An intelligent young mind got his F-1 dreams thwarted at the visa interview despite having a full scholarship to a Top 20 US university.
A 17-year-old student took to Reddit to share her interview experience in detail. The visa officer barely looked interested and didn’t ask any questions about the university or her academic plans.
The F-1 aspirant from Peru, claims she didn’t even get a chance to explain why she chose electrical engineering or how she wanted to help her home country use natural resources better.
Rather, than that, the officer wanted to know who she lives with, what her mom does, if she uses Instagram, and if her twin sister is the same age. She answered everything clearly and said she has a full scholarship that covers tuition, housing, food, and more.
Moreover, her mom, a well-known economist, would handle any extra costs that arise. Still, the officer just silently handed her a rejection slip.
Forget having an explanation for the denial, when she even asked if it was a 221(g) or 214(b), he didn’t bother to answer that either, coldly replying, “The reason is on the paper.”
Other officers at nearby windows were asking students deep, detailed questions. But hers didn’t even pretend to care. This was her second rejection after she was already denied a B2 visa, making her record even worse for future interviews.
Under the ongoing F-1 visa crackdown, especially under Trump’s policies, even top students are being denied. Officers focus more on family structure, past rejections, and most importantly their social media than merit.
This student prepared for months and waited for her appointment, but the system didn’t care.
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