Helping a friend with student visa

[lucybelle 453]

Hello all! A friend of the family was accepted into a US university for undergrad with an athletic scholarship and is supposed to start in one month. I was only just informed that she was denied a visa during her interview. I have (unfortunately) very little information about her application. I've done the whole CR1 and citizenship thing, but know very little about the student visa process.

 

After some quick research I think it's the F1 she has applied for. She was denied, I believe, because of lack of finances. She lives in Ecuador and her family has about $1500 to their name. Her extended family decided to get everyone together to deposit more money into their account, which I said would not work, i mean they're not the first people who thought of that. 

 

I have asked for the I-20 application and the denial letter to better understand what is going on. What should I look for? I believe I read there is a section that states expected costs minus scholarships and gives how much cash money should be in the bank. Is there anything that can be done? My parents have considered sponsoring her, but I told them that was a huge financial investment (which it is for CR1, I'm not sure the commitments for student visa?) and you have to claim her as a dependent on taxes.

 

Thanks in advance to this wonderful community who helped me through my process!!

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

I realize this won't sound very promising to you or your friend but there's really nothing to do. Her student visa application was denied and there is no appeal process nor is it very likely she would be successful if she applied again. My wife and I know of this from personal experience. Long before we decided to get married, my wife, who is from Colombia which neighbors Ecuador, applied for and was accepted by a US university. She applied for an F1 visa and was denied. Since I lived near the Canadian border, she then applied to a Canadian university and was also accepted. She applied for a Canadian student visa and was denied. Again, no appeal process and every bit of advice we received recommended not to waste further time and money attempting to apply again. Hopefully your friend can receive a good university education somewhere in South America. Best of luck to her.

[Boiler 45,413]

So the extended family will pay for her education or this was just for show?

[lucybelle 453]

6 minutes ago, Russ&Caro said:

I realize this won't sound very promising to you or your friend but there's really nothing to do. Her student visa application was denied and there is no appeal process nor is it very likely she would be successful if she applied again. My wife and I know of this from personal experience. Long before we decided to get married, my wife, who is from Colombia which neighbors Ecuador, applied for and was accepted by a US university. She applied for an F1 visa and was denied. Since I lived near the Canadian border, she then applied to a Canadian university and was also accepted. She applied for a Canadian student visa and was denied. Again, no appeal process and every bit of advice we received recommended not to waste further time and money attempting to apply again. Hopefully your friend can receive a good university education somewhere in South America. Best of luck to her.

 

Evidently she she has another interview next week? But yeah, I told her there might not be anything that can be done.

 

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So the extended family will pay for her education or this was just for show?

Extended family will not pay, it will just be for show. Which is why I said it wouldn't work. She got about 80% of costs covered through scholarships. I guess the plan was for her to get a work study job (not even sure if that's possible on her visa type) and my mom would help out a little financially as well.

 

sorry vague info, I don't have very much and it seems like my friend and her family were woefully underprepared for this whole process.

[Boiler 45,413]

Well certainly not having the money to cover the costs would be a show stopper.

[lucybelle 453]

10 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Well certainly not having the money to cover the costs would be a show stopper.

Okay i just got some more information. The amount difference between the scholarship and costs is about $5000. The dad has $2000. Evidently the mom (parents are divorced) has money and the girl herself has money. Those three together will cover the $5000 and some. Would showing bank statements for those three accounts work? Since it is parents and the actual student? Or does it all need to be in one account? Does she need to show finances for just one year, or for all four years?

 

thanks for your help!!!!

[Boiler 45,413]

So they would need to show their total assets just to cover one year gap in tuition?

[lucybelle 453]

3 minutes ago, Boiler said:

So they would need to show their total assets just to cover one year gap in tuition?

Yes, seems like total cash in bank would cover one year tuition. Evidently dad has additional assets in land, houses and such.

[Boiler 45,413]

Maybe once he has sold his assets try again?

[lucybelle 453]

5 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Maybe once he has sold his assets try again?

They already gave her another interview for next week. So I'm taking that as a good sign?

[Boiler 45,413]

1 minute ago, lucybelle said:

They already gave her another interview for next week. So I'm taking that as a good sign?

Begs the question how they could have refused her an interview, she paid she gets an interview.

[lucybelle 453]

4 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Begs the question how they could have refused her an interview, she paid she gets an interview.

Her first interview was today. She was denied. They gave her a second interview next week.

[AOSFairfax 111]

It's been a hot sec since I applied for my student visa so I don't remember the process 100% and apologies if the information is outdated. However, you are correct that she needs to provide evidence of the assets in the bank account. I remember that my family asked the bank to provide a written letter stating the balance in the account and indicating that that is enough to cover whatever costs my scholarship did not. A bank account statement would likely do the same. I assume that she would need a statement for every bank account that she would use to pay for her costs (her dad's, mom's and her own). Given how tight cash seems to be, I would also suggest providing land titles for whatever property the dad has that also states how much the property is worth. Was all of this financial information not provided at the first interview? That is a major part of the interview process..

 

On another note, I would definitely caution against family members adding their own cash "just for show," both because that is legally dubious and because the last thing you want is to have her come to the US only to realize that she does not have enough cash to cover everything here. Speaking from experience, even if all your costs are covered, life in the US can be expensive and unexpected costs do come up so it's in her best interest to really consider whether her and her family are financially prepared to make that commitment.

 

Working on an F1 can be done but it's hard. On campus jobs usually first go to USC students who have been awarded federal work study programs and then to everyone else. Adding any potential language barriers, international students tend to fall low on the priority list for on campus hiring. Off campus jobs have to be very specific to meet the appropriate work authorization requirements and can require some paperwork on the part of the employer. Although the paperwork is admittedly minimal many employers are not familiar with it / don't want to deal with it. Just my 2 cents, good luck!

Edited July 25, 2019 by AOSFairfax

[JeanneAdil 6,471]

my family has had 3 exchange students / one of which returned to study at Cornell

the process for visa was long even thought money was not an issue for her family

she first applied

was accepted (for the following year not the new current semester)

the college had to be on the list of SEVP appoved colleges as stated below:

Then she sent all infromation to the college's lawyer who works on the student visa as there is a lot of work to do for the student visa

she applied in the year 2007 and came as a student August 2009

 

 

Before you can apply for an F, J, or M student visa, you must first apply and be accepted by a U.S. institution of higher education that is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Even when an institution is SEVP-certified and able to issue I-20 and DS-2019 forms for use in visa applications, it may not hold national or regional accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation databases list accreditation status for all U.S. institutions.

[Boiler 45,413]

18 minutes ago, lucybelle said:

Her first interview was today. She was denied. They gave her a second interview next week.

Why was she given a second interview?