Top Mistakes to AVOID during a Visa Interview
Ever questioned about the importance that visa interview has in getting your Schengen visa approved?
In this article we will show you how to increase the chances to get a Schengen visa by learning which are the common mistakes to AVOID during a Schengen Visa interview.
Note: Guidelines (advises) given in this article are NOT solely intended for the Schengen visa interview, hence they are usable for any type of visa interview.
Behind every REJECTED Schengen visa stands a REAL REASON for it. It is important for you to be aware that there are things you should avoid during a visa interview. Not everyone is able to see the importance of getting to directly meet with diplomatic officials in a Schengen visa interview. Most of the visa applicants put away their effort and energy in collecting their documents of visa application. This way, they often fail to give the needed significance to the visa interview.
Well, the situation is this! There is a great chance for you to have an impact on your visa application. Leaving a good impression and presenting yourself properly during the appointed Schengen visa interview is important too! (But, make sure to NOT neglect the importance of the visa application documents as well!).
The officials of the Embassy or the Consulate of the Schengen country, where you apply for a visa to, will expect from you to demonstrate certain interview qualities and performances that distinguish you from a failed candidate.
Being a visa candidate, so, requires from you to identify which are the common snappish elements that might ruin your visa interview. Only then you will be able to perform a successful visa interview by avoiding to get trapped in such weird situations as it is the visa denial.
That is why, together, we will go through the common Schengen visa refusal reasons. Additionally, we will offer you suggestions on how to avoid making mistakes that lead the diplomatic office to give you a Schengen visa rejection stamp on the passport.
Lateness
When you appoint the visa interview, the embassy or consulate will tell you the exact date and time of it. One of the bad opinions the embassy creates about you is incorrect and neglectful candidate, because the tardiness on your appointment. Instead, try to arrive at the embassy or consulate where your interview will take place, at least a few minutes earlier. This will help you calm yourself down and relax when giving your answers to the interview questions.
What is more, because finding a free parking lot often is a time-consuming thing, we suggest you to get a taxi instead of your personal vehicle. Also, make sure to leave home early enough, counting the traffic jam.
Inappropriate Answers
Another element, that provokes visa officials to not take your application seriously, is not having enough preparations for the interview. If you are not able to predict what Schengen visa interview questions are, you will not be able to give genuine and well-thought-out answers for visa officials. Well…the fact is that typically, when you do not know what questions you will expect, there are risks of giving inappropriate answers (made-up, unacceptable, mistaken, incomplete, or goofy answers) knowing the amount of tension you carry with you in an interview session.
That is why it is essential for you to be familiar with the common Schengen visa interview questions, to properly plan in your head your answers early enough, early enough before the visa interview date. You can also write down your answers if that helps you recall them easily during the interview session (Make sure to not take them with you in the interview and do not sound programmed when giving your answers).
It is also important that when a visa officer asks you a question, do not take too much of time in giving the answer, otherwise this can be perceived as a lack of truthfulness.
Skipping Questions or False Answers
Whenever you apply for a Schengen visa, the interview is simply a way for the diplomatic office to meet with you and understand more in depth if the information provided in the visa application form is correctly and frankly offered. Trying to avoid answering questions of the visa official, does not protect you at all, let us say if the question is sensitive to you. Also, giving fake information does not give you any good result, as the diplomatic office will reconfirm all the information you provide during the interview and in the application form.
Instead of avoiding or falsifying the answer, you must be open and direct with the visa official whatever the question is. Keep in mind that the diplomatic office has the authority to check over your travel history to Schengen Area.
Inappropriate Appearance
What else might penalize your visa application is the way you appear during your interview, including your outfit, shoes, makeup, temperament, body posture, even the amount of perfume you wear. Remember that the first impression is everything and, usually, you cannot get the second chance to leave the first impression, so give it the needed importance instead of trying to improve it another time.
