FOR VISA INTERVIEW: (taken from fall-2013 industrial group)

Step 1: Pay the SEVIS Form Fee/I-901 fee

SEVP is Student Exchange and Visiting Program and all our universities are SEVP approved
schools.
We need to enroll into the university as a part of the SEVP program and so this fee has to be paid.
The amount to be paid is $200 via the following website:
https://www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/index.jsp
The information required is the following:
SEVIS Identification Number (Located above the Bar Code printed on your I-20)
School Code (Mentioned in point no.2 of your I-20)
Note: Please print the SEVIS payment receipt and carry it with you for VISA interview. The receipt
will also be Air-mailed to you. You can also print the application and keep it for your own record.

Step 2: Fill in the Nonimmigrant Online Application or the DS-160 form
"We are going to the United States to study and return back" (Remember this till your VISA
interview, even though you have different plans). So we are not immigrating to the US and so we are
Nonimmigrants.
The DS-160 application can be started from the following website:
https://ceac.state.gov/GENNIV/Default.aspx
When you create an application for first time, please enter the basic details like Name, Date of Birth
and choose a Security question. DO NOT JUST NOTE THE APPLICATION ID AND EXIT.
The application can be saved and thus completed in multiple sittings.
You will enter your application ID, surname, birth year and answer security question every time you
retrieve your application.
Remember you have no relatives in the US and you are NOT skilled at Chemical or Biological stuff!
You have NOT done any crimes so far and shall not do. "Essentially" answer NO for all security
questions.
Information required: Passport Details and SEVIS Identification No.
Print the Confirmation Receipt and Entire Application
Carry the Confirmation Receipt with you for VISA interview NOT the entire Application
PHOTO: There is no need to click a digital photograph yourself. They will click your photo at the
ACS (Applicant Service Center).

Step 3: Pay VISA fee
You need to first create an account at the following website:
https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=India
After account creation proceed to Schedule an Appointment
Information required:
Confirmation No. of DS-160
Follow the instructions and go on filling the information pages till you reach the last step for Paying
VISA Fees.
Here it will ask you for MRV receipt number.
Click on Payment Options and Click on the Bank (Axis, CITI and druk PNB) where you desire to pay
the VISA fee. It will generate a slip with CGI Reference Number which you need to carry to the bank
along with the specified amount (INR 9600). It is actually $160 with a fixed conversion of rate of INR
60/USD.
I do not know what is the druk PNB. Normal PNBs do not accept VISA fees. Its better to go to Axis
Bank or CITIBank. Amount is to be paid in Cash.
After payment at the bank you will get the required receipt with the Bank Reference number.
If you wish to pay money via net banking, select the option indicating NEFT and follow the directions.

Step 4: Scheduling VISA Interview Appointment
Once you have the receipt with Bank Reference Number, login back to your Account. Go on filling
information and reach to the Payment page of the "Schedule an Appointment".
It would take sometime for the information to reach the US embassy from your Bank. So, your Bank
Reference number might not work immediately.
Enter the Bank Reference number in the block Receipt Number. Sometimes the Bank Reference
Number appears automatically.
Click on continue and follow the instructions ahead to schedule your VISA interview.
The first date you need to select is the VISA interview date. The next date you will select is for
document submission.
After selecting VISA interview date, only the dates prior to this will be available for fixing the date of
document submission.
The document submission should be done atleast one day prior to your VISA interview. i.e. if your
interview is on 15th then the latest date for document submission can be 13th.
VISA dates can be rescheduled maximum upto 5 times. The rescheduling can be done latest before
24 hrs of your earlier appointment.

Step 5: VISA interview
Go fresh for the interview and crack it!
Provide your VISA interview experience to others.















VISA - Documents to be carried (Credit goes to Rohit Kale for posting this doc in the Fall 2012
forums)
For those who are wondering what documents are needed for the VISA Interviews, here's a brief
list.

Folder 1:
Passport
Visa interview letter and fee receipt
I-20 (Students copy)
Admission letter from University.
Scholarship letter.
Photographs
Folder 2:
Admits/ Rejects summary.
Admit/ Rejects Letters.
CEAC (DS-160) Confirmation page print out

Folder 3:
GRE/TOEFL Scores
Resume
SOP
Folder 4:
Affidavit of Support
IT returnsSponsor (Last three years)

Folder 5:
Consolidated financial statement
Bank Statements or Passbooks
Loan Sanction letter
Folder 6:( Liquid Investments)
Life Insurance Policy of Father.
Shares.
National Saving Certificate.
Fixed Deposit Receipt
Gold Evaluation Certificate.
From My experience of going through the Visa interview and reading a lot of them, I feel that apart
from cash deposited in the bank, VOs never look at other docs. Property evaluation docs are the
least preferred along with Gold valuation. because they are the ones which can be exploited in a
wrong way. One can't mess with the bank statements. And again, the VOs know you won't be selling
off your property to fund your education.
So I would suggest try to show most of the I20 amount through Bank Deposits only. Be it in the form
of savings a/c or fixed deposits.

Folder 7:
Fixed asset valuation report.
Folder 8:
B E. Transcripts
B E. Mark lists
B E. Degree Certificate

Folder 9:
10th and 12th Passing Certificates and Mark lists.

Folder 10:
Miscellaneous
Try your best to carry the original receipts of all bank statements, fixed deposits, NSC. Don't take a
chance.

***Check this thread also:
http://www.edulix.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=131876 (Note: should login into edulix)