Where do I apply for a Research/student Visa

[wizzyplusky 0]

I'm an African currently residing in India; my current student visa expires on 30th June, 2018. I just completed my masters degree and awaiting my results. I'll like to apply for a visa to do my PhD in the US. Do you advise I do the visa interview here in India or go back to my country for the visa interview. I sincerely wish to do the visa interview in India as it will help me to save on flight back to my country. please let me know if it's advisable to do the visa interview in India or my country in Africa.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

40 minutes ago, wizzyplusky said:

I'm an African currently residing in India; my current student visa expires on 30th June, 2018. I just completed my masters degree and awaiting my results. I'll like to apply for a visa to do my PhD in the US. Do you advise I do the visa interview here in India or go back to my country for the visa interview. I sincerely wish to do the visa interview in India as it will help me to save on flight back to my country. please let me know if it's advisable to do the visa interview in India or my country in Africa.

You have to be accepted to a course before you can apply for a student visa.

You can apply wherever you happen to be living at the time.

[databit 328]

If you are so worried about saving on airplane fare, how do you plan on paying for a Ph.D. in the US? You're looking at $50k just for tuition, plus living expenses $$$ and no loans unless your home country will pay for your degree.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

2 hours ago, databit said:

If you are so worried about saving on airplane fare, how do you plan on paying for a Ph.D. in the US? You're looking at $50k just for tuition, plus living expenses $$$ and no loans unless your home country will pay for your degree.

Many phds in the US get offered with funding (combination of scholarships, guaranteed RA/TA work etc).That’s not necessarily an issue for an OP, on the other hand getting to the US won’t be part of the funding offered so it makes sense he’d want to save for that.

 

but in any case yes he’d certainly need to have all that lined up before the visa interview. And unless he’s already applied and waiting for an offer or has one in hand, getting that all done by end June is unlikely.

Edited May 19, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[CEE53147 559]

Applications for PhD programs to start in the 2018-19 academic year have long past for decent universities.  Some universities will not provide funding to first year graduate students who are  not US degree holders since foreign universities are often of unknown quality and other academic credentials are forged.  At the university I know best, only their BS degree recipients are considered for MS funding since they have more requests from highly qualified students than funds.

 

You need to return to your home country and work while you wait and apply to PhD programs.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Again, it’s better not to generalize. The daughter of a friend of mine is heading to Boston this fall on a full ride PhD scholarship, with a masters and bachelors from an African university, to a university with a name you’d all recognize. I’m sure some universities are restricting offers and funding in the way you describe, but definitely not all. The better universities actually often have quite in-depth knowledge of which universities around the world they can depend on for decent degrees for consideration. 

 

The only thing we can definitively tell OP without knowing his specifics, is that he would need both an offer of a place and evidence of how it’s going to be funded to have a successful visa interview. 

Edited May 19, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[CEE53147 559]

Based on the fact  OP has not mentioned that (s)he has an admit for Auf 2018, it is unlikely (s)he is the type of student who has secured funding. A typical student seeking support will begin preparing over a year in advance of applying.

 

And, I suspect my info is more likely to be more in keeping with the typical process since it is from a family member retired after 40 years at major research institutions including nearly 30 as an administrator who dealt with grad students as a normal part of the job in addition to other responsibilities.

 

In addition, among my 8 immediate family members, 4 have two advanced degrees (academic and professional) and 3 have one (all academic). All are from major universities and not diploma mills catering to international students looking for CPT and OPT.  The only one having only a BS received it in Dec.2017 so who knows what the future holds. I am well versed

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

I could also go on about having advanced degrees and knowing people (and yes I do actually, including people granted tenure here with just degrees from - gasp - developing world universities) but it’s irrelevant to the OP -  the bottom line of my last post remains true: that you can’t make sweeping statements because you don’t know each individual case, and that the OP needs to have a place and funding secured before he can be granted a visa.

[Boiler 45,417]

Does not sound like the OP has started the process so that time line does not look realistic.

