRESSION THAT THIS IS VERY GREAT OPPURTUNITY AND UR EXPLANATION THAT THIS VERY USEFUL FOR UR FUTURE,GETS U A VISA EVEN IF U ARE REJECTED,,DON’T WORRY AT ALL.REAPPLY…..PREPARE VERY WELL AND GAIN CONFIDENCE AND KEEP SMILING AND BE LOUDER WHILE U ANSWER….U WILL GET IT…. HOPE THIS IS USEFUL

viraat harsh (not verified)

Wed, 03/24/2010 - 19:01

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@all 1. People say getting an F1 visa is easier. Any ideas? I could not locate any forum/discussion board on F1 on this site. Kindly direct.. 2. If one gets rejected in a visa IV, how soon can one re-apply?

Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 03/28/2010 - 09:59

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Hey!

This goes out to Umar, Vaibhav, Swapnil, Akshay and Medisid for your wonderful contribution to the Visa section. I went there ready with all the information provided by you guys and got my Visa with absolutely no hassle! No questions asked except the basics like where i am currently studying and why I want to go to the US!

Thanks guys!! :)

Thanks a lot for your kind words... they really mean a lot to us... I am glad that our efforts are helpful to people... congrats for your visa... u can also join us in helping others by writing ur visa experience and guidance for others....

I was actually going to, but mine would be a total waste bcoz my documents basically consisted of every possible thing mentioned earlier on your website and the interview was nothing but what i mentioned above...it was as follows, post it only if you feel it is helpful:

scared me waiting my turn..telling myself this is not the end of the world..being called..in line behind a guy with a prior rejection and getting rejected by a lady who doesn't know what a smile is!! guy asking the reason for his rejection and the lady motions to me..i look at the guy and suddenly realize..shoot! she s actually motioning for ME to come on ahead!!!!

ME: GoodMorning! (fake smile and even more      fake confidence in place)

no response

VO: So why do you want to go to America

ME: fully confident, smiling, I have been accepted by xxx for a visiting student electives program.

VO: *nods, furiously types* Where are you studying now?

ME: smiling, xxx

VO: *some more nodding,more typing* Which year are you in?

ME: Final year, I am an intern now.

VO: How long is your program for?

ME: Its only for one month.

VO: Ok your Visa has been approved, your passport will reach you by courier in one week

ME: stunned! Thank you so much! :) 

That was exactly how it went. but the fact that I had all the documents in my bag gave me double confidence than what I actually had so Thanks again everyone!



viraat harsh (not verified)

Mon, 05/10/2010 - 07:54

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hi umar bhai


my visa interview is in 3 days. and i am still confused whether or not to say that I want to take my CS exam after my electives at KUMC which requires F1 visa. the thing is that I havent got my scheduling permit, so i dont know the dates. but i have submitted 183. so what do you suggest sir? should i just say that i m going for electives or should i say that i m going for electives + CS? please reply.. its urgent..

Honestly speaking, I m myself not sure... but I don't think it is a wise idea to lie... but I myself have a question for u if u r applying for a F1 visa then can u appear for CS on F1? I think you need a separate visa for CS... m not sure though... plz correct me if I m wrong...

I think as long as you have valid entry and stay in US, you can give CS. Guys who go for MPH on F1 do give CS on that visa. Also ppl on pre-EAD or H4 also have given CS easily

the problem with F1 is that after the end of your elective(expiry of I-20 date from KUMC), you are allowed just 1 month to pack up and leave. so consider this in mind while scheduling step1.

I heard of people doing electives in KUMC on B2, too. Confirm with KUMC, about this.

thanx umar bhai and medisid

earlier KUMC allowed other visa too but lately they have restricted to F1 visa only. thanx for ur suggestions anyway.. i think 1 month time is good enough, keeping fingers crossed that i will get a date during then.

Congrats!

But whgen you get to KUMC, ask around the KUMC international office how to get a Social Security Number issued. Maybe you'll have to do a part time job etc.

