Ghanaians like any other nationals, at some points in our lives get the opportunity to travel abroad either for work, school, fun or for a family reunion. And in as much as our reasons may be valid there is always one stumbling block on our way in realising this dream of ours which is visa acquisitions.
Visa acquisition in itself would not have been challenging if only those with “valid” and “genuine” reasons applied for them. Nonetheless, it is common knowledge that this is not the case, and even the embassies know it. The visa application pool usually consists of a mixture of applicants with a necessity and genuine reasons to travel and others whose reasons are not so genuine.
Resultantly, embassies turn to be very strict in their selection process with the aim that only well meaning applicants are granted visas.
Having seen how challenging visa acquisition can be, this article therefore seeks to provide you with some helpful tips which will help you in preparing for that visa interview in other to avoid being denied the visa.
General Don’ts in a visa application interview.
We must note that not all embassies conduct interviews for their visa applicants, however countries like the United States and most Schengen countries have visa interview as part of their visa acquisition process. And the following points are the things you should avoid doing in a visa interview. I also included some Possible Visa Interview Questions for Students Applicants, Workers and Family Relatives.
Avoiding questions or giving incorrect answers: The interview is a place to create the best impression of yourself and it is a formality for the embassy to get to know the person behind the application and confirm all the information you have submitted on the application form. So avoiding questions or giving false answers would not do you any good. You have to make sure that there is consistency in the answers you give in the interview and the entries (answers) you made in the application form.
Inappropriate Answers: You may have been well prepared for the interview but there are some questions that would take you by surprise. And in this instances try as much as possible to be strategic and truthful in your submission. To avoid been caught off guard it is very expedient that you thoroughly prepare for the interview. You can do this by watching some youtube videos on possible visa interview questions, reading articles such as this one and lastly asking family and friends who have already participated in a visa interview before.
Incomplete supporting documentation: Presenting incomplete documents at a visa interview is signalling to the consular that you are not serious or not prepared for the interview. That is why you have to make sure you read carefully from the embassy’s website which documents are required of you for your specific type of visa. There are generic document requirements like bank statement, birth certificates, foreign house address or school address to very specific documents like marriage certificate, proof of scholarship or conference letter depending on the purpose for which you are applying for the visa.
Possible Visa Interview Questions for Students Applicants:
1. Which course are you going to study?
2. How long is the course going to take?
3. Why did you choose this particular school?
4. When is the school’s academic calendar beginning?
5. Do you have a scholarship or how are you going to finance your studies?
6. Would you be working and studying?
7. Would you come back immediately after completing your studies?
8. Do you have relatives in this country? (e.g Do you have relatives in the USA?)
9. When and where did you obtain your undergraduate degree?
10. Tell me about your academic background?
11. Where do your parents live?
12. Why do you think we should give you this visa?
13. Do you have a boyfriend\Girlfriend? If yes where is he\she?
Possible Visa Interview Questions for Workers
1. What shows that you will come back after your work or conference?
2. What is your current salary?
3. How much money do you have in your savings?
4. What is your current position in the company?
5. Why were you selected for this travel?
6. Are you married?
7. Do you have children if yes where are they?
8. Have you travelled outside of your country before?
9. What is your job experience?
10. Do you have relatives in this country? (e.g Do you have relatives in the USA?)
11. How long do you plan to stay?
12. Who is sponsoring this trip? The company or yourself?
Possible Visa Interview Questions for Family Reunions.
1. Where are you parents?
2. How many brothers and sisters do you have?
3. Are you married?
4. Which work does your spouse do?
5. How long have you been married?
6. What do you do for a living?
7. Why do you want to join your family or spouse?
8. How long has you family or spouse live in this country?
9. Which language do you speak with your spouse?
10. When was the last time you saw your spouse?
Hope you find this article helpful? Kindly live your comments and thoughts below
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