Shadowing Practice: How to get my F-1 visa approved with my University choice? - Former Visa Officer - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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I was a visa officer and it's student visa season, so all the students who are applying for their visas are asking me, will this university get approved?
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I was a visa officer and it's student visa season, so all the students who are applying for their visas are asking me, will this university get approved?
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I'm applying to this university, will it get approved?
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This is the wrong question.
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I've published another video on this and the title says, will this university get approved?
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But you need to watch the video and listen to what I'm saying now to understand how it actually works.
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The university is not approved.
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You are approved.
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The university is not applying for a visa.
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university already has their accreditation.
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They are already certified to be able to issue I-20 forms
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to foreign students to be able to apply for visas to come to the U.S and study.
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The university is already approved.
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You need the visa.
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It's you who is going into the visa interview.
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It's you who has either been approved for the visa or denied the visa.
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Every university, now I don't have data on this, but I'm going to surmise that every university that has issued I-20 forms has students who are approved.
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The rate is not the same.
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Some schools will have a higher rate of approval for their I-20 issuances
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and other schools might have a lower rate of approval, but that doesn't mean that there are schools that you just can't get a visa to.
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Some schools it's harder.
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English language programs, harder.
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Community colleges, harder.
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Top-notch Ivy League schools, probably the best chance, but every school can get approved for your student visa.
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The question shouldn't be will I get approved with this school?
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Will I get approved with this school or will I get approved with that school?
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This is the wrong question.
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The question you should ask is, how do I get approved when I'm applying to this school?
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How do I get approved if I'm applying to that school?
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That's the right question because it's you who is applying for the visa, not the school.
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So how do you get approved?
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You have to know whether your school's reputation is going to help you get the visa issued whether it's neutral
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or whether it's actually going to be something
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that holds you back top tier mid tier low tier you
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need to identify this you can identify this like I've talked
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about in my other video through a number of ways ranking
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reputation acceptance rate these types of things the visa officers are
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not looking at these statistics the visa officers are relying on
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their intuition as an American knowing these university names through their interactions with the education system, knowing people who've gone to schools,
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just the general impression about it.
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But you can look at the data if you don't have that intimate firsthand knowledge about the system in America, you can look at this other data to try to figure out whether your school is going to be helping you,
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whether it's neutral, or whether it holds you back in the application.
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But how do you get the visa issued, it's by focusing on your highlights.
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The school, it's known.
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The school is a known factor.
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If you've been accepted to better schools, you can apply with a better school, that's going to help you.
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You still have to present your highlights in addition to the school.
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So the how is the more important question, not will I get approved.
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This is fatalistic.
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This is assuming that the determination has already been made.
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Oh, I'm applying to University of North whatever state, this branch campus, will that get approved?
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Maybe.
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If you go to the interview prepared to pitch your highlights
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and convince the visa officer that you are a legitimate student who has the funding
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and the credentials and the intention to study at that school as intended and then go back to your country
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after the terms of your visa have run out.
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This is how you're going to get issued.
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I want to instill in all of you the confidence to go into this interview knowing
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that you have an effect on the result.
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There's going to be someone that comments that says, no, it's not like that.
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I've I've been refused so many times.
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The unfortunate truth is that yes, you have been refused.
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You have.
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You have the opportunity to make an impression on the officer.
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Oh, the officers never ask any questions.
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Yes, they do.
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They ask you at least one question.
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What's your purpose of travel?
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What are you going to study?
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Now, if you don't take that opportunity to present your highlights,
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if you answer simplistically, only giving data that the officer already has access to
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because they're already looking at your i-20 form
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and your ds-160 form then you've wasted
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that opportunity this is within your control to affect the outcome you can't determine the outcome you can affect the outcome.
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You can tell the visa officer facts about yourself in an honest open way
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that is going to influence their feelings about you, their confidence in issuing you the visa, and you can affect that decision.
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So don't just ask yourself, will this school get approved?
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Will this resume get approved?
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Will this source of funding get approved?
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Will this sponsor get approved?
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Will this loan get approved?
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That is not the question.
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The question is, how do I get approved?
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Here's all my facts, all my evidence, all my resume, my life story.
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Now, how do I get approved?
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It's very personal.
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Successful visa applicants are individual visa applicants who have gone in and convinced the visa officer of their intentions,
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of their credentials.
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Everyone's story is going to be different.
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Your story is unique.
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That's what I do.
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Based on my experience as a visa officer
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and now many years of working with thousands of clients to get success in the visa interview and get the visa issued,
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I work with you personally to identify what these highlights are, what any hurdles may be that are going to hold you back,
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how your school will fit into that narrative, whether it's the ranking being high or low, whether there's specific programs, the funding sources,
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how we create this entire narrative, so that in that short, short time that you have to make an impression on the visa officer, you're going to make the right impression,
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and you're going to give yourself the best chance to get your visa issued.

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Context & Background

In this insightful video, a former visa officer shares crucial advice for students applying for an F-1 visa to study in the United States. As the student visa season approaches, many applicants are concerned about whether their chosen universities will have a favorable impact on their visa approval. However, the focus should not solely be on the university's reputation. The speaker emphasizes that it's not the institution that gets approved; rather, it's the individual student whose application will determine visa approval. Understanding the application process and how to present oneself effectively is key to securing that coveted student visa.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Will this university get approved?" – A common concern among students, but the wrong question to ask.
  • "You are approved." – Highlighting that the decision ultimately lies with the student, not the institution.
  • "How do I get approved?" – The crucial question students should focus on, which directs attention to personal application strategies.
  • "Every school can get approved." – Encouragement that regardless of the university, each can potentially support your visa application.
  • "Focus on your highlights." – Students should emphasize their strengths during the visa interview.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Improving your English speaking practice can greatly enhance your confidence during your visa interview. Here's a step-by-step guide to utilizing shadow speech techniques from this video for effective practice:

  1. Choose Your Phrases: Select key phrases from the top five listed above. These phrases are commonly used and can help you articulate your concerns clearly.
  2. Use a Shadowing App: Leverage a shadowing app to listen to the phrases spoken by a native speaker. This will help you grasp the nuances of pronunciation and intonation.
  3. Repeat After the Speaker: As you listen, repeat the phrases immediately after the speaker, mimicking their intonation and rhythm. This is known as shadowing and can significantly improve your fluency.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your device to record your shadow speech practice. Listening back will help you identify areas for improvement and gauge your progress.
  5. Incorporate into Conversations: Embed these phrases into daily conversations and practice scenarios relevant to your visa interview. For instance, practice discussing your university choice and expressing your decision-making process.

Utilizing these shadowing techniques not only aids in IELTS speaking practice but also equips you with the language skills necessary for your visa interview. Remember that your focus should always be on how to present yourself effectively, using your strengths to support your application.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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