But F1 visa makes you eligible for a SSN, which is the only hurdle to get California Letter, so that you become eligible for applying to california state residencies too. Ad they are easier coz lot of IMGs like me dont have SSN and cant get a cali letter. For more information, read the cali letter page on this site

This is a good oppurtinity and make use of it.

Best Wishes.

i disagree, ssn# only can b used if its current.....ie after his elective is over, the ssn is no more valid 4 him.......but during the time of match if he is enrolled in some us univ where they sponsor f1 for some course, only then he is eligible...........i have confirmed it

I thought the SSN stays for whole long time once it is issued. So if he gets residency or some other work visa, then the new SSN would be different than old SSN or they re-activate the same SSN.?

Thanks for the updates info, though.

thanx for the advice medisid

i had read about the california letter thing but dint know much about it. nor do i get the whole thing now. guess i will have to talk to some guys who have done it. 

1. still i wanted to ask how do we apply for ssn# ? 

2. hw much time does it take to issue the ssn# ? 

3. does getting a ssn# bleak my chances of getting a visa the next time, coz my visa this time will obviously be 3 or 6 months coz its just for electives. 

4. will the ssn# remain after elective is over or will i have to get a new one/ reactivate the old one?if ssn# will get deactivated after my electives in the US, will getting a ssn# during electives this time help?

5. i have clerkship of only 2 weeks in phychiatry and optional rotation during internship i did in forensic medicine. what to do? how can i get additional 2 weeks psychiatry clerksips? please advice.

regards


viraat

viraat harsh (not verified)

Sat, 05/15/2010 - 17:47

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Hi Umar Bhai

On the 13th was my visa interview and my visa got approved. I am going to rotate at KUMC in surgery and neurosurgery.. and much credit goes to umartariq.com and other communities on orkut. I want to thank everyone. Thank you. I am finally going for electives just approx 6 months after the time when i barely knew what electives exactly were, forget about knowing where and how to apply.

I guess nobody has shared visa experience for an F1 visa (although not much is different) but i will try to post my experience as soon as possible.. may b it will help someone like me who was getting jitters just by the name of F1 visa coz umartariq.com did not have the details on it.. lol..


thank you all

Manu (not verified)

Tue, 08/17/2010 - 13:52

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Dear Umar Bhai,

First of all thanks a ton for the valuable guidance,it helped me a lot and i got two clinical electives: 1 at SIUH in December and  other at YALE in Jan.Also i was approved a B1 VISA for 6 months(till Feb) but there is a certain problem.

When asked by my consulate,i told him that i would return by January end,which he considered and gave me a VISA till Feb 2011

But at the same time he put an annotation "MEDICAL OBSERVER AT SIUH "on  the VISA with no mention of YALE..so do you think that might be a problem when i go to yale in january,will they accept me?

Thanks a lot.Also can u please provide me a user id and password.thnx


First of all, congratulations.

I have never heard of VISA being annotated like that but by all means, immediately email your Yale electives coordinator and ask him about this issue. In my opinion, this should not have any problems but it's always better to stay alert and ask for a direct opinion from Yale. They do need a copy of your VISA but they're only interested usually in the VISA type.

Please do tell us how your interview went and your general experience. Thankyou and good luck.

well replied ayaz!

Thanks for your kind words manu! user access is for authors only!

As far as I know there are no such issues... as long as your visa is valid you can use it for all purposes like electives, CS exam irrespective of the reason of visa...

Eshan (not verified)

Sat, 09/04/2010 - 14:03

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Hello Umar,

I got my B1 visa rejected on 2nd September in Mumbai.

I got acceptance for neurology elective in Albany Medical College for neurology from 27th September to 24th October.The VO told me that i have applied for a wrong category of visa.She told me that you should apply for j visa.

This was my interview.

Q: why USA

A: USA has one of the best medical schools.

Q: How do you come to know about this college?

A: I came to know about this college(Albany Medical College) through their website.

Q: Will you receive credit for this training.

A: yes. (I thought she is asking me about academic credit)

Q:  For how many hours training would be.

A: It will be 5 days a week from Monday to Saturday. I think from 9am to 4 pm.i don’t know exactly mam.

