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Otherguy
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Location: San Diego
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 Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:00 am Post subject: Visa Interview Training |
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Hi all,
I have a job coming up that will consist of one-on-one sessions of visa interview training. This would be for students going to Shanghai to the embassy to interview for an F-1 visa for study in the U.S.
The sessions would last two hours and aside from an overview of the actual interview and what they should expect I'm figuring that after I feel out their listening/speaking comprehension I'll see what kind of practice they need. I'm assuming I would do some pronunciation activities, and also some listening activities centering around reduced speech (didja, etc).
What other activities would you suggest? The employer handed me a list of questions asked in the interview so that hinted to me that the clients may want explanations of answers (not sure there).
Thanks! |
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Otherguy
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:27 am Post subject: |
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Thanks,
Do you have that thread link by chance? (I'll look also). Why are most applicants rejected? |
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Otherguy
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| Also, just to clear it up, a different person for each two-hour session. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:56 am Post subject: |
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| This was just covered a couple of weeks ago. You've snagged a sucker it seems. Multiple sessions, two hours each, for how much? Other threads will show that applicants are generally asked one or possibly two questions (more often than not by Chinese employees) and then, the majority or applicants are rejected. |
The OP is quite right as these interviews are not of the same nature as the ones covered before. Also careful with total belief in any thread you read as it may be misleading as to content or designed to provoke reactions which are advantageous for employers. In-fact I also deal with the interview process of students seeking overseas education and they are quite lengthy. You need to sit in on several of these to gain knowledge as to content of a useful class. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| Our students are subject to a rather lengthy interview process. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:47 am Post subject: |
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| Do you think so, I have no earthly idea. All I have done is to informed you that my students are subject to a lengthy interview by embassy personal and they come to the school to do the interviews...With around 200 interviews I would imagine that the waiting room of the embassy would get crowded..look your absolutely convinced that all interviews last the same as you and your friends have experienced, so stick with that, but what does it matter if this guy has a job to prepare students for a Student visa interview. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Because, in the end, it's a scam. |
The visa process you speak of is the real scam...but again, if this poster has come here asking for advice or even to record a observation only to be met with accusing post from consumer advocates who comment on programs (they have no real knowledge of ) in a less than helpful manor will certainly result in further alienation of those who seek guidance. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:38 am Post subject: |
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The people getting rejected for US visas comment is really dumb. You witnessed their interviews and followed though to see if they got rejected. I watched about 20 interviews in Chengdu while waiting to get service from my embassy. No one was told they were rejected, they have to wait, all were ask many questions (in English or Chinese) by the American staff.
Maybe if a response to the question, "Why do you want to go to America" gets the response, "to kill Americans" it would be game over.
Students are a different story though. What program they are going to and why would be sought by the interviewers. Not two questions. Where will they stay, how do they feel about the change, how do they think they will do...To many questions to ask.
Exaggeration only gets you so far. Preparing students from interviews, which I have never done, is by no means a scam. |
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HumphreyOmega
Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| If a visa interview is required and a non native English speaker practices how they might answer questions I think that most people would consider this good preparation hardly fraud. |
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Silent Shadow
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 380
Location: A stones throw past the back of beyond
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| Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| brookesdara wrote: |
Only speak to what you know.
I know what questions were asked. I know the superior level of the students and more. Chengdu is Chengdu, it's not the true American embassy in Beijing.
And visa prep is a scam, but more appropriate a fraud. Faking, preparing, rehearsing an interview to enter the U.S. is fraudulent. You know damn well that prepared answers are not truthful answers in most cases, therefore, fraud - attempting to enter the country by fraud. If you can't answer the questions outright, then you have no business entering my country. |
I think it depends on the individual student's circumstances. If the student genuinely intends to study, has an institution set-up, has proper qualifications a place to stay, and it's clear that they don't intend to commit crimes or be a burden on the American welfare state, I don't think that there's any harm in rehearsing in advance. It depends on the individual's true intentions.
