Hey y'all! I'm a 25M Kenyan currently living and studying in France.

I really would love to visit Canada during the summer holidays and spend time with my aunt and cousins.

I unfortunately have 2 rejections already:

1. Back in 2021 when I applied to study there, it was my first time applying for a visa so I literally just submitted exactly what they mentioned on the checklist, naïve me didn't know there was more to it than a form and bank statements to submit and of course it led to a rejection. I didn't want to reapply back then cause the processing time was huge and I felt like it was a waste of time.

2. In 2023, I applied from France while I was doing my undergraduate. I was refused under "My status in my country of residence... " Now this time I made an effort to my application (submitted more than enough proofs) but I believe I was refused because my permit was under renewal (even though I submitted my renewal proof which said that my permit was already accepted, it's just that the card was not yet out). I also submitted my permit when it came out but I guess it was already too late since I received the rejection a few days right after.

There has been some changes between then and now. I'm still studying in France and I should be doing my masters this coming September. I have visited about 14 countries between then and now, and I also have a valid UK long term visa (I go to the UK very often, about once every month, sometimes twice especially during holidays like mid-term break etc) and a US visa (yet to be used, I was hoping to use it this summer). I was also thinking of going with my gf (she doesn't need a visa) to see my aunt and fam. I was hoping to go to NA this year since I spent summer in my home country last year.

My question is, should I wait and start my masters before applying, or can I apply as soon as I get my acceptance letter? Or should I just not apply at all to avoid ruining my chances in the future? Any advice would be appreciated.

I wanted to share my experience, especially for those living in countries where they aren’t citizens. Someone requested I post this, so here is the play-by-play!

Date: 11 May 2026

Venue: US Embassy, Paris

Profile: Kenyan citizen (born in Saudi Arabia), currently a student in France.

Arrival & Logistics

My appointment was for 9:00 AM and I arrived at 8:45 AM.

Timing: You can't go in until your exact appointment time, so there is no need to come early. 15 mins before interview time is good. Even if people are in line in front of you, if it’s not their time yet, you’ll technically just skip them all.

Weather: It was raining, which was "fun"... Don't be like me, carry an umbrella lol.

Security: You can only walk in the building with your documents, bag, and your phone (switched off).

Storage: All battery-operated items in my bag were taken out (including my smart watch). Don't worry, though; they have a place to keep them safe for free and they give you a tag to pick your stuff up once you finish.

Check the embassy website to verify if your embassy provides these services. I can at least vouch for the one in Paris.

Inside the Embassy

After fingerprints, I waited in line for the interview. There were 7 booths in total. I noticed that about 2 of the VOs were very friendly—laughing and making jokes. They were also the only ones who seemed to check physical documents. The others had total poker faces.

I managed to see how the VO that I ended up with handled two people before me

1. A French grandpa born in Iran: His application was missing something. He spent almost 10 minutes talking to the VO before being refused and told to reapply with the right info.

2. A French girl: She had traveled to Cuba, so she couldn't apply for an ESTA. Her interview was very fast (about a minute) and she was approved.

The Stats: I’d say the acceptance ratio was about 50/50 for non-French citizens. The French applicants had a much higher success rate (almost 100%), though most were applying for visas other than the B1/B2.

I also managed to see what was happening in the other booths. I saw an Indian lady with a red passport get accepted (I thought indian passports were blue but what do I know? I'm sure it's an Indian passport cause I know the crest), as well as a Japanese couple who had been in France for a year.

💬 The Interview

I was hoping for one of the "friendly" guys, but I got a serious, emotionless young man in his 30s. No jokes were harmed during this interview.

VO: Bonjour, passeport?

Me: Hey, morning. Here you go.

(I gave him my passport and residence card. Even though I’m fluent in French, I decided to speak English since it’s my first language).

VO: What’s your purpose of visit?

Me: (Stuttering) Visitin... Touring.

(I thought, "Oh shit, he can't catch me lacking like this!")

VO: [Asked me to scan my hands]

(I took a deep breath. From here on, I spoke with utmost confidence. I convinced myself there was no reason to be worried—it’s just like any other interview).

VO: Where are you going?

Me: Los Angeles.

(I wanted to talk about all my plans—Santa Barbara, Vegas, and Mexico right after—but I bet the VO wouldn't be interested in my vacation itinerary, so I decided not to blabber).

