In order to go for electives, residency interviews and the Step 2 CS, you need to apply for a US visit visa (B1/B2). Try and apply as early as possible. Ideally, you should have taken Step 1 and Step 2 CK before you go for the interview.
You get the application materials from American Express offices in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. They are also available online at the web site of Islamabad’s US Embassy. Fill those up and put them in the application. Nowadays, they do not accept any extra documents to be attached with the application materials as every one is called for an interview. Once your application is processed, take the earliest date available. The American Express also gives out the interview dates.
Do you mention Step 3 on the visa application and during the visa interview? The answer is NO. Step 3 is a big no-no. The reason is that people who have gone previously for residency interviews had to stay longer to do Step 3 and many of them took extensions. Visa consulars know that. So, on the application and during the interviews, mention your reasons for visit as Step 2 CS examination and residency interviews…that’s all.
Documents to take with you for the interview:
All original documents should be along with you for the interview. Needless to state, you will also take your passport and visa application.
1- Print out of Step 2 CS date and testing center
2- Print out of Scheduling Permit
3- Visa Letter from the ECFMG
4- Step 1 score, if available
5- Step 2 CK score, if available
6- AKU documents (which include Medical School Diploma, Transcript, Dean's letter etc.)
7- Job letter (if you are doing a job e.g. Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, then ask your supervisor to write you a letter saying that you are working at this place and once you come back from the US, you will continue your job). + Pay slips.
8- Evidence of last trip to US: If you have gone to US before, what did you do there? Most of the students have gone for electives. It is worthwhile to keep US recommendation letters as proof of your visit.
9- Affidavits of support from your parents (saying that my son or daughter is going abroad for medical board examinations and I will be bearing his/her expenses).
10- Affidavit of Non-immigrant Intent (saying that you will return and giving reasons why you are going to do so).
11- Proof that you can afford the trip. This proof can be in the form of Bank Statement, Property Documents and/or credit Card summaries.
12- All educational documents from school till medical school.
13- Print out of your ERAS account (if applicable).
Know which document is where otherwise you would not look good in front of the interviewer. Dress professionally but make sure that you are comfortable as well. Arrive at the parking no later than six o’clock in the morning.
Get rid of your mobiles and stand in the line where they give out bus tickets to the US embassy. Once you get the tickets, you make a run for the line where they are loading the buses for the US embassy. Please note that there are other buses for other embassies too so you need to check where to go. Once you sit in the bus, the bus takes you to Diplomatic Enclave and drops you in front of the US Consulate. There, you form two lines; one for immigrant visas and one for non-immigrant visas. You will stand in the non-immigrant visa line. Then, the security guards will call you and after a thorough security check, you go inside the Consulate where your fingerprints are taken and your passport and visa application is taken. Then, you wait for the interview. Good luck!!!
After the interview, your passport is sent to USA for security clearance (if you are a guy). This takes a very variable amount of time. Officially, the consulars tell you that it would take anywhere from 2 weeks to three months.
Note: This article has been derived from "Roadmap to Residency" authored by AKU graduates, with permission from few of the authors. Name of the original author, has purposely not been mentioned on request of one of the authors, for privacy reasons. If you are the original author of this article and want your name to be mentioned or wish this article to be modified/ removed from this website, please contact us and we would be more than happy to entertain your request. We fully respect your privacy, acknowledge your efforts put in authoring this article and appreciate your hard work involved in it.
Hi Arslan, thanks a lot for
Hi Arslan, thanks a lot for your kind words... well I dont think it matters much at all but anyhow you can write/contact them to be on the safe side but as far as I know they would simply say that you can go on the same visa without any changes.... moreover I would recommend you to write to UofM and request them to give you electives this year once again as you missed last year because of bad luck...
Umar Bhai i did write to
Umar Bhai i did write to the U of M and they have agreed to give me the research elective for january(neurology) but since Johns Hopkins has a far better programme and the the elective is in my desired speciality(Orthopaedic Surgery) i have opted to go for that rather. You think its a better option too?
well you can ask them to
well you can ask them to delay it for a month or so... I agree JHUSOM is better than UofM... but if I had been in your place... I would have tried to go to both... moreover there are few Pakistanis from Dow n AKU in UofM Neurology...
MN is my hometown in US and I have my whole family there... so I know many people in UofM... their Neuro program is very good!
if you are going for
if you are going for electives then apply on the basis of electives... dont lie for any reason unnecessarily...
hey mayank, did you get your
hey mayank, did you get your visa, and on what basis you got? pls let me know.
