All about studying abroad

How to get a visa to study in the US, can you please give detailed information regarding this? -Ruma Chakravarti

Getting a student’s visa for US is a complex process. After you get an admission to a college in the US, you need to fill up the Form 1-20 that is sent by the school you wish to study in. The form deals about your personal information and this should be carefully filled in checking the details against your passport.

Pay the SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) I-901 fees and this should be done three months before your programme begins, only after the payment is done you are eligible to apply for a visa. Refer site https:// www.fmjfee.com/i901fee/desktop/index.jsp?view=desktop that supports the payment of the fees.

You will have an interview with the closest U S embassy or consulate, mainly to identify the type of visa you should receive and knowing the prerequisites of living in the US, the questions could be like:
The questions primarily see that you meet basic requirements like:
Whether you have an admission in a school
If you have sufficient funding to pursue your proposed studies
Whether you are prepared to study abroad
Whether you intend to leave the US once you complete your course
Once it is confirmed by the counselor lawyer that you meet all US laws for the visa that you desire to obtain, your digital finger prints will be taken by a representative from the consulate or the embassy. There are different types of visas and the one you need, will be determined by the school you have chosen and the subject you wish to study.

The different types of visas are as follows:

F-1 visa
The duration depends on the length of the program, if you are married then your child / spouse can join with F-2 visas. This visa is valid for any degree level, whether it is for an undergraduate degree or if you want to pursue PhD. The F-1 visa holder is permitted to work.

M-1 visa
The duration is same as F-1, spouse/child can join with M-2 visas. However, the visa is principally for non-academic course of study and can be applied for vocational/technical courses only and one is not permitted to work during the course of study.

J-1 visa
This is for workplace exchange or on-job training. To get a J-1 visa a US Department of State sponsoring organisation needs to endorse the student. You can supplement your income with part time jobs unlike the M-1 visas. Spouse and children are allowed after receiving a J-2 visa. J-1 visa usually lasts for 18months after which one has to leave for his home country; nevertheless extensions sometimes are available after approval from the University and completing another DS-2019 form.

B visa
The duration is subject to approval, family is permitted, but one is not permitted to work with this visa. This is for recreational / business purpose only and sponsor/endorsement is not applicable. If one wants to enroll in a brief recreational course of study and not for credit towards a degree then you are eligible for a B visa. The two types of B visas are B-1 and B-2, wherein the former is for business and the latter for visiting and tourism.

F-1 visa
As you want to pursue a proper masters program you may apply for an F-1 student visa and the approval can take up to seven to ten business days. However, if the application goes through an additional background check then it can get delayed to even eight weeks.

Schedule your interview with the embassy. As you wait for the interview call, meanwhile organise your transcripts and diplomas, your relevant standardised test scores (TOEFL/ GMAT/GRE/SAT), and documents confirming your capability to finance your study abroad.

Keep the Form-20 ready The DS-160 application form which is an online non-immigrant visa application form, has to be filled and kept ready A receipt from your I-190 fee Upload your 2 * 2 photo Your passport which should be valid at least 6 months into the future Evidence of non-immigrant intent You will not be able to enter the US prior to 30 days to the school start date unless you have also applied for a visitor visa.

Once you arrive into the country you will be given a 1-94 form which confirms your legal entry into the country and it is suggested that you make copies of this form and keep it handy.

I am a psychology graduate and have also done the ‘O’ level course from D.O.E.A.C.C (N.I.E.L.I.T.) I am looking for a job abroad and want to pursue a PG in either Hospitality Management or Tourism or a one year diploma in Hotel Management or Tourism. Could you please tell me the difference between hospitality and hotel management and which would be better for me? -Bhaskar Rao

The ‘O’ level course is a foundation level course in computer applications and definitely compliments a degree in arts. You can thereby pursue an ‘A’ level NIELIT and you stand a good chance for multiple opportunities in I.T. powered industries. It is equivalent to doing an advanced diploma in computer science and is a job-oriented advanced program that develops high-caliber software professionals. The ‘B’ level course is equivalent to MCA and the O, B and C level schemes are eligible for a visa to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

As regards to your query on the difference between hospitality and hotel management, they both are interrelated and form part of the larger tourism industry. Hotel Management deals with the operating sections of the hotel industry like, sales and management, food and beverage, front office, general operations, catering and service keeping, hospitality management.

It chiefly involves dealing with people in places like, hotels, resorts, pubs, restaurants, bars, airlines catering and cabin management, club management, cruise ship management, hospital administration and catering, institutional management (supervising canteens in college, schools, in factories, company guest houses etc.), catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies, hotel and catering institutes.

It deals with either the clients/tourists or with handling the staff, setting standards and guidelines, training employees, etc. The B & C cities of India are experiencing a rapid growth in the hotel industry and hence if you acquire a PG diploma from a renowned institute you stand a chance to a position of GM in 12 to 14 years in a midsize hotel. Moreover, with an experience of 3-4 years a lot of chefs with expertise in Indian cuisine have got offers from Australia, Canada, Middle East and UK.

As millions of tourists from India as well as from abroad visit various parts of the country there is a huge demand of well educated and groomed professionals in the hospitality industry. If you pursue a degree/diploma from a reputed institute then students can be rest assured for placement in Indian as well as international hotels. International hotel chains like Hilton, Best Western, Carlson and Le Meridian are building new and modern 5 to 7 star hotels in major cities of India.

Apart from hotels, the other career options would be airline flight kitchens, on-board flight services, merchant navy and cruise hospitality services, fast food restaurants and hospital catering. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that by the year 2017, the hotel and tourism industry will generate 262 million jobs which represents one out of every ten jobs in the world.

From the above two options what would be better for you will depend on your interests and skills. Therefore, before choosing from the two carry out a SWOT analysis of yourself, interact with professionals from both the industries or join the online forums of both these industries and this should help you get a larger picture as to what could be the right option for you. All the best!!

By: Shehre Banu Kagalwala