美国签证白皮书/What VO thinks?
VO也是人，而且还是普普通通的人，即使他/她现在掌握着的是你能否打开美国大门的钥匙。要记住，VO是一个拿着工资的秉公办事的好员工，他们非常清楚中国学生的狡猾，也明白大家在bbs上的各种功略，他们还是典型的美国人。在面试时他们的思维是有迹可循的。VO对练的时候，不论是interview 还是be interviewed，我们都要努力模拟签证官的思维方式来达到最佳效果。
前面说到"非移民"签证的性质，签证官会紧紧围绕（1）你去美的唯一目的是否是学习，（2）学成之后是否会按时回国，（3）是否有能力支持在美的学习费用这三个中心来提问。签证时，签证官会按照一种固定的逻辑提问：
a) Is he(she) lying to me?b) What's his purpose to go USA?c) Will he come back? d) Shall I believe him?e) Is his major sensitive?f) How to say: I'm sorry.
Is he (she) lying to me?根据移民法的规定，你站在签证官面前就是有罪的，你要准备好你的"君子之心"受到签证官"小人之腹"的攻击，千方百计想方设法证明你的 innocent。有了多年的签证经验，签证官会首先考虑你是否在撒谎，所以绝对不要冒险行此大不韪之事。签证官会通过一些问题是你变得焦虑来刺探你的真实性，看你是否优秀。譬如说：
- What will you do in the united states?- Why PH.D?- How long will you study in USA?- What's your parents do?- How old are you?- Are you married?- When will you get married?签证官就是想看看你的志气，你的理想，你的取舍标准，你被什么样的学校认可了，然后基于这些形成"对你的认同感"，判断你是否是一个优秀的人，判断你的真实目的。前几年的签经上有人说，VO有时会告诉你，他不相信你会回来，但是仍然给你visa。这就是说，你很优秀，那么你以后即使移民，也是会给他们国家做大贡献的，他也认了。大家注意，美国始终是个移民国家，技术人才进口是很重要的一部分。
所以，在准备的时候，回答这些问题都要围绕"体现自己很优秀"这样一个中心，而不是就事论事回答的没错就好了。要充分体现自己的优秀气质，让签证官尊重你，那样，他们会比较容易尊重你的选择。举个例子吧，
vo: how many universities gave you offer?me: Two, DUKE and Maryland. Duke granted me a full financial aid and the graduate director said: you are the right person we are looking for.
这是说，我是被你们的牛校请去念书的，他们对我的评价很高，我也很有自信。
A PhD degree is necessary and helpful for my career development in China. To be a researcher, one should have a high academic achievement in his research field, so a PhD degree is required. It's a kind of culture in China that PhDs are especially respected and they will have relatively more chances in their personal development.My ambition is in electronic packaging and its application in power engineering. A PhD degree will help me to find a research position in this field.
What's his purpose to go USA?然后VO的小脑瓜里就会想你去美国是为了什么呢？你当然是为了学习啦，可是你知道VO却不知道，他会通过你的背景你的计划来正面出击或旁敲侧击考察你的目的：
- how many universities did you apply?- why you choose this university?- How did you know this university?- Did you apply for any Chinese universities? Why not?- Any universities outside the US?- How if you didn't get offer from the US?如果VO听到你申了25所美国大学，oh my god，想象一下他会有什么反应吧。你砸下这么多银子这么多精力处心积虑想要去美国大学，你还说你没有移民倾向？不然就肯定是你实在太不优秀了，所以你对自己也没有信心，只能靠多申学校撞大运。
Carnegie Mellon University is one of the best universities in the United States. The Heinz school ranks first in the area of Public Policy and Management, which includes Supply Chain Management as one of its branchs. Carnegie Mellon's good education catchs my eyes and even my current advisor in *** said it would be a better chance for me to study there than at home. That's why I finally decided to leave my family and country temporary, and study abroad.
For example, Maryland is also a wonderful university and it does have a research lab on electronic packaging. However, the research is much more focuses on low power electronic packaging and its application in integrated circuit. The research on high power electronic packaging in *** is attractive to me. That's why I choose ****.
Will he come back? 这就是你的未来的plan了，你学完就要马上回来。但是签证官并不总是直接问你的plan，他会有其他更多的问题来迂回挑战：
- what's your plan after graduation?- what will you do with your degree?- What kind of position you will take?- What's your salary then?- Will you be a professor for a life long time?- what specified field will you work on?看清了VO的这些伎俩，你就一脸真诚地往你精心准备的回国计划上靠吧。问What will you do with your degree是不，好啊，就从拿到Ph.D.开始说你在中国的美好前途吧。问你的salary是不？不要告诉我你的回国计划里没有一个decent income的因素！
For a real researcher, salary is only one aspect of the whole money he makes. As far as I know, the average salary of a researcher is about 5000-6000 per month in Beijing, and in Shanghai, maybe a little bit higher. But usually researchers can make big money from every project they take and the cooperative research programs with large companies. They can get 5-10 percent from the research funds. For example, Dr. ** came back from University of ** in 1997 and became a researcher in Tsinghua. Two years later, he bought a car with ** thousand RMB. So in China, experts of technology are among the first class regarding their social and economic status.
