An Indian student hoping to study data science in the United States had his hopes dashed after his F-1 visa application was rejected. The student took to Reddit to share his experience of being interviewed at the US Consulate in Hyderabad - and his account of the experience included surprising details of the technical questions he was asked during the interview.
“Seeking guidance after technical interview”
The student claimed he was surprised when the US visa officer in Hyderabad asked him technical questions related to his field of study. He revealed that his F-1 visa interview took place on May 30 in a Reddit post titled “Seeking guidance after technical interview”.
Describing the visa officer as a “white male” in his 30s, the student wrote: “I’m sharing my experience to get your feedback on what might have gone wrong and how I can improve for the next attempt.”
What happened during the F-1 visa interview?
The interview started normally enough, with the visa officer asking the student if he was currently enrolled in any degree program. The student answered in the negative, having completed his undergraduate programme in April 2025.
He was then asked what universities he had applied to and he answered, “Indiana University Bloomington, University of Colorado Boulder, Northeastern University, Arizona State University, University of Florida, and University of Washington.”
{{/usCountry}}He was then asked what universities he had applied to and he answered, “Indiana University Bloomington, University of Colorado Boulder, Northeastern University, Arizona State University, University of Florida, and University of Washington.”
{{/usCountry}}After these standard questions, the US visa officer asked the student some technical questions which left him surprised. Examples of these tech questions included “What’s the difference between Array and Linked List?” and “What is Linear Regression?”
The student was then asked to repeat the universities he had applied to and explain why he chose Indiana University Bloomington in particular. The student answered that Indiana University Bloomington offers “specializations across different tracks like Applied Data Science, Computational DS, and Analytical DS.”
The visa officer also asked him about the track he had chosen and why. After these questions, his F-1 visa was rejected under Section 214(b).
What is an F-1 visa?
An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant student visa for people who want to study in the United States. It is specifically issued to international students who are enrolled in a full-time academic programme in the US.
How long does an F-1 interview typically take?
An F-1 interview can last anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes or even longer. The questions are usually direct and simple, designed to gauge whether a candidate has finances to fund their education, ties to the home country etc.
The inclusion of technical questions left this particular candidate surprised. “I was surprised by the level of technical questions asked. I tried to stay calm and answer everything honestly, but I’m still not sure what went wrong—whether it was something in my answers, my university choices, or how I explained my project,” he wrote.
How Reddit reacted
Some people on Reddit said they had had similar experiences in recent visa interviews. Others were equally surprised.
"Omg I didn’t know they’d ask technical questions too!Hopefully it’s not going to extra hard to explain if your graduate program is different from UG field," read a comment.
“Wait what? This has kind of got me fuzzled, I mean why would he ask such questions?” wrote one Reddit user.
“Counter 33, I was also asked almost 4 to 5 technical questions, then he approved it,” another person revealed.
“After the new visa slot pause, there has been a hike in technical questions asked, so anyone having an upcoming interview, do the basics right and be sure you know what you’re saying as the counter questions will literally feel like arrows coming at you,” another Reddit user said.