• It is common for applicants to be denied after a long and painstaking process
According to the 2019 Doors Report, over one million international students were admitted to American universities during the 2018-19 academic year. This number accounts for 5.5 per cent of students in the US higher education and contributed $44.7 billion to the US economy.
Out of this number, only a small fraction of Kenyans (an average of 250 students per year) are approved for the American student visa. Hundreds of applications are denied at the Embassy, even after they have secured admission to a US university.
Our writer talked to some students whose applications were either successful or unsuccessful and examines the factors that may have led to the verdict.
Janet Kariuki
Janet Kariuki* (not her real name) wakes up at 4am on her big day. Her visa interview at the US Embassy in Nairobi is at 7am. She peeks through a small window in her Githurai apartment and sees the side view of the awaiting “Uber Kenya”.
She sends the driver a message to alert him that she will be out in a few minutes. She dresses-up in her best official outfit — a back pantsuit and a white blouse —and rolls her long black hair back. She puts on some modest make-up and slips on the black high-heeled shoes.
She checks for the third time that all required documents — the passport, college admission letter, visa payment receipts, and the bank statements — are in one folder, says a quick prayer and rushes out to the waiting cab.
It is a chilly morning. The earth road to the Thika highway is dusty and bumpy. Janet gets anxious at the slow speed and reminds the driver, “Kamau, kumbuka tunaenda American Embassy (remember we are going to the American Embassy).”
The roads are clear except for a few early risers: Lorries ferrying vegetables to Marigiti (farmers’ market), and a few matatus. Soon, they are at the Embassy. The queue has started building up. The guards inspect her bags, she leaves her cell phone at the gate and proceeds to the waiting lounge.
At 7am, her number pops up on the digital screens and she proceeds to the counter. An African woman across the thick glass window greets her in a smooth American accent and asks, “Can I see your passport and a copy of your appointment?” Janet passes the documents through the little window underneath.
Image: COURTESY
“Why do you want to study in the US?” she asks in a friendly tone. To which Janet responds, “I would like to obtain international experience in the hospitality industry.”
After some silence, the officer asks, “Who is paying for your education?” and Janet responds it is her parents. The officer steps to the left and types something on a hidden computer screen.
She then asks Janet for her academic certificates. In what seems to Janet like an eternity, the officer flips through the folder, clicks the keyboard and pulls out a pink printout. She hands it over to Janet with the other documents, looks at her stoically, and says, “You do not qualify for the visa.”
Janet feels her knees wobble. She had prayed so hard for this day. She already has a first degree from Kenya, an admission from a US university, and a family willing to support her education. She does not remember how she leaves the Embassy but on arriving in the cab, she sobs loudly. Kamau looks at her and empathetically says “Usijali, hii ni kawaida (Do not worry, this is common).”
Possible reasons for ineligibility/visa denial
On their website, the US government highlights criminal history, drugs, lack of adequate finances, lying in the documentation or at the interview, and previous US immigration violations, such as previously overstaying a visa, as some of the reasons for the denial.
In Janet’s case, her application was denied under the US immigration law: INA section 214(b)- Visa Qualification and Immigrant Intent. Janet did not show compelling reasons to return home. The Embassy does not have a provision for appeal, but the applicant could reapply in the future.
Image: COURTESY
So, who is likely to get an American student visa?
Information from approved students shows a pattern of certain attributes. The Embassy is looking for above-average students, the ability to pay the tuition, and the possibility of coming back home. It is also evident that applicants in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) category stand high approval chances.
Successful students advise aspiring applicants to US universities to work hard in high school exams and the standardised tests (SATs) to seek scholarships and grants. They also offer a common voice on self-image and being confident at the Embassy during the interview.
Wanjeri Mwangi* (not her real name), a graduate of Columbia University in New York, says she spent two years preparing for admission, looking for scholarships and grants.
“My interview was quick. They asked for paperwork and approved my visa application right away.”