If there is a market for this kind of service, then maybe questions could be asked about the procedure of the visa interviews. Maybe the questions and the answers wanted are too formulaic. If it's wrong to set up a business to prepare students for such interviews, then it must be wrong to teach people how to write resumes, and interview for jobs!
Of course, some schools who offer visa interview training could be scammers, just like you have scammers in any other business, like ESL. Just because some shops and businesses cheat people, it doesn't mean that no shop or business should be allowed to operate, and provide a service where there's a market need. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| The only reason U.S. schools accept foreign students is for the exorbitant non-resident tuition fees. |
This is likely the only reason any state school accepts an applicant from another state. private schools often have the same payment schedule for the same services.
The interview process that brooks speaks of is indeed a fraud but the school interview performed in a more detailed process and if the school represented has a large enough student body, then it is likely that the embassy will arrange interviews on school grounds.
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Why do you want to go to America?
- I want attend XXX university to continue my education.
Where will you get the money?
- My parents are giving me the money.
Where will you live?
- I will live at the school.
Have you been to America before?
- No, I haven't.
Do you plan on staying in the U.S.?
- No, I will come back to China after I finish studying there.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of preparation is needed. |
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The visa process is not a scam. Why should the U.S. open its doors to all these folks who want the desperate advantage of a superior U.S. education and U.S. culture and then come back to China and spout how superior China is and how they don't need anyone's help and so on? |
If as you have stated that the school interview process is not a scam, then surely a minor amount of questions are sufficient to determine that those seeking that superior US education are not from the bottom of the "national test" held in China. Sadly the case is the reversed as many of you know the level of student going to the US (post grad) is not sufficiently high enough to attend universities in China that have a good reputation. As far as US culture, well they pretty much have the best aspect of the culture without (except for a court room incident last week) including the "gun" part of our culture. Those with a chip on their shoulder and half baked legal advice from unbeknown sources do well to stir up emotions on a board thus rendering it useless when it come to offering encouraging advice. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:51 am Post subject: |
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Surely the interview is just the last step in a process?
Verifying that the applicant has a genuine offer from a school, verifying funds available etc would all be part of the back office work.
The number of Chinese students studying all over especially in US shows many do get visas.
Off the topic a bit but they do not always behave in an acceptable manner.
3 Chinese students in NZ have just been arrested for robbing and killing a fourth and sticking her body in the trunk of her car. |
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gene
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 187
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 3:26 am Post subject: |
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Absolutely, the paperwork is on going and continues, even to the point of proving income sources an amounts held, except for one class of employment and that is the military. If the applicant's parents or caregiver/sponsor is a member of the services then they do not have to reveal some information. Position has it privileges no matter what country your a native of.
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| The number of Chinese students studying all over especially in US shows many do get visas. |
A different horse than the interview Brookes gave a (questionable) dialogue example. Many times it could be considered easier to gain a student visa over a visitors visa. I would doubt that you find many first time visitor visa applicants passing the interview the first time and the cost is paid by the applicant, making it an excellent revenue money maker for the embassy...after all they have (as was once explained to me) to pay for all the increased security. Seems our taxes are just not enough and they need to tap the visitor for over a hundred bucks for the privileged of standing in the line Brookes mentioned an answering those inane questions, not being allowed to offer any evidence unless it is requested by the interviewer. This procedure to me seems to be a admin scam only designed to offer a glimmer of false hope to the visitor in exchange for an over priced interview with often hostile employees. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 4:20 am Post subject: |
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I definitely think the shock a student studying abroad is being lost. Preping them, showing them how the questions might go, is by no means fraud. If there was an interview to work in China I would hope you would have the stones to ask for help. Most students going abroad have a good attitude, but they might be thrown off easily. I don't see why helping them is fraud.
I am curious why the Chengdu embassy doesn't count as a legit embassy. I went to the SF Chinese embassy to get here. Should I have went to DC? What is the logic on Beijing having the best? If CD is of lesser requirement shouldn't more people apply through here?
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I know the superior level of the students and more. Chengdu is Chengdu, it's not the true American embassy in Beijing.
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Interesting words from a man obviously wiser than us all. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:37 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, you are the wisest man I know! |
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