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US Visa Story #3: My Uncle’s

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At one point in our adolescence,   there were 4 of us simultaneously going to college. Imagine that! On fixed, crappy teachers’ salaries.   Good thing my parents were determined to give us the best education they could afford. Now with a big family (11!) with ever growing needs, Papa and Mama had to be resourceful to augment their very meager incomes. Enter our Uncle Bert to the picture. He is my maternal uncle, single, and most importantly, knew how to drive. My Papa lost no time in having a passenger jeepney assembled for him.   And not soon after, he started plying the Cubao-Montalban route.   He lived with us in our tiny rented space in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, and helped out in our daily expenses. Fast forward to many years after . With my US-based siblings finally establishing their careers (all in the medical field), it was time to reward our Uncle Bert with a trip to the US.   Now Uncle Bert (who’s 70ish) did not even finish high school I think...
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US Visa Story #2: My In-Laws'

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If my visa story seems archaic to you (found here) , wait till you hear of how my in-laws processed theirs.   Way before I got mine, my in-laws were invited by their daughter (SIL) for a visit.   This was around 1999-2000. My SIL  sent all the necessary documents:   invitation letter; a notarized affidavit of support;   proof of income (pay slips); bank statements;   and, a Certificate of Employment with compensation.   From our end, we prepared my SIL’s Birth Certificate and my PIL’s Marriage Certificate (to establish kinship) and filled out the application forms.  Back in the day, there was no hotline to schedule an appointment.   One had to line up really early at the US Embassy.   Believe it or not, people ACTUALLY laid out sleeping bags in front of the embassy the night before (they intend to be interviewed), just to secure a slot.   Droves of people did that, and some, from far provinces, braved the ...
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US Visa Story #1: Mine

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This will be a series of US visa stories of each family member and relatives I have helped, both successful and not. US Visa Story 1: Mine Let us start this series of visa stories with mine. Ten years ago, my sibs and I had to secure US visas to visit our ill father.   He suffered a massive hemorrhage and the prognosis was extremely poor.   Back then, booking an appointment for a US visa interview was done very differently. One had to call a hotline to schedule an appointment, and each minute of call cost an arm and a leg!   (Something like Php55/minute! Gasp!).   There was no rushing the hotline representative either – they had to stick to a script / protocol. Boy, did they take their own sweet time, indeed! Visa fee payment then was around Php6k+ which was paid at any BPI branch. If I remember correctly, the visa application forms were handed out from BPI,   after payment of the visa fee. I was in charge of filling up the forms, and secur...
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Of US Visas and White Christmas

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So you want to go to the US and finally tick it off your bucket list but are hesitant to take the next step?  Take heart, you are not alone.  While getting a visa seems daunting, preparation is KEY. Plus a big dash of LUCK 😊 When  you search the net, you find A LOT of articles of people sharing their experiences in securing that elusive US VISA.  I got mine 10 years ago, and I have since helped my family and relatives secure theirs, too. (Yep, I am helpful that way).  Not every attempt was successful though; there were also painful rejections. (I will share each journey in separate posts.) From these collective experiences, I have learned what worked and what didn’t.  So here goes, my own dirty dozen tips to getting your visa. (Disclaimer:  I don’t work for any travel agency and neither claim to be an expert in this field. Just happy to share is all  😊 ) 1. In life, as it is on getting your US visa, ...
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