F-1 visa interview questions
Ranked by how often each topic actually came up across 256 reported F-1 interviews — with the wording applicants remembered hearing.
The questions, most likely first
Share of the 256 reported interviews in which the topic came up at least once. These overlap — one interview covers several.
- 1Social media handles42%
- “Are your accounts public?”
- “Do you have social media?”
- “Is your social media public?”
- 2Who is paying29%
- “Are you working as a GTA?”
- “How are you funding this?”
- “Are you getting a stipend?”
- 3Your course / major20%
- “What did you study there?”
- “Is there a specialization?”
- “What was your degree plan?”
- 4Why this university17%
- “How did you pick this school?”
- “Why this course and university?”
- “Why did you choose this university?”
- 5Sponsor's job and income16%
- “What does he do for work?”
- “What does your father do?”
- “What does your mother do?”
- 6Which university11%
- “Where did you do your undergrad?”
- “What university are you going to?”
- “Which university are you going to?”
- 7Other universities applied to11%
- “Where else did you apply?”
- “Why not other universities?”
- “How many admits did you get?”
- 8Why the US10%
- “Why are you going to the USA?”
- “What did you write in your SOP?”
- “Why did you choose this course?”
- 9Plans after graduation8%
- “What are your future plans?”
- “Where do you want to work afterwards?”
- “What are your plans after graduation?”
- 10Your degree8%
- “When did you complete it?”
- “When was your last education?”
- “What was your undergrad CGPA?”
- 11Gaps in study or work5%
- “What have you done after that?”
- “Why did you take semester breaks?”
- “When did you stop your employment?”
- 12Relatives in the US5%
- “Is your sponsor a US citizen?”
- “Do you have anyone in the US?”
- “Do you have family in the US?”
- 13What you actually do5%
- “What field do you work in?”
- “What will you be working on?”
- “What do you do professionally?”
- 14Previous US trips4%
- “Did you go to Disneyland?”
- “How long did you stay there?”
- “Have you been to the U.S. before?”
- 15Ties to home country4%
- “Where does your father live?”
- “Where does your dad live now?”
- “Do you have relatives in China?”
- 16Your research / thesis4%
- “What was your project in your bachelor's?”
- “What will you focus on for the rest of your PhD?”
- “What is your topic?”
Before and after the December 2025 rule
F-1 interviews reported before and after universal social-media vetting took effect on December 15, 2025. Topics that moved by at least 6 points.
| Question | Before n=145 | After n=87 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media handles | 33% | 63% | +30 pts |
| Who is paying | 23% | 40% | +17 pts |
| Why this university | 12% | 25% | +13 pts |
| Other universities applied to | 7% | 20% | +13 pts |
| Your course / major | 17% | 28% | +11 pts |
| Sponsor's job and income | 14% | 23% | +9 pts |
| Plans after graduation | 4% | 13% | +9 pts |
| Why the US | 7% | 15% | +8 pts |
| Ties to home country | 1% | 9% | +8 pts |
| Threats or harm at home | 0% | 8% | +8 pts |
| Which university | 10% | 17% | +7 pts |
| New visa or renewal | 1% | 7% | +6 pts |
Documents asked for
Requested at the window or listed on a 221(g) slip, in these F-1 reports.
- Passport (retained at the window)62 reports
- I-2054 reports
- CV, publications or research plan18 reports
- DS-5535 supplemental questionnaire14 reports
- Financial documents10 reports
- SEVIS fee receipt7 reports
- DS-160 confirmation5 reports
- Academic transcripts4 reports
How to use this
- Prepare the top five, not all 31. The tail exists because someone was asked it once; the head is what you will most likely face.
- Answer short. In these reports the interviews that stayed brief were the ones where answers were direct and matched the paperwork.
- Consistency beats polish. The follow-up questions in this data almost always trace back to an answer that did not match the DS-160 or the petition.
- Self-reported data. These are applicants’ recollections, aggregated by VisaMoves — a ranking of what is likely, not a guarantee of what you will hear.
Related breakdowns
Quick answers
What questions are asked in a F-1 visa interview?
Across 256 reported F-1 interviews, the most frequent topics are social media handles (42%), who is paying (29%), your course / major (20%), why this university (17%), sponsor's job and income (16%). Most interviews cover only a handful of these, not all of them.
How long does a F-1 interview take?
Reported interviews are typically short — a few minutes at the window. A longer interview usually means the officer is working through a specific issue rather than that something has gone wrong.
What documents do they ask for at a F-1 interview?
The documents most often requested in these reports are Passport (retained at the window), I-20, CV, publications or research plan, DS-5535 supplemental questionnaire, Financial documents, SEVIS fee receipt. Carry them even if the appointment letter does not list them — officers ask for documents far more often than they ask hard questions.
Interviewing soon?
People with your date and post compare notes the same day — including what they were just asked at the window.