B1/2 Visa??
Hello!
Many places specifically require B1 visa for electives like NIH, Yale, etc. And B1 is Business visa. B2 is the visitor visa! But when we apply for visa for electives, we select the category 'tourism,family visit, all other purposes'.(i.e B2) and not Business visit. This selection has to be made at the beginning of application at the VFS site.
Usually VOs give B1/2 visa and at POE u get B1 stamped or B2 stamped!
What if VO issued only B2 for that, would that cause any hindrance for electives????
Umar bhai since u have been to NIH, i wud request you to drop in a word or two. I could be confused too about this business/visitor. Kindly explain. I dont know whether B1/2 (both visitor and business)completely comes under tourism category, and Business category of VFS cud refer to L1 intercompany transfer trainees....
Phew...........
but Best wishes
going canada from USA.
hi umar,
i am a medical student from india, applied for electives in USA. I am granted in weill cornell for 2 months univ of toronto fr 1 month.I am very thankful to u fr that. I hold a multiple entry B1/B2 visa fr 10 yrs. I request u to tell me if i can get the canada visa from USA or i need to apply from my home country only.
hi... i m not sure about
hi... i m not sure about that... i think it is better if u apply if from home country only..... try calling the canada embassy yourself.... google search their website and email them your query or call them.... but I would certainly recommend applying for visa from your home-country....
Totally Confused
Dear Umar bhai!
I am a student of DMC karachi. I have written to u at this blog once or twice n it was of great help. I had applied to U of Minnesotta, U Chicago and NIH and got accepted for July last year and couldnt go cuz of the visa delay then i applied to Johns Hopkins for Jan this year and couldnt make it again for the same reason. Now i am in a fix and im confused if i should withdraw my VISA app and apply again. I am in my 4th year and soon will be require a visa for the mandatory clinical elective hence the urgency.
Looking forward to your reply!
Arsalan
Do not withdraw your visa
Do not withdraw your visa application... i dont think thats a wise option... when did you apply?
I dont think u should
I dont think u should withdraw your application... I know few people who got visa after 10-12 months...
Hi umar! As I have told u
Hi umar!
As I have told u earlier...I've got Hematology Elective at NIH.As u have done in the same dept.,I would like to know what kind of work we will get to do there,How is it useful for us,what sort of preparation is required etc.!plz let me know at the earliest possible.
Thanks & Regards,
Praveena.
You simply follow the fellow
You simply follow the fellow on duty for that month... you do whatever he does... attend conferences... go to clinic... do bone marrows... take referrals... prep... study haemotology in medicine and pathology before going... esp all markers... it is a very good learning opportunity... convey my regards to dr. noel, paula and dr. lozier... dr. noel is an extremely nice person and so is their in charge nurse... paula... an extremely helpful and nice lady...
Hey Umar! I just saw ur
Hey Umar!
I just saw ur reply...didnt login since few days.
Thanks again for all the info...and will surely pass on ur message to them.
and i have one more question...what would the work timings be at NIH?they mention 40 hours a week...but i learnt that it is even more than that?!!is that true?
take care!
Praveena.
Varies from time to time and
Varies from time to time and department to department... it can be more than 40 hours or less than that....
assalamu va alikum...urgent
assalamu va alikum...urgent help needed!!!
I am applying for visitors visa for cs. My uncle who stays in india wants to sponsor me..
Can he do that n where can i get the format for the same..
m sorry... m not sure... as
m sorry... m not sure... as far as I know u need ur(or ur guardian's) bank statement with funds in it... as ur sponsor
Hi Umar, I really appreciate
Hi Umar,
I really appreciate ur great work.I would like to know how is B1/b2 visa related to electives.My visa date is on feb25.Please help.B1 visa is a business visa.we are not going there for this purpose.But while filling the application,I applied for a b1/b2 visa.I dont know how to support it
Generally embassy is aware of
Generally embassy is aware of it, B1 is also applicatble for short term scientific/academic study. 'clinical clerkship/elective' is in their OFFICIAL database for applicability for B1
If your acceptance letter mentions abt B1, its the best thing.
You can still support it by printing relevant visa info frm the website of the university of ur elective.
If its not there, you can e-mail the elective coordinator to inquire abt visa applicability to foreign students, and then present their printouts to the embassy.
gl, share ur xperience !
