Title: F-1 visa interview Cairo — only a few questions and no documents requested. Is this normal?
Hi everyone,
I’m 38 years old, Egyptian, with a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Diploma in International Law.
I was accepted into a Paralegal program at a community college in California, and I received my I-20. I then applied for an F-1 student visa.
During my visa interview, the consular officer asked me only a few questions:
- What is the name of your school? I gave him the name of the community college.
- How did you find out about this college? I explained that my professor in my Master’s program recommended it to me, and that I had also contacted one of the professors there.
- Who will finance your education? I said that I would finance it myself because I have money that I inherited from my father.
That was basically it. The officer did not ask me for any documents or supporting evidence and did not ask me any further questions.
Then he apologized for not granting me the visa without giving any reason.
In your opinion, what were the reasons that led him to refuse my student visa application? And what were the weaknesses in my application?
I’m wondering how I should interpret this.
Is it normal for an F-1 interview to be this short, especially for someone who is 38 and already has a law degree and a diploma in International Law?
Could the fact that the officer didn't ask for any documents be a good sign, a bad sign, or simply neutral?
I would really appreciate hearing from people who have had similar F-1 visa interviews, especially applicants who were older or were changing their academic direction.