I want to initiate a computer game company in China. Have you played the famous computer game - FIFA2002? (showing a photo to VO) It is a soccer game, and you can control your team to play against the opponent at real time. But now the intelligent level of computer-controlled teams is very poor. The concept of multi-agent systems will bring up revolutions in such team-based game. After 5 years of tracking and exploring the front of multi-agent systems, I am confident to found such a leading company in China and then try to create a new era of team-based computer game.
Shall I believe him?你攥着沉甸甸的材料，说得口干舌燥，目的就是要让VO相信你，VO很自然也会问自己，shall I believe him？Maybe, yes，那么，congratulations！可惜的是，更多的时候，VO会对自己说，not yet，there's something weird。那么准备迎接更多的why的挑战吧。
- You want to be ***, why?- How if you can't find this position in China?- How if you can find a well-pay job in the US?- Why not stay in USA?- How if you can find a well-pay job in the US?- How can you convince me?如果你跟VO说你要拿个Ph.D.回来到Tsinghua University做professor，做学科带头人，VO问How if you can't find this position in China，你可别告诉我那你就去公司做市场。你这么爽快的转了个180度，如此没有立场，让VO怎么能不据你。这时你要充满自信，用事实，用 Tsinghua的招faculty的有利政策，你所学东东的巨大潜力，归国师公师傅师叔师兄师姐的example来论证，that's impossible！当然，你觉得不该和VO这么顶着干，那好吧，拿出你的backup计划来。Tsinghua去不了，中科院怎么样，他们不正缺这方面的人吗?同样的方向，当然可能地位要差那么一点点，或者薪水有点距离，或者往上爬的时间要长一点点。Anyway，没问题，此处不留人，自有留人处，反正我牛，不怕没地去。反正就是要打消掉VO心中的疑虑。
Is his major sensitive?OK，你的真实性没问题了，你的出国归国也没问题了，等等，还要看你的专业是不是敏感！这要是不被拒，被check个十个八个月的也够你受的了。
- Can you describe your major detailedly?- Can you give me your resume?- Do you have any material for your future advisor?- When will you go to USA?可别告诉我你去美国是做洲际导弹的！这时，给你的专业，你的方向一个清楚明白的解释吧。说得要细，说得要深入浅出，收放自如，说得要头头是道，兴趣盎然。千万别太专业。理解理解签证官吧，人家多半人文科学毕业，学位也不怎么高，听不懂你说得太高深。你可以直白型的用最简单的逻辑平行地、或者层层深入地描述自己的major、speciality以及application，也可可以解释的以浅显的说明和例子来让人在最短时间内理解大致的内容。
My major is Mechanical Engineering and I am interested in the field of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing). My dissertation topic is about Visual Programming Software for Numerical Control. Computer programming is a basic skill for my research work. I was issued Programmer of Computer Software in 2000 and was member of the Computer Association on campus.
My major is Electrical Engineering and my specified research field is numerical analysis applied in electronic packaging. Electronic packing is integrating all kinds of electronic devices, such as diode, transistor, IGBT, and GTO into a model. The power per unit will rise whereas the size will be decreased. It is a key technology for DC power transmission. It has a bright future in China because large power projects such as SanXia project will come in operation around 2010.
How to say: I'm sorry.
要据- You don't have a strong tie in China.- Since China is better now, I advice you to find a work in China.- Sorry,....your goal of study is not clear.
要Check!- Can you give a description of your research now?- give me your CV
要给条- If I don't give you the visa, what will you do?有人说我还有加拿大offer，我去不了美国，就去加拿大；有人说，那太可惜了，我会再申请，直到拿到visa为止；也有人说，出不去我就在国内念大学了，我不希望浪费时间。其实每个人都可以有自己的安排，只是你要告诉签证官，你应该获得visa，你很qualified，但visa不是你的全部，你有很多成功的方法。
Well, I do set Chinese universities as my backups and I will surely explore on my beloved research field. However, I'm afraid it's a pity that Duke university loses a worthy Ph.D. candidate as I am, just because I can't be issued the visa today. I believe you wouldn't like to, either.
记住assumption就只是assumption，并不是签证官不信你什么，挑战你什么，不要慌张，从容应对，保持你的笑容和笑容背后的签证原则，告诉签证官你的思考方式。
