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The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced this week that consular officers may choose to waive the interview requirement for F-1 visas, which allow international MBA and graduate students to study in the United States.
In a statement, DOS said that consular officers are authorized until the end of 2021 to process visa applications without a personal interview if applicants meet certain criteria.
Typically, after completing your F-1 visa application online, the next step is an interview at the US Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
However, you can now obtain an F-1 student visa to the US without an interview if:
– You have previously been issued any visas (including tourist visas) and have never been refused a visa and are ineligible or potentially ineligible.
– You are a citizen of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and you have no apparent or potential inadmissibility.
Are you entitled to an interview exemption?
The DOS announcement is particularly good news for first-time applicants from the 39 Visa Waiver Program countries. These include the UK, France, Germany and most European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
Many F-1 student visa applicants will still have to pass an interview, including those from India and China, unless they have previously received any US visa.
However, applicants from non-VWP countries whose previous visa was issued when they were under the age of 14, DOS said, may be required to submit biometric fingerprints but may still be approved for an interview waiver.
The new visa rules also apply to M-1 visas for people pursuing a course of vocational training rather than an educational program, and J visas issued to students on international exchange programs, as well as academics and professors.
DOS said: “The department recognizes the important contribution these students make to our college and university campuses [and] their positive impact on US communities.
“The department is committed to supporting the US academic community [and] recognizes that this is a critical period of time for students seeking to begin their studies at academic institutions in the United States.
Good news for MBA and Masters applicants
For aspiring MBA and graduate students with their sights set on America’s top business schools, the latest visa news is encouraging—especially after the freeze on F-1 visas and the ban on new H-1B work visas that is now raised experienced under President Trump.
Professionals at US business schools are impressed by the policy, which appears to be increasingly welcoming to international students.
In a LinkedIn post, Jason Hall, head of recruiting and marketing for the MBA and Executive MBA programs at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business, said the news almost sounded too good to be true.
It is now hoped that the more flexible approach to visa regulations will continue beyond 2021 and continue to encourage more business school applicants to pursue MBA and Masters programs in the US.
Further reading:
Best Business Schools in USA | US News Rankings
The main image in this article is credited to ©Mandy Downs and is used under this license.
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