Behind the Visa Window: Insights on the U.S. Visa Interview

Student visa season is coming up soon! With F-1 visa interview slots beginning to open up for students coming to the United States in the fall, we are here to talk about some topics surrounding the student visa interview process. Is 221g good or bad? What is a visa interview waiver and how do you get one? How should you approach a visa interview after a previous denial? We are here to answer tons of student visa related questions. If you have questions about the student visa or any other type of visa, send us an email at [email protected]. 

For more student visa related content and insights, check out our Youtube page where there are lots of videos about F-1 visas. 

Today, we are excited to have Ben Arterburn interviewing Lissa. Lissa is a former Visa Officer in France and Sri Lanka. She eventually become the Immigrant Visa Chief during her time in the U.S. State Department. The focus of today's episode is marriage and fiancé (K-1) visas. Lissa and Ben both have a lot of knowledge on the K1 and marriage visa interviews. 

We are excited to be joined today by Kat, one of Argo's Officers who previously worked as a Visa Officer in China. Kat and Mandy discuss all about the U.S. Visa Interview, their experiences together in China, struggles of the visa interview, why they love working with Argo and more. 

Today, Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn discus visa refusals. What does a refusal mean? Why would a visa officer refuse you? How can you overcome a prior refusal? And more! 

If you, a family member, or someone you know has received a visa refusal, ban or eligibility in the past, we recommend listening to this episode as a starting place! If you haven't ever been denied a visa, there is still really valuable knowledge you should be aware of going into your visa interview in order to avoid getting a refusal. 

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Today, Ben and Mandy discuss dependent visas and what they need to know before their U.S. Visa Interview. Those applying for a dependent visa can do their visa interview at the same time as the main applicant or at a later date. Deciding when to do your interview and being well-prepared for that interview is essential to making sure your family is not split up during this process. Ex-Visa Officers share their insights and knowledge on dependent visas. 

For questions about dependent visas, or other visa types, send us an email at [email protected]. 

Student visa refusals, or any refusals for that matter, are extremely frustrating for an applicant. It is very difficult to determine what you did wrong and how to improve your case for the next time without an expert. Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn, both former Visa Officers discuss what to do if you are a student visa applicant who has a refusal. If you have any questions about this topic or another visa related topic, send us an email at [email protected]. 

Who are visa officers? How does someone become a visa officer? What can be done if I don't like the visa officer I got or don't understand the decision that has been made on my case? Being a visa officer is a very unique job and there is a lot of nuance to the position. It is important to understand who visa officers are when you are before you go into your visa interview. 

If you want to talk directly to a former visa officer prior to your U.S. visa interview, you can book a consultation with an Argo Officer at www.argovisa.com. If you have questions about the visa interview or if you have any other questions for our team, send us an email at [email protected]. 

We are excited to welcome Argo's co-founder, Chris Richardson, to the podcast today! Mandy Feuerbacher and Chris Richardson discuss why Argo was founded, their experiences as Visa Officers and Immigration Attorneys, and more! 

If you want to send in a question to be answered on our next podcast episode or if you have any topic requests, send us an email at [email protected]. 

K1 Visas are unique because they are technically a non-immigrant visa but they also cross-over into immigrant visas. It is confusing, complicated, and high stakes! Many people assume that just because their relationship is legitimate, that at the time of the visa interview, they will be fine, but that is absolutely not the case. It is essential that K1 visa applicants are extremely well-prepared because if the visa interview doesn't go well, you could be waiting a year or more until you are able to try again for the visa. Mandy and Ben share their insights on the K1 visa and everything you should know before starting this process. 

Mandy and Ben are back and are sharing their visa insights on what the visa process is like if you are applying outside of your home country. This practice is becoming even more common due to limited visa appointments because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many things to keep in mind when applying outside of your home country as a Third Country National. Mandy and Ben share their tips and insights on how visa officers perceive these applicants. 

At the beginning of the episode, they also share some insights on recent state department announcements regarding tourism in the United States and visa interviews for F, J, and M visa applicants. 

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