B1/2 visa
Usually the visa that is given is B1/B2 both.
When u enter USA at airport, they stamp either B1 or B2. I personally prefer B2 because it can get you a maximum of 6 months stay stamped at that time, while on B1 (business ) the maximum u get is 3 months. The NIH letter states B1 visa, but my POE(airport) officer didnt check it so thorughly and since i showed him purpose to stay here for 4 months, he stamped me B2 for 6 months........ :-).
Best Wishes 4 ur interview.
B1 VISA for NIH
Hi! first of all, my best wishes to Umar bhai and Siddiqui for the valuable guidance. I really appreciate Umar bhai's dedicated selfless hard work for helping out others.
Well currently, I have been accepted at University of Wisconsin for April, Cornell for May, NIH for July and Kansas for August. I will be appearing for CS in June. Now since I have my NIH in July i.e. my 4th month in US, I dont think I would be able to be there on a B1. But Siddiqui mentioned that he went to NIH on a B2. Are the NIH officials okay with that? Should I ask for a B2 stamp too, at the POE?
Thanks in advance.
I am not sure about it,
Professional Liability Policy
Hi Umar!
Vicki Malick has asked me to send a copy of Professional Liability Coverage Policy!I dont have any idea about it.Please let me know what that means and where could I get it done in India?
and I had one more question....do v get any letter from the NIH that v have done an Elective there?how and when do v get that?
Thanks for answering all my questions.
what r u doing right now?Have u got into Residensy?I remember...u wanted Radiology right?
Take Care.Regards,
Praveena
Hi Praveena 1. It is
Hi Praveena
1. It is malpractice coverage.
2. You can get ur evaluation form filled or request her a certificate.
3. well m preparing for step 1 these days... at home full time... wont be applying for residency now...
Hey Umar! Thanks for the
Hey Umar!
Thanks for the reply.I dont know where to get Malpractice coverage from?!
anywayz...all the best for your step 1..!
Take care!
Praveena.
visa issue!
i wanted to ask a question. i have been accepted for research elective in the department of regenerative medicine concerned with the use of stem cells for cardiac repair. the duration of my research elective is one month.
im currently facing confusion regarding my visa. Am i supposed to apply through J1 visa or B1?
please help me out
thank you
anique
Hi Anique You need to ask
Hi Anique
You need to ask this question from elective co-ordinator of the department you have been accepted to. Different universities have different visa requirements, so no one can suggest you which visa you need to apply for, without knowing where you got accepted.
Regarding Section 221g Visa
My Visa officer told me that my Visa was approved. but when i got my passport thro courier they sent me a blue form stating my visa is pending under section 221g. and they need another document before approving my Visa.. :( ... they need the no. of hours my elective will b and the complete schedule. Can any1 plz help me regarding this.. Thank u very much
Send them this required
Send them this required information... I hope your visa has been approved and its just a formality they need to fulfil...
@visa for NIH.
B1/B2 multiple visa
Visa for NIH
Hi there.
@visa number in red color
Even my visa # is in red. Its like that.......dont worry.
Best Wishes.
VISA for NIH.
Earlier I had stated that NIH doesnt care id you are on B1 or B2. But what I came to know through some of my mates is that they asked one student to get b2 changed to B1. The student had to go back to airport and get it changed from B2 to B1 and also 6 months decreased to 3 months.
Take note. I am sorry for my earlier post, coz they accepted my B2.(bad handwriting I think thats why)
Best Wishes
VISA for NIH
NIH is quite firm on its requirement of a B1 VISA. I even got a mail from them saying that I should get a B1 stamp. I sent a mail to their coordinator saying that I will be at NIH during the 4th month of my US visit so I cant come on a B1 and I will need to be there on a B2. She stated that we do require students to come on B1, but I will forward your problem to the concerned department.Lets see what they say.
In the meanwhile, I landed in USA and my portal of entry was Detroit. I showed the NIH letter to the immigration officer and she then took me to their higher officials in a separate room. I was interrogated thoroughly there regarding my plans. Finally then called up NIH to confirm and verify me. I think the NIH people requested them to allow me B1. So finally, I got a B1 for 5 months! I gather from this experience that if you are able to convince the people here, they may bend some rules for you. Hope I have been of help. Cya people
Medisid help!
Hi,
I'm headed to NIH for an elective next month..but a problem with my visa cropped up...
