As a visa applicant to the USA, this is one of the most common questions asked.
Question: I am going to attend F1 Visa Interview for Fall semester. While filling DS – 160 I came across a question – Do you have any immediate relatives, not including parents in United States? I have my brother and sister living in USA. My Sister got married and my brother is doing MS in US. Do I really need to mention about my brother and sister in the DS 160 form. I heard if I mention them, visa officer will reject my student visa. Will it cause any problem in the visa interview if I mention them?
So, coming back to the pertinent question. does having relatives in the USA reduce chances of getting a F1 visa for studying MS in the US?
Answer: It depends on your financial stability and your performance at the Embassy for Visa interview.
But, You MUST mention about your relatives, siblings living in USA on the DS 160. It will ask for their Name, Relationship and Contact details. Misrepresentation of the Information on DS 160 may cause permanent denial of entry or visa into United States.
Visa officer can easily find your siblings living in USA by matching you father and mother names. So, Don’t lie on the Question in DS-160 about relatives, Siblings.
Coming to Visa chances by having a bother/sister living in USA, I could say visa officer will never reject your visa just because of having siblings in USA. There are many people who got their F1 Visa having their brother or sister living in USA.
Key point in getting visa is – you need to show strong ties in India to come back after you course of study.
Can my mother’s status in the US affect my chances of getting a non immigrant visa?
She’s yet to get her green card or permanent residency.i am a student here in Lagos Nigeria and I have been invited to participate in a competition in New York. I am presently filling my DS 160 form and in a dilemma of whether to fill yes or no in the column that says “is your mother in the US” if I say yes won’t it affect me and her altogether!?
It might.
Having immediate relatives living in the US might put a question on your ‘intent’.
It might raise suspicion that you applied for a student visa under a false pretext and your real plan is to immigrate, implying that you will remain in the U.S. after you finish your studies and pursue a career, with no intention of returning home.
How to deal with it?
Prove strong ties to your home country.
Without any exaggeration, try to make it as clear as possible that your only plan is to study in the States and that you will return home after you graduate.
Also, it would help to demonstrate financial stability.
Do keep in mind that the relatives here in question are only blood relatives, i.e, siblings and not cousins, so you need not disclose about your cousins.
However, if your siblings are living legally in the US and doing good for themselves, i.e, making contributions to the US economy, then having them there might even work in your favor.
So, go by your own judgement and be prepared for all possibilities.
All the best!
If the siblings went as non emigrants and later on became US citizens, will that not compromise your chances of getting a visa?
Not at all
HI
I HAVA A QUESTION. MY SISTER IS IN USA AND SHE WANTS ME TO COME ON VISIT VISA, BUT I AM FILLNG THE DS-160 FORM, THERE IS NO OBTION IN THE LIST SHOWING BROTHER OR SISTER ETC. CONFUSED WHICH OPTION TO SELECT. CAN YOU HELP ME.
My brother who just graduated doing his bachelor’s is still in the US but he hasn’t joined his masters yet, so what should I say?
I have a sibling in U.S that is an immigrant and I’ve applied to visit him before but i was denied, now I’m trying to apply for f1 visa. Will the sibling situation i have in the U.S affect my chances of getting the visa
My brother is in h1b and my sister got approved her opt so do I need to mention about them in my ds160?
My brother is currently working in US and he did his masters in “X” University. I got admit into “X” and “Y” universities. If I go the same “X” university which my brother has studied, will it affect my chances during Visa interview? If so, is it better to go to “Y” university?
Please let me know.
Hi,I have 2 brothers in the US and both of them have a citizenship .I was asked a question about them and my visa got denided because of this question so what shall i tell them. i write in my DS160 that i have just 2 brothers.