US Visa Story #1: Mine

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 securing all the necessary documents from NSO (now PSA) for all of us. My US-based sib (who took care of our Papa) sent the medical records, along with an invitation letter addressed to all of us. We each took care of our own certificates of employment or business papers. There were 5 of us.

I booked us an appointment sometime March 2009. I remember that our appointment was around 7:30 in the morning.  Unfortunately, one sibling forgot to bring her passport! (horrors!, but that’s for another post).

We trooped to the US Embassy, all fidgety because of this sibling who forgot her passport (she did not make it to the interview, but eventually got her own and later followed us to the US.)

Interview Proper   (Note: We were interviewed together)

Consul:  So what is the purpose of your visit?

Me:  To visit our sick father, sir.

Consul: How long do you plan to stay in the US?

Me: Only for 2 months, sir.

Consul: There’s supposed to be 5 of you, today. What happened to the other one?

Me: She forgot her passport, sir.

Consul (addressing me):  What is the nature of your business, ma’am?

Me: (explaining the nature of my business)

Consul (addressing my youngest sib): What about you, sir?

Youngest sib:  government employee, sir

Consul (addressing our eldest sib): What is the nature of your business, sir?

Eldest sib: I am into trading of _____

Consul: Can you please specifically explain the nature of the business?

Eldest sib: (Probably lacking of sleep having come from Baguio for a golf tournament, sort of fumbled with his answer)

Me (to the rescue): Sir, his business is …..

Consul (to me): Are you the one handling the business for him?

Me: No sir

Consul (slightly annoyed at this point): Then let him answer the question himself

Eldest sib: (Still unable to clearly explain. Strong coffee + lack of sleep = bad combination)

Consul to another sib: What is the nature of your job, sir?

Another sib: I am head of IT department of a government office…

Consul (after about a minute):  Okay, ma’am (me) , I can give you a visa, sir (sib who works as IT head), I can also give you a visa. But you, sir (eldest sib) I can not give you a visa yet. Sir (youngest sib, who worked as driver for a government office), I am sorry I can not also give you a visa at this time since you have no economic ties to the country.

And just like that, in 5 minutes, our fates were sealed.

Barely a month after, my eldest sib was finally given a visa, so was my other sib who forgot her passport. (But that’s for another post.)

Some Final thoughts

• Speak only when spoken to. If it is not your story to tell, then hold that tongue, alright?
• Check if your documents are complete before leaving the house, passports, most importantly. Because of this sib’s careless mistake,  we all became fidgety and lost our focus somehow.
• Have a good rest (the night before the interview)
• Practice. (Although we could not have done that because we had no idea what the questions would be.)