I have a B1/B2 multiple entry visa & entered the US to do 3 months of electives and give my step 2 CS..at the port of entry, I requested the immigration officer to stamp B1 visa as NIH had specifically asked for it..he said that B1 visa can be given for only 90days and my stay was exceeding that so he has to stamp a B2 for me...when I insisted n showed him the NIH letter, he explained that since my visa is B1/B2, NIH should not have a problem accepting me...
Now 2 weeks before my rotation, I get an email from NIH that B2 stamp on I-94 will not be accepted. I explained what happened to them. They said I can still participate in the NIH CEP but my duties will be limited to observing!
Can u please tell me how much this will affect my elective? Please suggest what I should do..
How did ppl u know change their visa status? I need to work fast my elective starts next week!
Thanks.
hi i m applying for visa for
i m applying for visa for my clinical electives in US. i was wondering how much does the place of one's elective effects one's chances. If it does, wats the reputation of MSKCC in ths regard...
thank you
umar bhai . can u please tell
umar bhai . can u please tell em whether cornell accepts img from all colleges..studnets here have been selected but when i mailed them they said they accept studnts from affialiated collges only but nothing like that is mentioned on the site. please some one help me .the coordiantor seemed unreliabele
As far as I know it accepts
Hi umar bhai, Thank you for
Hi umar bhai,
Thank you for such a wonderful site.I had few questions regarding the visa as i am not able get the answers anywhere .i am holding a multiple entry b1/b2 visa for 10 years .I am planning to apply Rochester which requires f1 student visa for 2 weeks in December.So if i apply for visa f1 will my b1 status will be cancelled or what will happen to my b1/b2 visa .
Thanks a lot for your kind
Will i have to get out of US
Will i have to get out of US and reenter to change my visa status ??
I dont think so... you just
If by sponsoring u mean,
Yeah i meant paying for
I dont think it matters...
visa
I applied for a elective for october, but have not received an acceptance letter yet. I also want to do the Step 2 cs after my elective. Do you think I should apply with my step 2 cs letter for a b1 visa, to avoid a situation where my elective acceptance letter comes to late. Then when I have a B1 I can just use that for both? Regards
You can certainly apply on
Visa for electives in March april ands may 2011
I am an Intern from India. I have been approved for electives for March ( In Albany ) , April ( In Jefferson, Philadelphia ) and May ( Albany ) 2011. I do have the acceptance letters from them as they sent me in pdf on their official letter pad. I have not taken step1 yet, planning to take in december 2010 though. I have not filled out the form for Step 2 Cs yet.
My question is -
1. When should I apply for Visa and fix a date for interview ?
2. Is it necessary to take Step2 CS letter along ?
Thanks and Best regards,
Ankit Jain
hi...... congrats.. i had
hi...... congrats.. i had also applied to albany for dec but got rejection letter 4m them.. did u submit malpractice insurance along with ur application?
i wanna apply in jefferson.. how can i apply? nothing is given on site. plz reply soon
MPI letter
@ankit hi.. thanks 4
@ankit
hi.. thanks 4 replying.. how can i apply for lefton insurance? can u plz mail me that letter at taran_87@rediffmail.com.. any idea about academicins insurance? hows that?
Lefton MPI
DAVID LEFTON
Levy
& Levy & Lefton Ins. Agency
40 NE Loop 410, Suite 533
San
Antonio,
Texas 78216
Phone
210-349-2500 Fax
210-349-7150
Email: LLLeftoninsure@aol.com
Contact him through phone or mail. Ask him for the letter. like me, he will charge you $25 and will provide you the letter as soon as you make the payment to him. I found this lefton letter very handy as i did not have to spend enough while applying.
Thanks and Best regards,
Ankit Jain
Tina, Thank you for the
Tina,
Thank you for the wishes !