Q: ok that means it will be for more than 48 hrs.

A: No answer by me.

Q: who told you to apply for B1 visa.

A: Mam I have the print out of email from the coordinator of the college saying that you should come on elective on B1 visa.

Q: ok let me see that letter.

A: Gave that email print out to the vo.

Q: Let me tell you one thing, you are a very potential candidate but you have applied for a wrong visa. You should apply for a j1 visa. Ask your university to give you DS2019 form.

Ans. Mam, university told me you have to come on elective on b1 visa, and they don’t sponsor j visa for elective.

Q:  Sir, there is no such law in us embassy by which you can go for elective on B1 visa.

A: Mam Please try to understand university this training is very imp for my career.

Q; ok I am giving you one form, submit this form along with DS2019 from your college. You do not have to pay the fees, and no need to attend interview again. She also returned my passport.

A: ok mam.

I came out of the office, then I queried on information window regarding what to do next, what will be the procedure. The girl on the window asked my full name typed something on computer. Then she took my passport and that form given by the visa interviewer and told me to wait.

After waiting for about 20 min, she came and gives me my passport back and rejection letter. Then on further asking, mam where is that letter which I have given to you. She said VO has apologized and said she has given you that letter by mistake.

Q: So i have to pay the whole fees again and attend the visa interview again.

A: Yes.

I contacted the coordinator in AMC. She has given me letter for the us embassy India,explaining various laws and special category of B1 visa for foreign medical students coming on electives.

 Coordinator in AMC also told me she cannot sponsor me j visa as it is only for graduate students.

Umar ji pleae suggest me what should i do next.

I will be having my interview again in few days.

If i will apply again for B1 visa VO can ask me why have you applied again for B1 visa .

But as i have no options i have to apply again for B1 visa.

Please tell me how to handle this situation.

 Thanks.

Regards,

Eshan

One of the VISA guidance articles has an uploaded file that is an excerpt from the official VISA categories document from the US Embassy. It correlates the purpose of US visit with the type of VISA required. It clearly states that B1 VISA should be applied for, for the purpose of attending clinical clerkships in US. You should take this print out next time. I did too but wasn't asked to show any document that I had taken, but it is always useful to carry any certification with you.

Good luck.

Visitor (not verified)

Sat, 10/16/2010 - 08:39

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I thank umar bahi and this website because of which i got my B1/B2 visa with 10 year multiple entry.i will narrate my experience as well because i do strogly believe it call help others out a lot.

I had my interview in the mumbai consulate at 10 am.i had started from my home at 8:40 am but just because of traffic i reached at dot 10am at the vfs.I was already half freaked out because i was late but somehow i composed myself and got into the bus which took me to the embassy.so the point is try to be early but even if u are late dont worry the way i was worried.just b calm.

It was a flurry of activity with lot of people.i got my finger printing done and then waited for my turn.meanwhile while i notice that the interview was going to take place in a small wooden cabin where the visa officer would be separated from you by a glass window.then fianlly mytoken number was called out.i went and stood out of the cabin.a couple in front of me were interviewed but were rejected which did worsen my already low confidence.then i went in......

v.o: show me your token please

i showed her.i tried smiling at her.

v.o: why do u want to go to america?

me: i have got an oppurtunity to do a four week elective in ........in.....department

v.o: whats your program?what will u be doing there?

Me: i ll be going in early dec.i ll be under the supervision of a faculty and i ll be looking at cases and patients.

V.o: are u studying in u.s?

Me: i said no...i m studying here

V.o: which college?

Me:..... college

she kept typing and typing meanwhile my heart thumped ....

V.o: ok mam, here is the issue,,,u have applied under the wrong category

Me: but mam the university wants me to come on a visitors visa.

V.o: why is that?

Me : because we are not considered as full time students and they just want us to be on visitors visa for those 4 week of electives

V.o : anything more than two weeks is student visa.so u should apply in students visa.

Me : i started fumbling....but mam the university specifically states visitors visa.(i think i pissed her off)

v.o: i dont care what the university says.i m the u.s government.these universities dont know anything about the visas.

