My Visa Interview at the US Embassy in Manila

This is a repost from my old site. The original post is located here, but I've decided to migrate some of my posts to this new site instead.

"Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa . . . that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status . . .”

So anyway ... I don't know if it's really difficult for people to get a U.S visa or if it was just luck but it went breezily for me.

I flew in from Cebu at 4:45am, checked into my hotel to leave my phone, went to the embassy at 5:45, barely sunrise.

Paid 700 (the meter was 500 something, the rest was tip) for the cab from the airport, to the hotel as he waited for me to check in then to the embassy.

Was one of the firsts in line.

My interview was kind of like conversing with your friend about your travel plans.

As soon as I approached the window, the interviewer greeted me with a very charming good morning

Him: good morning *cheery smile*

Me: Good morning to you! *smiling back*

Him: So, why do you want to visit the US?

Me: for pleasure ... a little bit of shopping --- I'm taking advantage of the extremely low dollar rate. *joking tone*

Him: and what do you do for work?

Me: nothing. actually, I'm waiting to graduate university in March 2013

Him: so whose money are you gonna be shopping with? *amused*

Me: my dad's

Him: *smiling* and what are you studying?

Me: Fine Arts, majoring in Advertising

Him: Interesting. *still smiling* What do you plan to do after you graduate?

Me: live off my parents *jokingly* --- actually, I have to take over the family businesses after I graduate

Him: have you been out of the country before?

Me: I've been to Singapore, Hong Kong and China. I go to China and Hong Kong at least once a year to shop.

Him: *even more amused* do your parents have US visas?

Me: no, but they have Schengen visas, Japanese visas, UAE visas ... etc.

Him: your parents went to Europe and they didn't take you with them?

Me: no.

Him: well that's not very nice of them *jokingly*

Me: I know right? (I seriously said this. haha)

Him: so what do your parents do?

Me: Well we have family business. Well, my mom has her own (insert business here). And my dad took over his family's (insert business here). But his main job is that he runs a company that manufactures and exports (insert product here). He's been doing that for 25 years.

Him: so, who is (contact person in the US)

Me: oh, we went to High School together

Him: and what does she do in the US?

Me: she's in university. she's actually a US citizen but grew up here in the Philippines and went back to the US for university

Him: and where does she study?

Me: UCLA

Him: alright, your visa is approved. expect it by courier in the next 3 days *smiling*

Me: Awesome! Cool! Thanks a lot. *smile*

I didn't even have to produce any of the documents that I had brought with me for proof.

My interviewer (I think he was in his late 20's) was pretty much charmed. I guess it also helped that I pretty much speak with a natural North American accent. No stuttering or anything. Perhaps that showed confidence? Not quite certain what the correct formula was, but I'm glad I made it out with an approved visa.

I have been to work interviews more nerve-wracking than that.

--- advice: confidence is your ticket in.

Note that I had completed my application on November 8 (wednesday)

Interview date and schedule: November 15 7:30 am (thursday)

Booked a round trip ticket from Cebu to MNL on November 8 as well

Left Cebu for Manila at 3:10am and landed around 4:30 am

Couldn't decide where to leave my phone (because I sure as hell wasn't going to leave it with vendors) so I checked the agoda app on my phone for any hotels in between the embassy and the airport. I saw that there was a good deal for Crosswinds Hotel and I booked it.

Got there to check in left my phone and headed straight to the embassy. It was barely even sunrise.

I finished the whole process at around 10amish and headed back to my hotel room to rest and relax. Checked out at 4pm, headed to the airport to check in for my 6:30pm flight.

Easy breezy

xo

Stephanie