Anyone who wants to apply to jefferson , should have to fill out their application form that is not given on their website . Whoa , How to apply then. It is simple - Call them up. Tell them your email address and they will send you the application form. Read that form and fill it out. Do not apply in Jefferson for the dates before Feb 2011 as seats are already full. You should check it out by yourself though.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Ankit Jain
Congrats for your multiple
1. as soon as possible
2. it is better... not necessary though...
hi salam umer bhai umar bhai
hi salam umer bhai
umar bhai on 19th of july i had my visa appointment in Guangzhou U.S consulate china.i am studying 3rd year student in jiangxi university of TCM.my uncle is in U.S and he sponcer me to visit U.S in summer vacations but my rejected.The interview was like ths.
me:good morning sir
VO:good morning
vo:where are u gng
me:i am going to united state of america
vo:why r u gng to U.S
me:i am gng to U.S to visit my uncle during my vacations from medical school
vo:ru student
me:yes
vo:wht u r studyng
me:medicine
vo:do u like china
me:yes
vo:who is paying for u trip
me:my uncle who is in U.S
he pointed his finger on my uncle documnts thn he told me u ties r weak outside the United State.
plz tell me umar bhai what i have to do now can i reapply immediately.
Visa for observership.
try for research electives
about medical residency interview visa
hello,i m done with my all usmle exam,i applied for residency and i already got 2 residency interview confirmation,i m at present in my home countery and now i want to go usa to attend this interview on b1/b2 visa,can u tell me the possible question i will face.
thank you
question regarding? visa? I
dear
dear broher,
i am visiting ur site for last few weeks,really it is a boon to the people lyk us,thanks a lot for ths.brother i jst wanted to ask few things;
-i m planning to take my cs around april may wen i"l go for my electives,howevr i hvnt taken stp1 or ck.brother is there any disadvantage if i do this way or experience of st1 and ck hav any adv if thy r taken prior to cs..if so i may go in sequence
-hw mch aprx time it takes for applyng and getting visa
-wt is to b written in dean's letter
Thanks for your kind
1. It does not matter but just make sure you prepare well and practice each case sufficient number of times.
2. highly variable... anything from 2 weeks to 4 months or even more at time!
3. They usually already have a sample with themselves.
which visa category i should apply for?
Hello....
As i've been accepted for weill cornell medical college and then for albany medical college for the electives.
Weill cornell requires tourist visa while albany asks for B-1...
so for which category i should apply for?
B1/B2 would be the right choice or not?
a bit worried as current scenario is confusing specially at mumbai VO...
thanks and do guide me as i need it like oxygen.....
hello,i m done with my all
hello,i m done with my all usmle exam,i applied for residency and i already got 2 residency interview confirmation,i m at present in my home countery and now i want to go usa to attend this interview on b1/b2 visa,can u tell me the possible question i will face.
thank you
Query.
Can anyone please help? Regarding going for CS, I want to know that since we need to have a registration and scheduling date for CS before we apply for visa. As the visa time is variable and may take long, so what happens to the scheduling of CS if your visa doesnt come till that and before applying for visa, what is the suggestion that how far should we schedule our CS from applying for visa. Thanks and Regards.
You can reschedule your CS if
hi i have not given my step 1
hi i have not given my step 1 nor step2 ...are they compulsory bfore applying for cs visa
They are not at all
hi i got my b1/b2 visa for cs
hi i got my b1/b2 visa for cs exam yesterday ,exam scheduled on jan 5th ..........now i get i-20 for f1 visa for an elective in the month of march(i wasnt sure of getting it so i applied for b1/b2,as they were taking long time to process)........what should i do now .....when shud i go for f1 visa ...will they reject my f1 visa as i already have b1/b2 stamping and applying for another visa within in a span of few days
please need an advice on B1/B2 visa's validity
Hello all.
I am in confusing situation.Let me explain it now.
I entered U.S with B1/B2 visa and applied for F1 status change because I wanted to enroll school in there.
As soon as my F1 status approved I had to go back to my country because of my family matters.
I mean these matters all happened 1 year ago.
Now I want to travel U.S just to see a friend of mine.
The question is: Is my previous B1/B2 visa still valid?
Could status change affect B1/B2 to be canceled?
Any answer is welcome. Thanks in advance,
Jayser
its valid , having more than
its valid , having more than one visa b1/b2 or F1 do not cancel out each other, all you need to look for is the expiry date printed on the visa
Thank you Fertile for
Thank you Fertile for respond.
Do you think I am not facing any trouble on U.S entry with CBP officer? I mean I might be denied CBP officer to enter with my previous B1/B2 visa, and they might be saying that change status into F1 is only problem.