VO: Do you know anyone in the US?

Me: No.

(Internal thought: Should I talk about the 5 people I met yesterday at Versailles? We spent the whole day together, so technically I know them now... but who am I kidding? I hardly know their names. Fun people, though!)

VO: Who’s going with you?

Me: My friend.

VO: Is he here?

Me: No, he’s in London.

VO: ESTA?

Me: Yeah.

(By now, I was worried things weren’t looking good. I hate one word answers. I actually have 3 other friends who might join, but they haven't confirmed yet, so I decided not to mention them).

VO: So, were you born in Kenya or Saudi Arabia?

Me: I’m a Kenyan born in Saudi.

VO: And before coming to France, where were you?

Me: Kenya.

(It was killing me giving one-word answers. I’m the type of guy to blabber and talk a lot!)

VO: How long do you have left in France?

Me: 2 years.

VO: For Masters or...?

Me: Yeah, I'll be doing my Masters.

(I was very stressed here because I’m between cycles. I just finished my degree and I’m about to start my Masters, but the official acceptance letters hadn't come in yet. I was worried I couldn't "prove" I was coming back for school, but I had documents showing I applied to schools just in case).

VO: You study maths?

Me: Yeah.

(There was a 15-second pause that felt like an eternity. He kept typing and checking a paper on his table. Almost no eye contact).

VO: Can you answer these questions? (He showed me two questions asking to confirm "No" regarding being in trouble in my country of residence or fearing going back to my country of citizenship).

Me: No to both of them.

VO: You’ll get an email and your passport in about 3 days.

📦 Post-Interview

I asked if I had to come back to the embassy to pick up the passport. (I hoped not—Paris is expensive! I spent 300 euros in 2 days just on spontaneous shopping, not even counting the train, hotel, and food. Another trip and I’d have to cancel the US trip hahah)

VO: No, don’t worry. You’ll get an email from Avits (the visa service provider) with instructions and you can get it delivered.

Me: Alright, that's pretty cool. Thanks a lot. Have a great day.

VO: You too.

✅ What Helped

Consistency: My answers matched my DS-160 exactly, even if I didn't elaborate much.

Travel History: I’ve visited 13 countries in the last 4 years and have a valid UK visa. I also go back to Kenya during holidays; I have stamps to show all my trips. The VO didn't check them though, but they were all in my DS-160.

Self-Control: If you’re a talker like me, control yourself. Don't blabber, but do elaborate if you feel the VO has a specific doubt.

Preparation: I carried A LOT of proof. Heck I was even panicking because I realized I forgot to print my last two payslips, but guess what? He didn't check a single document. It's always good to carry proof though just in case you end up with an officer who might want to see some.

All in all, I was out by 9:34 AM. The interview itself was 5 mins ish? I am glad it wasn't one of those 30 sec rushed interviews. And to be fair the VO never interrupted me when I spoke, I bet if I started blabbering he would let me finish. All booths seemed to have good length interviews. People actually have real interviews in Paris unlike the horror stories that I read online.

Now I can’t wait for summer at Santa Monica! 😎🌴

Hey, I'll (25M) be in Paris for 3 days and I'm planning to go to Versailles on Sunday at 12:30pm.

I currently have no one going with me but I'd love it if I could find someone (or some people) to tag along, so anyone's down?

Ps: Je parle français si jamais, parmi 4 autres langues 🫠

Hey. I've got my interview coming up soon and my friends and I are planning to go to the US (Maybe some other 2-3 countries in N.America as well) in August. They are all European/English and don't really need a visa, so only I.

The issue is we haven't made 100% concrete plans yet, we just talked about where we may go and depending on whether or not I'll get the visa, we might need to change the plans altogether. So during the DS-160 form application. I filled "no plans yet" . All we've done so far is book a hotel in the city we are planning to go to.

1. Would this cost me and should we make actual plans before the interview (in a few days) or is the rough idea sufficient?

2. Apart from my permit (I don't live in my country of citizenship), maybe bank statements, hotel reservation and the documents they asked me to carry (the DS 160 confirmation, passport etc). Anything else? I know the interview would probably last 2 mins but some people say carry proofs, others don't and it isn't helping.