Can one accept 2 offers?

[user_name]

It's pretty hard to get a US visa for some international students. So I've been wondering if I would be able to accept 2 offers, one from an American school, and another one from a Canadian school, just in case my US visa application will be turned down.

I did the same thing when I applied to college. I accepted the offer by one American and one Canadian school, and I got all the documents necessary for the Canadian visa application, but I never used them because I'd already got my US visa.

[maths_bonn]

Hi!

I don't have any clue how this works out, considering the legal affects.
But, I would be careful with that, especially if there is a prof at the canadian uni that u might wanna work with once, because u now already know that u wanna go into that specific field. Then I think u could have some trouble later maybe, cause he didn't forget your name and hey "aren't u that guy that just send us the non-accaptance letter in august?". Actually I really don't know how many people do that, buti f I woudl be a prof and be on the admission comittee, and someone would do this, I would put him on a blacklist, just in case. But maybe that's just because I don't appreciate such an attitude, but that's just my .

Bye!

[veroniquaz]

mathsbonn: yeah, that is easy to say when you are a German, who get their visa more or less automatically. If a miracle happens and I get an offer from the US I would probably also keep one European (if I get it) for just in case. I know that it is not fair towards the institutions but I just would not like to stay on the street because the US immigration decided not to like me. I would not feel good about it, but after I have done so much to secure a place in a PhD program, I would prefer to be on the safe side. Well, and I doubt that any professor will ever remember your name. I am quite sure there are more people who withdraw last minute from various reasons and they are used to it. However if anybody has got some kind of experience with this, please share.

[veroniquaz]

double post

[Econ07]

I think that is a fair cause for concern, especially if you come from a muslim country (I believe that although some other regions might have problems with visas, they won't be applicable to PhD level students). But you should try to do everything with special tact, maybe (conjecture here) notify the canadian dept of your special conditions and that you may "defect" later. I've also never heard of any system to check for double aceptances.

[user_name]

Originally Posted by Econ07

I believe that although some other regions might have problems with visas, they won't be applicable to PhD level students.

Do you mean it's generally easier for PhD students (compared to undergrad students) to get a visa? If that's the case, how would the immigration officers justify that in terms of legal considerations? You know, they can legally grant visas only to people whom they believe would return to their native countries and would not stay in America forever. But undergrad students are definitely more likely to go home than PhD students, because a typical PhD student WILL become a professor at American university.

[zeira]

But I imagine they would rather have someone with a graduate degree than an undergraduate degree stay in the US.

[user_name]

Originally Posted by zeira

But I imagine they would rather have someone with a graduate degree than an undergraduate degree stay in the US.

I would think so too. Unfortunately it seems to me that the visa interviewers just play strictly by the rules: unless you can prove that you'll return to your country, they will not grant you a visa. And the burden of proof is on you (they'd presume you have no intention to return until you can prove otherwise).

You know, with the improved trade relation and diplomatic relation between the US and my country, I thought that it'd be easier to get a visa. But the visa consular grilled me for almost half an hour last summer, despite the fact that I'd been granted a visa every year for the last three years (yes, my visa expires every year), and that I'd never violated any rules and my financial condition remained virtually unchanged.

[Econ07]

Curious point. I'm not particularly familiar with the american visa granting system, but I believed visa interviews were designed to catch potential illegal immigrants (and now security threats). A person that just finished high school, even if accepted to one out of the huge group of colleges in the US, could fit in the category. It's harder to believe that a person with a PhD (or even a grad school drop-out) could live in the USA as an illegal immigrant. I've also never heard of any grad student from my country having problems with getting the visa (yes, they can be subjected to long interviews, but I've never heard of a rejection).

[user_name]

Originally Posted by Econ07

I've also never heard of any grad student from my country having problems with getting the visa (yes, they can be subjected to long interviews, but I've never heard of a rejection).

And which country are you from?

I came from a Communist country which has sent millions of people to the United States already. So I guess the visa policy applied to my country must be among the very worst.