GatewayIQ (gatewayiq.in) is an AI-powered F1 visa interview simulation platform operated by Harish Maganti (Mainaka brand) built for Indian students preparing for US visa interviews. We simulate consulate-specific visa officer behavior and provide feedback on your interview performance.
GatewayIQ is built as both a student tool and a model improvement platform. By using our platform, you contribute (with your consent) to improving the simulation.
For any privacy-related questions, contact us at: support@gatewayiq.in
We collect data in three phases of your experience:
2.1 Account Registration
| Data | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Full name | To personalize your profile and communications |
| Email address | Account login, notifications, and product communications |
| Password (hashed) | Account security — we never store plain-text passwords |
| Consulate preference | To configure your simulation to the right consulate style |
| Interview date (optional) | To track outcome relevance |
2.2 Mock Simulation Sessions
Each time you run a simulation, we collect:
| Data | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Session profile inputs | University, program, funding details, GPA, work experience — used to configure the AI officer for your specific risk profile |
| Full interview transcript | Every question and answer in your simulation, stored for your feedback and to improve the simulation |
| AI-generated scores & verdict | Your performance scores across 6 dimensions, overall score, and APPROVED/BORDERLINE/REFUSED verdict |
| Answer quality tags | Internal classification of each answer (e.g. vague, strong, contradictory) used to compute your score |
| Mock number & difficulty level | Tracks progression across your 5-mock journey |
| Consulate selected | Determines simulation style and voice profile used |
2.3 Deep Profile Form (Mock 4 & 5 only)
If you complete 3 mocks and choose to submit the expert profile form to unlock Mock 4 & 5, we collect more detailed information:
| Category | Fields collected |
|---|---|
| Academic background | B.Tech branch, college, CGPA, graduation year, backlogs |
| Test scores | GRE, IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo scores |
| Application details | Universities applied, admits received, final university and program, tuition fees, scholarship |
| Family background | Father's and mother's occupation and income, number of siblings, sibling details |
| Financial details | Family savings, property details, loan amount |
| Visa history | Prior visa rejections (if any), international travel history |
| Goals & plans | Career goal in India, reason for choosing USA, return plan |
| Additional context | Challenges, additional information you choose to share |
The Deep Profile Form is entirely voluntary. It is only required to unlock Mock 4 and Mock 5. If you do not submit it, your account and first 3 mocks are unaffected. This form contains more sensitive financial and personal information — it is reviewed by our team only to build custom interview questions for your personalized simulation.
2.4 Real-World Outcome Reporting (Optional)
After your actual visa interview, you may choose to report your result (approved, rejected, administrative processing). This is completely voluntary. We use it to measure and improve the simulation accuracy for future students.
2.5 Referral Data
We track referral codes and which accounts were created using your referral link, so we can credit you with mock unlocks. We do not collect any data about your friends beyond what they voluntarily provide during their own registration.
2.6 Technical Data
We collect standard server logs including IP address, browser type, and device type. This is used for security monitoring and debugging. We do not use this for advertising or profiling.
GatewayIQ is built as both a student tool and a model improvement platform. You are asked to provide data usage consent at two points:
Data usage consent is required to use the platform. If you withdraw consent, your existing data will be removed from our improvement datasets on request (see Section 7).
Before any data is used to improve the model, we strip your name, email, and any directly identifying information. Improvement datasets contain only behavioral patterns, scores, consulate types, and outcomes — not personal identities.
We use your data for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Data used |
|---|---|
| Running your simulation | Profile inputs, session history, transcript — used in real time to configure the AI officer |
| Generating your feedback | Full transcript analyzed by AI to produce scores, red flags, strengths, and verdict |
| Your progress tracking | Scores across mocks, history stored in your account dashboard |
| Model improvement | Anonymized transcripts and scores used to improve the AI simulation quality |
| Model improvement | Anonymized behavioral patterns used to improve the AI simulation quality |
| Expert profile review | Deep profile form data reviewed by GatewayIQ team to write personalized questions for Mock 4 & 5 only |
| Email notifications | Your email used to notify you when Mock 4 & 5 are unlocked by our team |
GatewayIQ is a preparation and simulation tool only. The AI-generated verdicts (APPROVED, BORDERLINE, REFUSED), scores, risk labels, and feedback are produced for educational practice purposes. They are not predictions of your actual visa outcome, and they are not legal or immigration advice.
Your actual visa decision is made solely by the US Department of State. GatewayIQ has no relationship with, and is not affiliated with, the US Embassy, USCIS, or any government immigration body.
Do not make decisions about your visa application solely based on GatewayIQ output. For immigration advice, consult a licensed immigration attorney.
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Account information | As long as your account is active, or up to 2 years after last login |
| Interview transcripts | Up to 2 years for model improvement purposes; deleted on request |
| Scores & feedback | As long as your account is active |
| Deep profile form | Until Mock 4 & 5 are completed, then archived for 1 year |
| Outcome reports | Retained in anonymized form to improve simulation accuracy; personal identity removed within 90 days |
| Server logs | 30 days, then deleted automatically |
You have the following rights regarding your data:
To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@gatewayiq.in with the subject line "Data Request — [Your Name]". We will respond within 7 business days.
We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data:
No system is 100% secure. If you believe there has been unauthorized access to your account, contact us immediately at support@gatewayiq.in.
GatewayIQ is intended for students aged 18 and above who are applying for F1 student visas. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us and we will delete it immediately.
GatewayIQ uses the following third-party services to operate:
| Service | Purpose | Data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Groq (groq.com) | AI language model for interview simulation and feedback | Interview transcript and profile inputs — anonymized, not linked to your identity |
| DigitalOcean | Server hosting (Bangalore region) | All data is stored on our server — DigitalOcean provides infrastructure only |
| GoDaddy | Domain and frontend hosting | Static files only — no user data |
We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party advertising services.
We may update this policy as our product evolves. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by email at least 7 days before the change takes effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the current version.
Continued use of GatewayIQ after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
For any privacy questions, data requests, or concerns:
Email: support@gatewayiq.in
Website: gatewayiq.in
Subject line for data requests: "Data Request — [Your Full Name]"