y471 03/18/2013 08:09:07 AM
Firstly I would like to thank all the folks here for sharing their experiences and offering tips. I have gone through almost all the posts here and I must say it has helped me a lot in preparing for the interview.
I am single and have a total work experience of about 1.5 years. I have never traveled before and my passport is as clean as a slate. Even my HR had taken more time talking about how vaisa rejection is not the end of the world than helping me with the interview questions (she had no hopes whatsover!).
In spite of all the above negaqtive points, I decided to give it a try.
The boimetrics was scheduled on 8th March at 1:30pm. I reached the place about an hour before. DO NOT make this mistake since they make you stand outside the gate till your slot comes and I will assure you standing in that balzing Chennai sun for long is not a good idea. The process itself takes about 10-15 minutes. I was out by 2.
The interview was on 11th March at 08:30 am. I reached about 15 min before. There was a long queue outside. I had wore a tie though I didn’t see many people wearing tie. After the formalities, I found myself in a hall where the interviews were going on. At this point I would like to say that there would be a lot going on in that hall. So, maintain your cool and don’t be too intimated by the proceedings. Just relax and go over the answers in your head. When my token number was displayed, I joined the queue in front of the counter. The officer was a middle aged man. The guy in front of me had got his visa rejected. The officer signaled to me that it was my turn. I approached the counter and wished the officer good morning with a smile.
Officer: Please hand over your passport.
Me: I handed over my passport to him with the BEP letter inside. He looked at the BEP letter and kept it aside.
Officer: What is the purpose of your visit?
Me: Meetings and trainings
Officer: What is the duration of your visit?
Me: 4 weeks.
Officer: 4 weeks is too long for meetings and trainings.
Me: I explained to him that I would have to go over many case studies which would take a major chunk of time. I was beginning to get quite nervous by now since he appeared kind of unconvinced.
Officer: I am still not convinced that you need 4 weeks. He then looks at his system. He looks back at me and gives me a symphatetic smile. I flash the best smile I got. He looks up his system again and finally after what seemed like an eternity says the golden words “I will approve your visa sir”. Thats’s it. No documents asked. He was telling something about sending the notification via mail but I guess I had gone deaf by that time. I told the thank you’s and fled out of the building punching th air all along.
I collected my passport today. It’s stamped with a 10 year visa.
Few pointers:
–Be CONFIDENT and look SMART. I have never liked ties but I made an effort to wear it for the interview and I must say it kind of makes you look well groomed and adds to your confidence.
–Keep your answers crisp and simple.
–Prepare a tentative week-wise schedule of your activities in the States. Though he may not ask you for it, it’s better to have a schedule ready as it helps you in answering the questions better.
–Never ever mention the duration of you stay to be longer then 4 weeks unless you have strong reasons and are sure to convince the officer. Stick to 3 weeks or less. You can always extend it later during your stay.
–Never give any document to the officer unless asked to.
–Be courteous and smile while answering questions.
–Always maintian eye contact with the officer
–Its ok to be nervous but don’t make it too obvious.
–Be present minded. The guy in front had done a stupid act while standing in the queue. Though he apologised to the officer later, I do think it had a small role in his visa getting rejected.
–Lastly don’t get dejected if your visa gets rejected. There’s always a next time.
Thanks and best of luck.
