{"id":15139,"date":"2025-09-18T16:25:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T02:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=15139"},"modified":"2025-09-18T16:28:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T02:28:02","slug":"visa-interview-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/issmanoa\/?page_id=15139","title":{"rendered":"Visa Interview Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-15139\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-15139-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-15139-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-15139-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. visa application process for both F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor visas culminates in a mandatory in-person interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This process begins after an applicant is accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school or a Department of State (DOS)-approved exchange program and receives a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEVIS fee is a one-time payment for most F-1 and J-1 applicants but is not required for dependents (F-2 or J-2 visa holders) or for J-1 participants in a U.S. government-sponsored program. After paying the required SEVIS fee (if applicable), students must complete the online visa application, Form DS-160. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final and most critical step is scheduling and attending an in-person interview, which is generally held at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the student\u2019's country of residence or nationality. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the interview, a consular officer will review the application and a range of supporting documents. The primary goal of this in-person meeting is for the consulate officer to determine the applicant's eligibility, verify their intent to participate in their program, and confirm they have strong ties to their home country to ensure their return after the program's completion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a comprehensive guide on this process, including required documents and preparation tips, please review the specific visa interview pages in this section.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. visa application process for both F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor visas culminates in a mandatory in-person interview [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":15141,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15139","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-visa-pages","post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - 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