It is considered an unwanted element of your interview if you dress carelessly or informally, with unrefined and showy clothes, accessories or tie. Showing you have a sense of consideration for the event of the interview by wearing proper formal clothes and shoes with minimal accessories is the way to go. Also, minimal makeup and slight perfume smell are also supporting elements in leaving a good impression of a serious visa candidate.
Another important component of the Schengen visa interview is the body posture and mimics you make during the question-answers session. A face that expresses fear and uncertainty, as well as a body that is not sitting properly, might lead visa officials to consider you a worthless and dishonest candidate. If you lean back you might be considered arrogant, leaning forward – aggressive, if too laid-back you will be perceived as a lazy individual, while armed-crossed tells you are trying to resist and defend yourself from the questions.
In its place, try holding a neutral body position by sitting tall and keeping your arms open to show you are open and ready for a fair interview.
Avoiding the eye contact with the embassy official during the interview also does not help at all. This is also one of the things that make you an inappropriate candidate to be given a visa, as it is usually perceived as a lack of seriousness.
Instead, keep the normal eye contact when listening questions or giving answers, by avoiding odd and consistent eyeing.
Incomplete Supporting Documentation
As aforesaid, the reason the diplomatic office invites you for a visa interview is because it needs to prove you have offered frank and correct information on your visa application.
Appearing in the interview half or inappropriately equipped with the needed documentation to support the accuracy of the information provided in the visa application form, will absolutely decrease your chances to get a Schengen Visa. Such behavior, might demonstrate your insignificance given towards the given visa requirements.
Instead, make sure to consider early enough all the visa requirements. Find out early enough which are the documents that the diplomatic office recognizes as a prove your education, your marital status, your booked accommodation, flying ticket, language skills and more. Prepare these documents in one place (folder) at least a day earlier the interview and make sure to go through the checklist of requirements, to make sure you haven’t forgotten any of the documents.
Instead, make sure to consider early enough all the visa requirements. Find out early enough which are the documents that the diplomatic office recognizes as a prove your education, your marital status, your booked accommodation, flying ticket, language skills and more. Prepare these documents in one place (folder) at least a day earlier the interview and make sure to go through the checklist of requirements, to make sure you haven’t forgotten any of the documents.
Take the folder with you with documents well-organized, together with needed copies. Let the visa official understand that you know well visa requirements and that you are familiar with all documents within the folder, by offering documents in order, quickly as he/she requires. Getting lost in the folder by NOT knowing what are the documents in it, will make the worst of impression.
Unnecessary Information
If you have been asked a question, make sure to understand it well. Exaggerated answers and not required explanations are not supposed to be given in visa interview. The visa official is not interested in losing a day hearing everything about you – unneeded and irrelevant information. The official only wants to get specific and clear information that directly asks you.
Avoid losing a sense of your talk, by trying to impress the visa official with too much of the talk. In its place, keep your answer short, simple and assessable, by holding the regular flow of the interview. Remember that the interview should be natural and with no need for imposing moments.
Nervousness
What destroys your answers during the interview, is appearing there full of nervousness. Even though your visa application and supporting documents as well as your physical appearance are as they should, a bad energy, nervousness, over-confidence might be destroyers of your interview.
Speaking too much of your successes, shaky noise, pointing yourself or the official with a finger, unstable eye contact and other negative gesticulations because of the anxiety you experience in the interview can cause for the official to end it fast.
To avoid such an uninvited situation, we suggest you relax and calm your nerves early enough before the interview. Try to not overstate the interview concern, instead, consider it an approachable meeting.
Disagreeing With The Visa Official
Arguing with the visa official during the interview session is another reason why the visa interview might go wrong. Increased tone of voice, bad approach towards the visa official only shows you are a destructive individual that does not have respect for the authority that representative of the diplomatic office enjoys.
In its place, in case you have any objection about what the official dialogues, use a very sophisticated language and a calm tone of voice when clarifying the exploratory issue.
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