How To Score a US Visa, Pinoy-Style
My first trip to the US Embassy proved to be a truly enlightening one. Though I have been to the embassy twice before, those two instances were in Singabore where it was tamer (Singaboreans don't need a visa because their GDP per capita is 5,000X more than ours). Nothing could have prepared me for the circus that ensued. No, not even 11 registration sessions in UP!
But I did pick up a few tips from the 16,987 people sweating it out with me that day. I thought I'd post it here as a handy reference on how to get to the Land of Milk and Honey as a tourist. And these are all true!:
1. Persistence is best shown by disregarding the rules.
No cellphones allowed in the embassy? Scratch that! The person in front of me had his cellphone. And he was asked by security why he had it, if his only purpose was to apply for a visa. I wanted to answer for him: "I have a meeting with the Ambassador!" but he just left the queue.
No unloading in front of the embassy? Scratch that too! There was this lady who got off oh-so-slowly from her car, like she was being dropped in front of the red carpet at the Oscars. The guard kept saying with his bullhorn: "Bawal yan! Bawal yan! Deny na yan! Deny na yan!"
2. Dress to the nines.
Even if you have to be there by 6am (or earlier), and even if the weather is 40C, you gotta dress to impress! For men, this means a long sleeved shirt, a tie and a suit! For women, business suits and parlor-ed hair please (coiffure!). Oh, and don't forget the make-up.
3. Bring a document, any document, to prove that you will not be a TNT.
The person seated next to me had a letter from the Dean of the College of Nursing at the Maharishi University (I kid you not), inviting her to her sister's graduation ceremonies. The letter stresses the importance of this esteemed event, and how the University has planned a whole lineup of activities to celebrate this momentous occasion.
4. Bring your whole photo collection for show and tell.
Especially if you have photos of your house, your car, etc. The bigger and nicer, the better! They wanna hear about how you couldn't possibly bear to leave behind such worldly possessions.
5. Pray!
Of course, being the only Christian nation in Asia, how can we not pray? So bring your rosary to keep you company on the endless waiting. Also, doing the sign of the cross is particularly effective just before you approach the interview counter.
But I did pick up a few tips from the 16,987 people sweating it out with me that day. I thought I'd post it here as a handy reference on how to get to the Land of Milk and Honey as a tourist. And these are all true!:
1. Persistence is best shown by disregarding the rules.
No cellphones allowed in the embassy? Scratch that! The person in front of me had his cellphone. And he was asked by security why he had it, if his only purpose was to apply for a visa. I wanted to answer for him: "I have a meeting with the Ambassador!" but he just left the queue.
No unloading in front of the embassy? Scratch that too! There was this lady who got off oh-so-slowly from her car, like she was being dropped in front of the red carpet at the Oscars. The guard kept saying with his bullhorn: "Bawal yan! Bawal yan! Deny na yan! Deny na yan!"
2. Dress to the nines.
Even if you have to be there by 6am (or earlier), and even if the weather is 40C, you gotta dress to impress! For men, this means a long sleeved shirt, a tie and a suit! For women, business suits and parlor-ed hair please (coiffure!). Oh, and don't forget the make-up.
3. Bring a document, any document, to prove that you will not be a TNT.
The person seated next to me had a letter from the Dean of the College of Nursing at the Maharishi University (I kid you not), inviting her to her sister's graduation ceremonies. The letter stresses the importance of this esteemed event, and how the University has planned a whole lineup of activities to celebrate this momentous occasion.
4. Bring your whole photo collection for show and tell.
Especially if you have photos of your house, your car, etc. The bigger and nicer, the better! They wanna hear about how you couldn't possibly bear to leave behind such worldly possessions.
5. Pray!
Of course, being the only Christian nation in Asia, how can we not pray? So bring your rosary to keep you company on the endless waiting. Also, doing the sign of the cross is particularly effective just before you approach the interview counter.