Visa interview day: key tips on how to prepare for success

The visa interview is what determines if you'll get your visa!  The decision is not made beforehand (contrary to what many people believe).  The visa officer that interviews has not reviewed your application before your step up to their window.  That's when you have to opportunity to convince them to issue your visa.

You have to convince the visa officer that you are qualified.  The most prevalent bad advice to visa applicants on the internet is to give short uninformative answers.  This doesn't give the officer any information that they'll need to justify issuing you a visa!  You need to give comprehensive, informative answers.

Be prepared with all of the documents you will need.  Every visa type has different requirements, and everyone's situation is unique, so there is no single list of documents that all visa applicants should bring.  You need to know what documents are important for your application.  At the bare minimum, you should bring your DS-160 confirmation page and your passport.  

You should dress in a way that represents your visa application.  If you are a working professional, dress in business casual attire.  If you are a student, dress as a student would.  If you are an artist, dress as you would as an artist.  Your physical appearance is just another element in presenting yourself and your qualifications to the visa officer.