[Coco8 1,042]

On 5/19/2018 at 5:19 PM, CEE53147 said:

 Some universities will not provide funding to first year graduate students who are  not US degree holders since foreign universities are often of unknown quality and other academic credentials are forged.  

 

What could happen is that professors don't admit students from universities they do not know because an important aspect of applications are letters of recommendation. If I don't know the person saying you are exceptional or the quality of your undergrad, then I have no information about you. Meanwhile, I have plenty of other applications that are more information. The process is very competitive.

 

Not giving funding on the basis of where you got your degree (proxy for nationality) is discrimination.

 

And PhD programs and Master programs are very different. Some terminal MAs accept broadly because they care about people paying and making money. PhD programs are not like that (at least when you are in the top 40).

 

[CEE53147 559]

The most discriminated group at universities at this time is while, American males.

 

Not giving funding to all international applicants is NOT discrimination. Funding is limited. There is no way any university could fund all international applicants. And they would have no one to act as teaching assistants because so many international students have poor English language skills.

This does not even address the fraudulent credentials presented by prospective international students.  The sale of degrees is even posted on this website as well as those sponsored by attorneys.

 

Many professional programs are more competitive for entry that MS/PhD programs especially at the diploma mills frequented by international students.

 

Two of the three family holding only two degrees make more than those with PhDs. The other frequently matched a PhD salary. The quarterly bonus made by one several years ago exceeded the annual salary of one with a PhD in a technical field. The other ones salary is over 2 times one of the PhD holders who is several years older and highly qualified in academia.

 

And it is shown that the likelihood of a permanent position after obtaining a PhD is very poor even in areas claiming to have shortages. Few jobs actually require PhDs. Psot docs are just poorly paid technicians/TAs.

[Coco8 1,042]

7 hours ago, CEE53147 said:

The most discriminated group at universities at this time is while, American males.

 

Not giving funding to all international applicants is NOT discrimination. Funding is limited. There is no way any university could fund all international applicants. And they would have no one to act as teaching assistants because so many international students have poor English language skills.

This does not even address the fraudulent credentials presented by prospective international students.  The sale of degrees is even posted on this website as well as those sponsored by attorneys.

 

Many professional programs are more competitive for entry that MS/PhD programs especially at the diploma mills frequented by international students.

 

Two of the three family holding only two degrees make more than those with PhDs. The other frequently matched a PhD salary. The quarterly bonus made by one several years ago exceeded the annual salary of one with a PhD in a technical field. The other ones salary is over 2 times one of the PhD holders who is several years older and highly qualified in academia.

 

And it is shown that the likelihood of a permanent position after obtaining a PhD is very poor even in areas claiming to have shortages. Few jobs actually require PhDs. Psot docs are just poorly paid technicians/TAs.

First, white male are not discriminated against and there is plenty of scientific research to back that up.

 

Second, I never said that " all international applicants" should be given funding. Of course not. And not funding all of them is not discrimination. You read whatever you wanted to read. 

 

Money has nothing to do with having a PhD or having an MA or not having a degree at all. Different fields have different standards of salaries. There is also a demand issue. Some areas have to be covered by PhDs and cannot be covered by people without PhDs so there are companies and universities looking for people with these skills, which drives salaries up. Also, I don't know why you bring that up because it has nothing to do with the conversation or what OP was asking about. If you think people do a PhD for the money, then you are wrong. 

 

I know postdocs who are paid 80,000 or 90,000 a year and they just work on their research. Sure, you could be making twice working for a company 9-5 and doing work for someone else who is going to make much more money than they are paying you. Crappy postdocs are the ones that have you teaching. And they are not technicians, for that you pay a technician 40,000 a year and not twice from a research grant. 

 

You don't know much about this and probably repeat what other people have told you or what you observe. If you friends or family got a PhD from a crappy university in a field that is humanities or something that there is no demand for, then sure, they are not going to do well. But that is the same as not being good at what you do and expecting to get a job that pays you as if you were Einstein.