How & where to check whether my B1/B2 visa is valid
I have got B1/B2 visa from my previous employer and not yet travelled and i am not sure whether they cancelled my visa...Is that visa is valid in current employer?.....Is there any online to check my visa is valid
Check your visa on the
hey i want to apply for b1 b2
B1 or a B2
Hi Umar
thank you for your guidance... I got accepted for elective in pediatric pulmonary diseases in jan and pediatric nephrology in feb.. the university instructs that the foreign students must have a B1 or a B2. a travel agent suggested that B2 will be better than B1 in the sense the interview for B1 will contain questions regarding business.. im not able find out which will be the most appropriate VISA for me.. can you please provide me some assistance regarding this..
thank you very much
Jyothsna
Thanks for your kind words.
I recently got accepted for
I recently got accepted for Infectious diseases at NIH for July 2011! i need to apply for b1 visa now..... Vicki Malick sent me an accpetance email - do i use that for the basis of my b1 visa application? or will they send a b1 letter? does the embassy need any other papers?
Yes you can use a print out
oh so thats good...i've read
oh so thats good...i've read thru all the posts....nd ive managed to gather all the documents and will apply for the visa now inshAllah....just wasnt sure of the acceptance letter bcuz most ppl said u should have an original letter not an email...but i dont think NIH send a letter by mail, do they?
Electives in Canada
Am a student from India. I am in my 4th year med school. I have applied for U of Toronto for clinical elective and got approved for April 2011.
What type of visa and when should i apply?
I also wanted to give my CS exam. How can i go to USA from canada? Can i go to USA from canada or should i apply an seperate B1/B2 visa for Usa in India only?
My sister stays in USA. Can she sponsor me?
1. For Canada, you need the
2. For CS, you need to apply for a separate B1/B2 visa from US embassy!
Which sponsorship are you referring to? Financial sponsorship or visa sponsorship?
about visa
Hello dear,
i gave my step 2 cs exam at houston in month of july ...i spent 4 month in US..they provided me 6 month single entry visa.(B1)..
Now i need to apply again to give my last step.as i already cleared step1 ,2 ck and cs.
can u please tell me on which ground is safe to apply for me?
last step or observership ?
eagerly waiting for your reply...
thanx a lot dear..
visitor visa
hello
i m indian medical student.i finished my usmle step 1 and ck from india and then applay for my usmle clinical skill b1/b2 visa,i got single entery visa on 2nd attempt,after that in usa i finished my cs exam ,step 3 did 3 mth observership .applied for internal medicine residency and came back to india as my single entery visa limit finished.luckily i got 6 interview calls from internal medicine program,so i applied again for visitor visa to attend this medicine interview,but worst phase of life started form here,i got visa rejected 5 times to attend this residency interview,now what should i do to get visa ,should i try for student visa or should try for visitor visa again for some observership or externship?
please help me.thank you.
Did u apply for B1/B2 visa
Query regarding Visitors visa
iam an IMG and .
i was granted a B1/B2 visa which is a 10 year multiple entry visa for
going on a vacation to The US in the year 2008 which is valid until
2018...i went on a vacation to USA to visit my relatives last
year[2009]..so now My question is, can i use the same visa to write CS and do externships in US????or do i need to apply again for
exam purposes????is this Visitors visa sufficient?????kindly reply
Embassy says F1 wrong visa category for electives
Salam Umer Bhai,
I had my visa interview today at the us embassy in islamabad. I've been accepted at Mount Sinai for electives. Mount Sinai asks for an F1 visa but when I went for the interview, the VO told me that this was the wrong category for electives. I thought maybe he didn't know what electives were but he insisted that this was government policy for all clinical clerkships and that I needed a B1/B2 visa and that Mount Sinai had been informed of this many times. Long story short, I got approved for B1/B2 visa and got my I-20 back but now I don't know what to do. I desperately need your guidance.
Hello Zeeshan Going on an F1
Hello Zeeshan
Going on an F1 would imply that the university that wants you to come on F1 will get you an I-20. If you do not have an I-20 you can not get an F1. If you have an I-20 then only can you apply for F1. When you have an I-20 then it is the similar process to getting your visa and you will get one unless you make a blunder. Do you guys have I-20 issued and delivered to you by your accepting universities?
thank u bhai
yes i hve I 20 form issued from mount sinai.n i have email conversation from international student pog coordinater telling tht mount sinai require f1 visa .
i am worried if same thing happened to me tht vo said tht i have applied for wrong category n he insists tht i should have applied for b1 then wht should i answer?