Me: ok mam...would u pls take a moment to look at this document.its the u.s foreign affair manual page 16 and 17

V.o ok(she went thru it)ok so ur not going to practise and its not graduate medical training?

Me: no mam.i still havent graduated

V.o : ok(she typed something) so u wont go for horse riding?

Me: i was confused...i said no...i wont have the time for that.

V.O : smiled ...no it mentions,,,,,(cudnt make out wat she said)she kept typing.ok so i have approved your visa for 10 years.make sure you make good use of it or else i will be spanked.and its going to be really cold so take your clothes.

Me: thank you...and a sigh of relief

SO, i thak you all a lot because of whic h i got it...if i hadnt taken the U.S foreign affair manual i would hav lost this oppurtunity.pls dont forget to take it.....i came almost close to getting rejected ...so i feel happy that i scraped through it....hope this helps sumone just as the way other posts did,,,,,take care

Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your experience... if you can email me your experience with your name, I would be happy to post it and provide you a username and password to access the website. Thanks!

Gary (not verified)

Mon, 11/08/2010 - 18:35

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First of all thanks to Umar ji who has created this wonderful site to gather knowledge that is unique and precious for all the medical students.

Things to look out for while interview

1. Don't lose out by being nervous, confidence is the keymaker for getting a visa no matter how complex is your case. I would suggest that you should rather start a conversation with people waiting for their interview, that is the best thing you can do to relieve yourself. Atleast I did that.

2.While applying Visa for electives always say that this program is meant only for undergraduate final year medical students because in final year we guys are over the age of 21 and independent and US law considers that to receive non immigrant tourist visa either the person should be dependent or should be graduate and earning.

3.What I think is that you should not apply for Visa for electives as well as Step 2 CS together unless you've taken Step 1. The reason behind this is the old CSA exam. ECFMG has documented letter posted to all embassies worldwide that says in order to give CSA in US, u need to have taken STEP 1, as you know consular officers generally lack specificities about the new rules and regulations , its better if u refrain from saying that you are going to take STEP 2 CS alongwith Electives.

4. No matter if you dont get visa. apply again with same documentation but with greater evidence and confidence to convince the officer.Infact I was scheduled for visa interview the second time.

5. In DS-160 form explain your duties in detail like you can say that I've been accepted into MBBS after taking an Exam equivalent to MCAT or SAT , that justifies your strong ties.

6. If asked about whether you've taken step 1 or not, simply say that currently u dont have any plans to take step 1, once I graduate and receive my degree i'll plan accordingly.

7. Explain the purpose of your elective clearly, you should be able to say to yourself what you'll gain while doing elective. This is important in your interview as it defines your intentions to the officer.

Thanks to all the members who had shared their experience and to all of you who will read and benefit.

First of all many many congrats on your visa approval! Thanks a lot Gary for sharing the valuable information with us! If you would like to write an article on your visa experience along with more useful tips, please email me your article at umartariq58@gmail.com; you would be provided a username and password for the author's access of your article!

Thanks Umar for posting my article right up there. i think your site has good information on how to proceed for the electives and to schedule an interview. Although each and every case needs to be considered appropriately yet there some basics which need to be considered.

Yes I'll definitely write an article for you as soon as I get time off next weekend on thanksgiving.

Thanks again and good luck for all my peers.

Hello sir, I have some questions

1- In the embassy, is there a native translator alongside the VO?
2- When I receive the visa, do I have to travel immediately or shortly?
3- Should I bring with me Steps scores and CS application?


Thank you.

