 |
| The Starry Night image source |
The preparation
Before anything else, my husband and I both spent effort in gathering as much information as we can about a US Tourist Visa application. The first place to visit and get official information about this is the US Embassy in the Philippines website. We learned that for my purpose of travel to the US, I should apply for a Tourist (B-2) Visa. On the website, one can also immediately see the visa appointment wait time and we found out that it is possible for me to apply for a US Tourist Visa before our planned entry date, which was just a month from my target application date.
A big difference between applying for a Schengen Visa and a US Tourist Visa is that, for the latter, the applicant will immediately know during the interview at the US Embassy in Manila if the visa application is approved or denied. I find this better compared with a Schengen Visa application where you have the prolonged agony of waiting for your passport for days after the interview, not knowing if your visa was approved or not.
The biggest thing in common though is that as with a Schengen Visa application, one of the most important criteria for the approval of a US Tourist Visa application is proof of rootedness and financial capacity. This posed as a challenge for me.
With the possibility of a higher income and to be more flexible in travelling to Germany, I registered as a practicing professional (self-employed) and resigned from my job earlier that year. Choosing to prioritize my personal life over career, I travelled twice to Germany in the months following my resignation. I had no chance to work during these months and had no reasonable income to present in support of my US Tourist Visa application. These travels are also evidenced by my passport.
Another challenge is that while a Schegen Visa application has a specific list of documentary requirements, there is no such list for a US Tourist Visa Application. This makes the application result more unpredictable as the basis will just be the data you declared in your application form and the personal interview. Most travel forums will suggest a long list of documents that one may bring to support the application such as Employment Certificate, Bank Statements and etc. I had no such thing.
For these reasons, I was hesitant to apply. I do not want to waste time and money spent on application fee, hotel and accommodation plus airfare. My husband (as always) encouraged me to give it a try.
Application items
The following is a MUST to bring to your interview appointment at the US Embassy in Manila:
1. A Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application (DS-160) Form.
2. A passport valid for travel to the United States with a validity date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States.
3. One (1) 2"x2" (5cmx5cm) photograph.
4. A receipt showing payment of your US$160 non-refundable nonimmigrant visa application processing fee, paid in local currency.
5. Interview appointment letter confirming that you booked an appointment.
Supporting documents
Most, if not all, travel forums will tell you NOT to mention if you have relatives in the US. I do not want to hide the fact that I do have a sister in the US. She is married to an American and has a 2 year old son which I have not yet met at the time of visa application. So, I also prepared documents to support this as part of my application. These are the supporting documents I brought with me:
The officer who interviewed me did not ask for any other documents aside from my current passport and old passport.
Interview day
- 1st stop - before entering another gate we lined up at a counter for the verification of our appointment time and date. A barcode sticker was put at the back cover of my passport. I was also given a big colored laminated card to distinguish the type of visa I was applying for.
- 2nd stop - we were ushered (by appointment time and visa type) to sit on a row of seats on a covered courtyard.
- 3rd stop - security check before entering another building. This is like the security check at the airport with scanners and X-Ray machines. Be aware that no cellphones and no food is allowed inside. I know this ahead as it was also stated in my Appointment Letter.
- 4th stop - checking of DS-160 Application Form and passport picture. Since I was confused about how to enter my middle name, I mentioned it and the lady behind the counter said, she already corrected it based on my passport details.
- 5th stop - scanning of fingerprints.
- Finally, I was ushered to await my turn for the actual interview.
I noticed a large waiting area with rows of chairs obviously intended for the applicants but since we were the first or second batch of the day, we were just told to stand in a short line as all the windows for the visa counter were still closed.
At around 8.30AM, the shuttered visa counter windows opened one by one and people ahead of me were slowly called in for the interview.
US Tourist Visa interview questions
The US Embassy visa section is certainly way bigger than that of the German embassy, which has only 5 counters as far as I can remember. I was interviewed by a lady officer on counter 35 and these are the questions she asked me:
These questions were thrown in fast. You will not have time to think out your answer, which is probably one way also to see if the applicant is lying or not. The question-and-answer portion lasted less than 10 minutes. The officer took more time typing in her computer, barely looking at me. Three (3) working days later I received my passport with a 10-year multiple entry B1/B2 US Visa.
I know that it helped a lot that I have a travel history. It also helped a lot that I already was in a serious relationship. But most of all, I believe that my honesty paid off and honesty always pays off.
Had I lied about who will pay for the trip, I will probably be denied. Because then I would have to lie to prove it.
Purpose of visit to the USA? – I want to go to New York and at the same time visit my sister in Florida.
What do you want to see in New York? – I want to see the Starry Night by Van Gogh.
Do you have relatives in the US? – Yes. My sister.
Ahhh, yes. What is her status? - she is a legal permanent resident there.
Any other relatives in the US? – Yes. I have some distant cousins there but I seldom communicate with them and I also don't intend to visit them.
Are you travelling with someone else? – Yes. My boyfriend.
Does he have a US Visa? – He is a German citizen, he has visited the US several times, I believe he just needs an ESTA.
Who is paying for your trip? – My boyfriend is paying for the plane tickets and hotel in New York and the rest of the trip we will be staying with my sister and her family.
Have you been to other countries before? – Yes, I have been to Singapore, Malaysia and Germany. Also, France and Luxembourg.
How many times have you been to Germany? – 2 times for a total of 120 days.
Do you like it in Germany? – Aside from because my boyfriend is there? (smiles) Yes. I love Germany, I love that it’s so green. I love the architecture and history.
OK. Let me just type a few things here…
Your visa is approved, have a nice trip.
These questions were thrown in fast. You will not have time to think out your answer, which is probably one way also to see if the applicant is lying or not. The question-and-answer portion lasted less than 10 minutes. The officer took more time typing in her computer, barely looking at me. Three (3) working days later I received my passport with a 10-year multiple entry B1/B2 US Visa.
So, how did I get approved even without a steady source of income?
Had I lied about who will pay for the trip, I will probably be denied. Because then I would have to lie to prove it.
Had I declared a 6-digit amount income in my DS-160 Application Form despite not able to prove the source (or worse, faking the source), the result will probably be different. Because then it will also not be consistent with the travels I had in the recent months prior to my US Tourist Visa application.
If I hid the fact that I do have a sister in the US because most ‘’experts’’ online say that having a relative in the US will mean your visa application will be denied, I would have been 100% denied. Because, believe me, the embassy has its own ways of knowing these kinds of details.
My husband travelled all the way to Manila to be with me on the day of my interview. He was, of course, not allowed to enter the embassy premises and had to wait outside along with all the other applicants waiting to be called in. As soon as he caught a sight of me exiting the embassy gate, he made a thumbs up sign as a question if I made it or not. He said I was poker-faced. Ha ha. I felt it was so surreal as I gave him a thumbs up sign in reply.
To close my story, I think as in all visa applications (and life in general, really!), just do your thing according to YOU. Do not believe what other people say because their experience will also be based on their own circumstances. Gather information from official sources. Build your visa application according to your own circumstances. Highlight your good points. Think quality over quantity. Stick to simple answers during the interview. Do not ever elaborate unless asked to. The more you talk, the more questions will come, the more mistakes you may make. Quite simply, just try it with all honesty.
 |
| That's me at the MoMA! |
By the way, my husband proposed in New York. So, a little over two years after I got my US Tourist Visa, and with a plan for a grand honeymoon, I had to re-apply due to change of name in my passport. This time I was absolutely unemployed, but that's a story to share another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment