- Prasanth, an Indian civil engineering student, faced rejection after rejection at multiple US consulates across India
- Visa officers questioned his repeated applications, with one asking if he planned to commit a crime in the US
- His 14th interview in Hyderabad lasted 50 minutes and included a technical question about constructing a 20-storey building
A young Indian man's relentless bid to study in the United States finally paid off after he sat through 14 F-1 student visa interviews across multiple consulates over several years, enduring one rejection after another before a single visa officer changed everything.
Source: UGC
Prasanth, who aspired to pursue civil engineering in the US, shared his extraordinary ordeal in an NRI social media group, detailing each interview and the questions he faced along the way.
From Mumbai to Hyderabad: A Cycle of Rejections
His first interview in Mumbai covered the basics, why he wanted to study in the US and details about his chosen course. The second, in Hyderabad, followed a similar pattern before ending in another rejection. By his third interview in Delhi, officers had begun noticing the pattern.
From that point on, the history of refusals became a topic in itself, with interviewers asking Prasanth directly why he had been turned down so many times before. He had no clear answer because consulate officers had consistently declined to explain their decisions.
The rejections kept coming in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai. In Kolkata, one officer, impressed by his future business plans, suggested he consider applying under an Extraordinary Ability visa category instead.
In Delhi, questions turned technical, with one officer asking how he would approach constructing the Burj Khalifa. He answered. He was still rejected.
At one point, a frustrated officer asked whether he was so determined to travel to the US because he was planning to commit a crime there. Prasanth said no, and kept booking slots.
The 14th Visa Interview That Changed Everything
His final interview, also in Hyderabad, proved different from the moment it began. The visa officer reviewed all 13 previous rejections and told Prasanth she appreciated his sincerity and persistence.
She then asked him to walk her through the construction planning of a 20-storey residential building with five apartments per floor.
The interview stretched to roughly 50 minutes. Prasanth had arrived early and waited hours before he was called. By the time the officer told him she would approve his application, he was the last candidate remaining in the office that day. Everyone present, staff included, broke into applause.
He later described the day as his "golden day."
While many people in the social media group offered congratulations, the story also attracted scepticism. Several users questioned whether it was practically possible to secure that many interview slots within India's heavily booked consulate system.
Prasanth did not directly address those doubts in his post, but his account of the ordeal, interview by interview, remained detailed and consistent throughout.
Source: TUKO.co.ke