A professor from the University of California, Davis, Professor Masoud Jasbi, recently took to his Twitter handle to shed light on the ‘cruelty’ experienced by applicants for the US student visa.
In a series of tweets, he expressed his frustration, stating, ‘I’m quite used to the cruelty students can face when they apply for a US visa, but this one broke me. We offered admission to a stellar, talented & hardworking student. After months of work and hundreds of dollars, an embassy officer saw him for 5 mins & said no.’
The professor expressed his surprise at the rejection of an Iranian student, who had diligently prepared an outstanding application that received unanimous praise from the admission committee members. The student had also fulfilled various financial obligations, including admission and visa application fees, standardized tests, and even purchased a flight ticket to another country for the US student visa interview, as there is no US embassy in Iran. Yet, despite all these efforts, the student faced a five-minute interview resulting in a disappointing ‘no.’
Financial burden incurred during US student visa process
Highlighting the financial burden incurred during the process, the professor emphasized that the entire process costs a few thousand dollars. Yet the students can face rejection after a 5-minute interview.
The professor expressed surprise at the vague reasons visa officers provide for rejecting applications under section 214b. He pointed out that proving ties to the home country is challenging for students, especially when they lack job or property ties. He criticized the provision as a blank check for officers to reject applicants without legitimate reasons.
He questioned the US government’s intentions behind the existence of post-graduation paths to jobs and residency like OPT. He wondered whether the US truly wants talented students to return to their countries after graduation.
Concluding his tweets, the professor expressed frustration over the plight of his student and many others facing similar challenges at US embassies and consulates.
Many Indian students face rejection every year
It is noteworthy that the case shared by the professor is not an isolated incident. Many students in India and elsewhere also face US visa rejections without proper reasons, even after investing significant time and resources into the application process.
Visa officers often take less than five minutes to make a decision, leaving rejected applicants with a slip that does not offer clear explanations for the rejection.
Applying for a US student visa involves substantial costs, such as university admission fees, academic tests like IELTS and GRE, SEVIS fees of USD 350, and a visa interview application fee of USD 185. However, some students may experience rejection without getting the proper reasons behind it.