regards
Hey Zeeshan You never know
Hey Zeeshan
You never know what exactly they will ask you in the IV. So please dont get anxious or apprehensive about it. Prepare well. Try and prepare for their questions. If they tell you that you should not go on F1 visa, say F1 is a student visa and you are yourself a student who is going to the US for a short term training and so it should be obvious that you go on an F1. Moreover I will suggest you to do some research to find out the names of all the universities that want students to come for electives only on F1 visa, then you can also make a print out of the pages form their websites saying that F1 visa is required for electives. And then you can show it to the VO. But please be careful of how you are talking to the VO. Do not coax him to do anything. Be polite. Remember its you who is at the receiving end. So mind your words. I think this should surely help.
thank you bhai
thank u much relieved from your reply
regards
zeeshan
hello viraat bhai i appeared
i appeared for visa interview in islamabad on 23rd feb
vo approved me for b1 visa instead of f1 n gave me a paper saying my visa application has been approved but it has to go through adminidtrative process what does it mean?
Hey
Hey Zeeshan
Congratulations..!!! How many years of B1 did you get? Please share your experience with all of us here. If they have mentioned that your visa has been approved it means so. I am not sure what they mean by administrative process. May be they do some background check or something else or some essential paperwork. Whatever it is you dont have to worry.
And yeah you have B1 means you can apply to the hundreds of places which allow students to come on B1. Also email the uni who wanted you to come on F1 saying that you have B1 and request them to let you come on B1. Enjoy and Celebrate..!!!!!
hello viraat bhai sorry bro
hello viraat bhai
sorry bro i was busy in my paper.i have received my passport with b1/b2 visa for 5 years
and the visa officer did,t asked for any doc he just said me that we have changed our policy
and i can only offer u 5 years b1 b2 u can do cs n usmle on this n u dnt have to apply for visa again n again
i said ok n then he asked me a few question
u r from which college.?
u r in final year of ur mbbs prog?
n is it a five year prog ?
thts all
n now i m in contact with mssm immigration officer n hopefully she will also allow me for electives on b1
thanks bro for ur guidance
hello virat bhai
can u give me some advice to get a good lor at the end of my elective.n i m also planning to go thru cs exam after my electives.i hve not started prep for cs yet.i want to knw how much time it takes to fully prep for cs exams
tc
Hello Zeeshan R u in MSSM on
Hello Zeeshan
R u in MSSM on a B1??? If yes thats cool.. Awesome. Congratulations.
LoRs.. I think only thing I can or anyone else will say on this is try to impress them, but dont be pushy. Never talk about the LoR b4 you have made a good impression on them. Talk about the LoR in the last week of your rotation, towards the end.
As far as CS is concerned start reading FA, try to get a practice partner, atleast on skype if not in person. But start preparation soon so that you can decide how to go about a patient encounter and you can practice similarly with real patients in clinics in MSSM. If you do your clinics in MSSM well I dont think there is any reason you should have a problem passing CS (of course with parallel reading FA). For more details Swapnil has written a marvelous article on this website itself. See what you can learn from there. Keep us informed. Please also guide others here who are having problem here in getting into MSSM because of this F1/B1-2 visa issues.
hello viratbhai, thank u v
hello viratbhai,
thank u v much for ur guidance i will go through FA for cs.about lor i wanna ask tht this week i m working with a ist year resident and possibly next week i may b working with any other resident bcs i m supposed to be changing my mentor every week.so i wanna knw who is going to write evaluation for me
n about b1 visa problem ,,, there is no issue everyone going for visa interview with i20 from mssm should b happy if he/she gets b1 bcs here in mssm the jeanneth n kyoko dealing with visa issues are very nice n kind n they allowed me easily to come for electives on b1.
Hello Zeeshan All the best
Hello Zeeshan
All the best for CS. You can ask your elective coordinator who will be evaluating your elective rotation.
one more thing
Hello Zeeshan For further
Hello Zeeshan
For further details on F1 visa I would recommend reading this article- http://umartariq.com/node/154
Hope this will clarify your doubts.
It is out of your hands. You
You can not do much. It is a matter of Mount sinai and US Government and now jsut sit tight and wait for your visa but do inform Mount Sinai of what has happened.
I have called the F1 visa officer at Mount sinai.....
hello every one:
i have also been accepted from mount sinai, and after reading this post i am really shocked... and to get the more information i personally called the Officer at mount sinai yesterday who is dealing all the visa issue, and told the story written in the above post about the rejection of F1 visa and issuance of B1 visa... and She told me that no body contacted her regarding his rejection.... and lot of people are coming from pakistan on F1 visa....
