If you are applying for a USA visa, the choice of a visa consultant is very important. They will help you with the process and decide whether your application gets approved and how smoothly the process will go. A right and professional consultant provides guidance, support, and insight for the complex visa application.Â
While looking for the right visa application, we bring you the top questions you should ask them. Make the right decision for a USA visa consultant before applying with our help.
1. What Is Your Experience with US Visa Applications?
Experience matters a lot in the visa application process. You can ask how long they have been in the immigration consulting business and more specifically with USA visas. In addition, ask them about the success rate of visa applications. More experienced consultants usually have a higher ratio of wins. Which visa types they handle is also important. Verify that they have experience with your visa type, such as student (F-1), work (or) visitor visa (B-1/B-2)
2. Are You Certified or Licensed?
It is important to ask about credentials. Make sure your USA visa consultant holds certifications or memberships with recognized authorities or associations or not. They must be approved by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) or comparable institutions in your country. Verify their legal authority to offer immigration advice and services in your area or not.
3. What Services Do You Offer?
Ask about their services and what they offer. Will they help with paperwork, interview training, and post-application care or not? Make sure they provide personalized services based on your unique situation, and industry. Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
4. What Are Your Fees and Payment Structure?
If they are keeping fees and payment structure transparent, they are professional and experienced. Hence, ask for a clear breakdown of  fees, plus ask if any additional charges may come up through the application process. You can trust them if they keep clear communication about the fees.
5. How Will We Communicate During the Process?
Make sure how they will keep you updated about the status of your application. Will they communicate through emails, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings or something else.?Moreover, inquire about their average response time for queries. It will be a critical part of step in visa application process.
6. Can You Help Me Prepare for the Visa Interview?
For US visa applications, the interview round plays an important role. Ask if they have provided mock interviews or preparation sessions to prepare you for the real visa interview. Likewise, you can prepare yourself for the main interview session with the authorities. In addition, ask about common interview questions they have encountered for your visa type and how to best answer them.
7. What Paperwork Will I Be Required to Show?
Documentation or paperwork is a must for the visa process. Ask for the necessary documents for the visa application. It can be financial statements, study certificates, job letters, and much more. Ask if they will help you to prepare the document or not. Find out whether they will help you get these documents organized before applying.
8. How Do You Manage Complications or Problematic Issues During Process?
It is good to ask about problem-solving strategies before beginning the process. Ask about their approach to complex challenges that can crop up during the application process. Like requests for more information or possible reasons for denials. Moreover, Ask what similar experiences they have had in solving similar problems for clients.
9. What Are My Chances of Approval?
While we know that no consultant can guarantee approval. But you can ask for professional feedback on your chances based on your profile and situation. Moreover, you can ask or discuss about the common factors that can affect approval rates for your type of visa.
10. Can You Provide References from Previous Clients?
For credibility of trust, you can ask for recommendations or reviews from previous clients. Client who have used their services and successfully obtained their desired visa. You can talk to previous clients for a better idea about their experience and level.
11. How do You Keep Up with Immigration Laws?
Following the Immigration Laws is very important. It keeps changing all the things. For a professional consultant, it is important to keep updated with the Immigration Laws. Hence, you can ask them how they keep themselves informed or updated on changing immigration laws and policies that impact your application. Whether they follow continued education or not. Ask about their participation in any ongoing immigration consulting training or professional development programs.
12. What If The Visa Is Approved? What Is Next?
Once the visa is approved by the authorities, there are a lot of things to do in preparation. Ask if they will provide post-visa assistance or not. If yes, what support do they provide in these services? Will they help with flight arrangements, settling in the USA, finding a job in the USA, etc? For future applications, they can help or not. If you want to apply for another visa or apply for permanent residency in the future, check and see if they can help you with those as well or not.
Conclusion
To ensure that you select the right USA visa consultant, our a brief guideline of important questions to ask the consultant. Ask these questions as a part of your vetting process and you can make an informed decision when hiring a consultant, increasing your chances of success during the visa application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know my consultant is legit?
Check their accreditation status, read reviews from past clients and confirm their memberships in professional organizations to check their legitimate
What can I do when my visa application is denied?
The first step should be to consult your immigration advisor or consultant. So that you can understand the basis for the denial and whether and how you might be able to reapply or appeal.
Are we able to apply for a USA visa without a consultant?
Yes, you can apply for a USA visa without a consultant too. But the process is very complex. If you hire a consultant who knows the process and can provide the right guidance.
How much time does it take to process a US visa application?
The process time for a US visa application differs. It is based on the visa type but is usually a few weeks to a few months.
Why would a US visa application get rejected?
The common reasons for US visa application rejection are insufficient finances, no ties in their home country, some documents missing or they do not show intent to return after that visit.