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How the interview started: the FIFA ticket moment
The very first question the officer asked was: why are you traveling to the United States? I handed over my passport along with the FIFA match ticket. The officer returned the ticket without looking at it closely, so I simply explained in my own words — I am going to watch the Portugal vs Congo match, I attended the Qatar 2022 World Cup as well, I am a Portuguese fan, and I have a genuine passion for the sport. That personal context landed far better than any printed document would have.
Questions about your travel companion and ties to home
The officer then asked whether I was traveling alone or with someone. I explained that I would fly to the US independently, but would attend the match with my husband, who is currently on an H-1B visa. I also mentioned that his employer transfer — from Google back to India — had already been approved, so we would both return home after the match. I even offered to show the transfer approval letter. The officer said she did not want to see it. That told me something important: they are often assessing your confidence and taking your word at face value, not just scanning paperwork.
The officer did check my husband's visa status in the system
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Book a Mock InterviewEven though she declined the physical documents, she did look up my husband's I-797 and his last visa stamp on her screen. She noted the expiry date and asked whether he had received an extension. I confirmed he had, and that it was valid until 20th June. She accepted that without any further follow-up. So while you should always have supporting documents ready, do not panic if the officer does not ask for them — it does not mean they are not verifying your story.
The F1 visa question — and how to handle it honestly
Because I had held an F-1 visa previously, the officer asked why I had applied for it. I explained that I was pursuing a master's degree in the US at the time, and I believed F-1 was the appropriate visa category. The consular officer during my F-1 stamping had actually told me I could continue my education on an H-4 visa instead, which is what I did. I completed my degree on H-4 and am now preparing to start a job back in India. A straightforward, honest explanation was enough — no documents were requested for this either.
What actually got this visa approved
There were no questions about my itinerary. No deep dive into finances. The officer did ask a couple of light football questions — who is the bigger fan, you or your husband? Which team does he support? I mentioned that we both support Portugal, that I had watched Ronaldo score a penalty in person, and that this shared love for the game is what brought us to Qatar in 2022 and is bringing us to the US in 2026. She said 'okay, great' and shortly after told me the visa was approved. The lesson here is that a genuine, specific story about why you want to attend — not a stack of documents — is what makes a FIFA World Cup application believable.
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