Visitor (not verified)

Mon, 02/07/2011 - 11:52

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hello every one...

i m attending my  visainterview day after tommorw... i actually applied for f1 visa as i m planning to attend kaplan coaching there in us... but i dunno how far i would succeed in getting my visa as they might consider me as a potential immigrant as io have to tell them about my plans of doing residency trher... so can u pl suggest me some ideas n useful tips reg this as soon as possible as i m in great need of that... i ll thank ful to one and all if u help in this endeavour of mine... plz guys

Rahul A (not verified)

Sat, 02/12/2011 - 18:06

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hi umar bhai - first of all i would like to thank you for making such a wonderful site where one can find the solution to any problem faced by a med student while applying in US universities. i have a problem. i got a multiple entry visa valid for 1 year a few days back based on my clinical clerkship offer from northwestern university. but the visa officer wrote an annotation on my passport stating the reason i had applied for the visa (i.e - clinical clerkship in northwestern university). now people are saying to me that i would have trouble going back to US after i come back from my clerkship, since the purpose of my visit is over.. i have other university offers later in the year, and i would like to ask you would i be able to go there on my this visa or will i have to reapply. 

kindly help. thanks

appu (not verified)

Thu, 08/18/2011 - 12:56

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Hi rahul, I am now facing the same problem u had faced. I have an elective in NWU, in October, and was grated a visa recently on the basis of that acceptance. However it contained an annotation stating the name of the univ. Now i also received an acceptance from Connecticut, for the month of November, which i plan to attend after my NWU stint. I would like to know if that'll be a problem. I do not want to lose out on the second rotation. Kindly help! -Appu

Yash (not verified)

Wed, 02/23/2011 - 21:59

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I have been looking in the u.s foreign manual and couldnt make out which pages stated electives can be on b1/b2 visa. It would be highly appreciated if someone can post the link to the same !  

Paritosh Ballal (not verified)

Wed, 03/23/2011 - 09:06

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A big THANK YOU to Umar Bhai who is doing a wonderful job with this website.

I think i scanned the entire website for information before attending my visa interview, and it helped me big time.

The key is to be well prepared with all your documents in place and be confident.

I had an acceptance letter from Cornell for a 4 week elective which did help.

But i was granted the VISA for 1 year only. I dont really know what their criteria for the duration of visa is, but nonetheless I am not complaining.

Good luck to everybody who is goingthrough the same process, trust me its no big deal once your well prepared:)

Visitor (not verified)

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 16:52

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Hi umar bhai....u r doing a wonderful job,keep it up...

I have some problems n need urgent help.I have got observership at university of Oklahoma health sciences center.This observership is for months of april and may.My letter was issued quite late and when i applied for visa, i got interview date in mid april.I have contacted university officials n they r ready to transfer my observership to months of may and june.the problems r:

1-while filling ds 160, i wrote my intended date of departure as 29th of march.At that time i did not know that i would get my interview date so late.what should i do ?

2-i had taken my final year mbbs exams and was waiting for result when i applied for visa.So i mentioned myself as final year mbbs student in visa application.My result has been declared now.So what should i tell VO during interview?should i tell that i m a final year student or should i tell that have done my final year, as my result has been declared..please reply......

Thanks a lot for your kind words.

1. Does not matter.... if they ask about it... tell them the truth!

2. As you have applied for observership, so graduation date is not a problem at all!

Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 20:12

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Hello Umar Bhai,


I am done with my step1 and have my score with me and I will give my step2ck by the end of may. I cannot do any electives as I have already graduated. So can I apply for visa using my CS visa letter?.. I heard people saying it gets rejected. But I don't see any other way of applying for my visa.


Thank you for your help

xialvi (not verified)

Wed, 05/25/2011 - 02:58

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hello umar bhai...i got my b1/b2 approved last week but accidentally i told them on my visa interview i have also applied to northwestern whereas i hadnt and had only the acceptance from LIJ....will that affect my security clearance?

Visitor (not verified)

Thu, 05/26/2011 - 19:05

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Hi umar bhai,

I have my visa interview in about 4 days frm now...

can you send me a link to the foreign affairs manual pg 16-17 so that i can show it during my interview...

i opened the earlier links but couldn't get one..

hi umar bhai

i have been rejected for b1/b2 visa 2 months back under sec 214 , th reason i was not in job since graduation. i said i want to go because i have to give  CS exam only. now i am in a job and have an acceptance letter from uni of miami for observership .i have heard tht inspite of tht acceptance letter sum people r denied visa, is it true? next visa interview in a week. shud i tell thm about th observership or again i shud say i wanted to giv CS exam only. wat strategies shud i take????