I dont know what the real story is.... but i think that the above post is fake... and some body has only created confusion...
Abbas.f
mount sinai electives F1 visa interview
Dear visitor,
Can u please email me or provide me with ur contact as I desperattely need to clarify the same point as I have submitted my F1 visa application for mount sinai electives and my interview date is 30th march.
please please please its a very humble request....
please please please giv me some clue to ur contact, so that I might be able to change my category in time.
may Allah help u with ur future for this kind favour.
thank you
regards.
Hi Sadia, did you get a b1
Thankyou
Even though i didnt get asked those questions, i prepared well and got all the documents i needed to be confident.
Best pointer i can give u, is be very very confident, respond only what you are asked and the always say true info.
SPEAK IN ENGLISH even if you are asked things in your native language, except if your english is not good.
Got the visa, elective are waitting for me.. Believe and have Faith.
Trust God
have a great day everyone
Visa Denied
Thanks a lot for your kind
VISA Clearance TIME
Visa requirement for case western
thank you in advance
Congrats on being accepted.
AoA Umar bhai, I have
AoA Umar bhai,
I have received acceptance from emory for electives and my visa interview is in few days. I have also applied for CS and have scheduled for a date 15 days after my electives end. Now should I mention my CS exam to the VO or should I just mention my electives? If I dont mention that I would be taking CS, is there any way that the VO might be aware of it? I do have the CS visa letter though. Should I take it with me? I have heard that CS intent often makes things complicated.
Thanx!
well its good to be honest!
visa rejection
query b2 visa
hi!i m an intern currently.expecting to graduate in dec2011.i have not given any steps yet.i applied for a B2 visa to do my electives in university of minnesota med school.I was denied the visa on grounds that the electives are not a prerequiste for my degree and that i havent been to the US before.do i reapply?can i do it asap?like in a week or so?and if so..how do i respond to such a reason for rejection of visa?
Re-apply asap and tell them
accidential lie :(...............need serious help
i said that i got no relatives or friends in the us since the agent told me to say so.
and my visa was rejected at that moment
what should i do now?
should i say the same lie again?
please help me
B1/B2 visa
i need help frm everyone regarding my problem
i have done with usmle step 1 n 2 with good score but my visa B1/B2 for step 2 cs which is due on july '11 has been rejected twice frm mumbai consulate shud i reapply within a month? shd i try frm different place?
is this tred of refusing visa B1/B2 step 2 cs now a days?
my vo not even looked at any doc in both the time they just refused visa on hearing that i wanna go for step 2 cs neither they asked me further question....
thnx if somebudy would look into this matter and share their experience
First try to figure out the
Yes your visitor visa will
other option is you enter on B1 visa with a valid reason and then change your status to J1 while you are in US as both visas are non-immigrant.. but you will have to provide them with a proper reason for why entered on B1 visa and why are you changing the status...
I am not sure on this....I
Hi umar bhai you are doing
i have been accepted for electives at hopkins but my visa got rejected few days back , but my elective date was from 15 july to 31 aug 2011 , so now what should i do , do i apply again for visa as i still have 1 month or should leave it and should ask from my mentor for extension of electives
Thanks for your kind words...
visa rejection
I have been accepted for research electives at hopkins but my visa got rejected few days back ,, i dont know why , my electives is going to start from 15 july to 31 aug 2011 , so my elective have still 1 month to start , so what should i do now ,, do i apply again for visa or should request my mentor for extension of elective ,, would it be good to give 2 interview within short duration of time , my previous interview was on 6 june 2011 . plz umar bhai guide me as i am little bit worried about that ..
URGENT VISA INFO REQUIRED!
Dear Umar Bhai!
I am Arsalan from DMC, Karachi and have been a silent visitor of this blog n it has helped me a greta deal so far! I had appplied for a research elective at U of Minnesotta for July 2009 and my B1/B2 visa did not arrove on time, so i couldnt go. Then i applied to JHU for a research elective for Jan 2010 session and got accepted. My Visa is still nto here. Please tell me if i should inform them that since i dint get my passport b4 July i culdnt make it to minnessotta and now il be goin to Maryland rather in January now OR should i just keep waiting for my Visa/Passport to arrive and dont inform anything. Beacause if i do inform the they might delay my processing even further.