Behind the Visa Window: Insights on the U.S. Visa Interview

Today, we are excited to have Ben Arterburn interviewing Lissa. Lissa is a former Visa Officer in France and Sri Lanka. She eventually become the Immigrant Visa Chief during her time in the U.S. State Department. The focus of today's episode is marriage and fiancé (K-1) visas. Lissa and Ben both have a lot of knowledge on the K1 and marriage visa interviews. 

We are excited to be joined today by Kat, one of Argo's Officers who previously worked as a Visa Officer in China. Kat and Mandy discuss all about the U.S. Visa Interview, their experiences together in China, struggles of the visa interview, why they love working with Argo and more. 

Today, Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn discus visa refusals. What does a refusal mean? Why would a visa officer refuse you? How can you overcome a prior refusal? And more! 

If you, a family member, or someone you know has received a visa refusal, ban or eligibility in the past, we recommend listening to this episode as a starting place! If you haven't ever been denied a visa, there is still really valuable knowledge you should be aware of going into your visa interview in order to avoid getting a refusal. 

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Today, Ben and Mandy discuss dependent visas and what they need to know before their U.S. Visa Interview. Those applying for a dependent visa can do their visa interview at the same time as the main applicant or at a later date. Deciding when to do your interview and being well-prepared for that interview is essential to making sure your family is not split up during this process. Ex-Visa Officers share their insights and knowledge on dependent visas. 

For questions about dependent visas, or other visa types, send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. 

Student visa refusals, or any refusals for that matter, are extremely frustrating for an applicant. It is very difficult to determine what you did wrong and how to improve your case for the next time without an expert. Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn, both former Visa Officers discuss what to do if you are a student visa applicant who has a refusal. If you have any questions about this topic or another visa related topic, send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. 

Who are visa officers? How does someone become a visa officer? What can be done if I don't like the visa officer I got or don't understand the decision that has been made on my case? Being a visa officer is a very unique job and there is a lot of nuance to the position. It is important to understand who visa officers are when you are before you go into your visa interview. 

If you want to talk directly to a former visa officer prior to your U.S. visa interview, you can book a consultation with an Argo Officer at www.argovisa.com. If you have questions about the visa interview or if you have any other questions for our team, send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. 

We are excited to welcome Argo's co-founder, Chris Richardson, to the podcast today! Mandy Feuerbacher and Chris Richardson discuss why Argo was founded, their experiences as Visa Officers and Immigration Attorneys, and more! 

If you want to send in a question to be answered on our next podcast episode or if you have any topic requests, send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. 

K1 Visas are unique because they are technically a non-immigrant visa but they also cross-over into immigrant visas. It is confusing, complicated, and high stakes! Many people assume that just because their relationship is legitimate, that at the time of the visa interview, they will be fine, but that is absolutely not the case. It is essential that K1 visa applicants are extremely well-prepared because if the visa interview doesn't go well, you could be waiting a year or more until you are able to try again for the visa. Mandy and Ben share their insights on the K1 visa and everything you should know before starting this process. 

Mandy and Ben are back and are sharing their visa insights on what the visa process is like if you are applying outside of your home country. This practice is becoming even more common due to limited visa appointments because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many things to keep in mind when applying outside of your home country as a Third Country National. Mandy and Ben share their tips and insights on how visa officers perceive these applicants. 

At the beginning of the episode, they also share some insights on recent state department announcements regarding tourism in the United States and visa interviews for F, J, and M visa applicants. 

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What exactly is a visa ineligibility? Is it the same as a ban? Is it possible to ever enter the U.S. again if you have an ineligibility or a ban? Yes! Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn, former Visa Officers with the U.S. Department of State are sharing what they know about this topic. Be sure to give it a listen to get the overview on the subject, learn about visa waivers, and to understand why it is so difficult for visa bans to be reversed. 

Unfortunately, over the years many fraudulent companies have been taking advantage of international students who are in their OPT process. Mandy and Ben discuss these cases, the repercussions, and what it takes for a visa applicant to overcome this situation.

If you are a victim of OPT fraud, please reach out to us at Argo. We will do our best to help you in your case. You can reach out to us at hello@argovisa.com.

Are you applying for an H1B Visa? What are the stakes of the interview process? What is important to know about the H1B visa interview? Mandy and Ben discuss all things H1B Visa today, so tune in to hear what they have to say. 

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For episode 3, Mandy and Ben are doing a deep dive into administrative processing, which is also known as 221g. What does it really mean? How can you avoid it? How long will you be in this status? How do you get a visa approval after you get 221g? 

If you have any questions or requests for future episodes, send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. You can visit our website at https://www.argovisa.com/

Right now, US Visa interviews are harder to come by and with each interview comes further complications do to COVID restrictions. This week, Mandy and Ben are diving into Student Visas, what you should know about Administrative Processing (221g) and strategies for people applying as  Third Country National. 

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Many don't expect to get a visa refusal when they go into their visa interview, but it when it does happen, it is often unexplained. Listen to this episode to hear Mandy and Ben talk about 214b, why people are refused a visa and what influences the Visa Officer's decision. 

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Welcome to Behind the Visa Window: Insights into the U.S. Visa Interview presented by Argo Visa, hosted by Mandy Feuerbacher and Ben Arterburn. Mandy and Ben are both former Visa Officers, with years of experience as U.S. Diplomats. They are here to share their insights, experiences, and expertise with you. Listen to this first episode to learn more about Mandy and Ben's backgrounds and to get a better idea of what this podcast will be. 

Do you have a specific topic you want covered? Do you want to hear Mandy and Ben's insights on a certain situation? Do you have questions for Mandy and Ben? Send us an email at hello@argovisa.com. 

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