Every visa official has a list of requirements that he or she looks for in a visa application. If they are met, then the visa is usually granted. If not, the application is rejected. It is how these requirements are met that makes a visa decision seem subjective. For instance, the requirement for a student to return to his or her home country after completing studies forces the student to give logical, thought-out evidence. On the other hand, if a student has nothing substantial to show, then the visa is usually not issued.

Presenting proper documents alone does not determine the visa approval or denial. The visa officer knows that documents can be easily forged so they can judge authenticity in less than a minute due to the large number of papers that they process every day. Therefore, presenting the individual case is the most important part of getting the visa. What the student says and how he or she says it matters a lot. Sometimes it can even make up for inadequate documentation. Success in obtaining a visa depends on both the proper documentation and giving a good presentation during the interview or an amazingly written Statement of Purpose.