Visitor (not verified)

Sun, 09/25/2011 - 13:42

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hi..

the university to which i am visiting says as "If your visa is denied, ask the consular officials to provide you with a written explanation of the denial, then contact ISSS for assistance."

ISSS is their international student's office.

in case i am unlucky and my visa is rejected, can i ever darer to ask this ?

would this only weaken my case for next IV?

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 20:34

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hi

can anyone plzzzzzzz help me with the link to US foreign affairs manual page 16-17 which says that students for clerkship should come on visitors visa.

iv in a wk. plz reply urgently.

thanks in anticipation.

Zaff faiz (not verified)

Sat, 11/05/2011 - 10:27

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Dear Umar bhai.

First of all let me congragulate you on doing such an amzing job.

I have recently be accepted for a research elective at Harward. the professor told me to get a J1 visa but I told her that i could only come if she accepts me a B1/b2 visa. the elective lasts for 8 weeks.
 I am  4th year medical student and start my 5th year in january 2012

Im not sure if the US embassy would hand me the visa if I tell them that the elective is for this long or what if they say that I need to apply on a J1 visa. what do I do then?


Visitor (not verified)

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 20:35

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The U s foreign affairs manual Page 16/17 which justifies our application for b1/b2 visa in order to attend electives can be accessed by googling ' us foreign affairs manual ' then clicking on 9 FAM 41.61, notes

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 08:15

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hey umar hello,

i am n IMG ..i ve cleared my step 2 ck in oct 2011 n my cs ws in jan bt my visa has been denied twice...first time the vo told me tat she cant grant me a visa this long ( i had asked f 4 months..had observerships) nw 2nd time around vo told me to clear step 1 first....is it because of me being a female n single tat m being denied a visa or wat....now i m studying for my step 1...wat r my chances of getting a visa....i dnt knw whr m going wrong...please help...thank you

Jozzey wales (not verified)

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 19:25

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i m a dentist in pakistan...will be applying for visa in few days...i am taking NBDE part 1 exam.in NOV .to seek admission into DDS or residency program...im doing 4year post graduation right now here...

my brother is  permanent resident in u.s is suporting me...has bank statemnt  of 10K $. he has made affidavit I-131a...

so any advices

Dr. Mansoor (not verified)

Thu, 12/13/2012 - 10:31

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 Umar Bhai salaam hope u r doing gud!

I had an interview on 10th dec 2012 at the Embassy in ISB, I was told by the v.o that my visa is approved, u will get the passport afteer procedural delay... all the persons i know who hv recently been given the visa, got their passports back on the next day, two days after, 3 days after. I am still awaiting mine...WHEN WILL I GET IT?????

Visitor (not verified)

Tue, 01/01/2013 - 15:09

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 My name isXXX. I finished my MBBS in China in Sun Yat Sen University in July 2012. I am planning to apply for Visa in order to write USMLE in United States of America in 2013. In that regards I have few questions and concerns. I would like you to review and help answer following concerns. 

  Here is my background information. 
I have received my I-20 from Hyderabad branch, India on 7th of Dec. My mother is the only other member in my immediate family. My parents are divorced few years ago. My mother works in the Commercial Sales tax department in AP. Her income is Rs 40,274 * 12 per annum.  
These are my concerns/questions.   
1) I have agriculture farms in Karnataka. We get about Rs 6, 00, 000 per annum. I have a care taker who looks after the farms and deposits Rs.17,00,000 in my bank account..for which i made it a fixed deposit.

Is this something that I can show for the Visa?  
3) I did apply for U.S visa about 3 years back in China as visitor's visa, but the visa interviewer rejected me thinking I may not return to China. Is this an issue? And can you suggest on how to approach this situation?   
 Please kindly look into the matter at the earliest and do inform me about the aforementioned doubts.  

With regards, 
xxx.

Alvin Joseph (not verified)

Fri, 10/25/2013 - 11:15

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Blessing of God always stay with you & your fmly:-) Sir, My name is Alvin Joseph can you please tell me what is the best time for apply US visa if person is non-Muslim? Regards, Alvin Joseph

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