This was taken way back May 7, 2007 and was originally posted in my dabawenya babe’s blog last August 10, 2007.
After the long period of waiting for my visa interview to come and after finishing the agony of completing the medical exam, here comes Monday- the day of my long awaited interview.
As expected it brought me sleepless Sunday night, it was a mixed emotion. I was excited and yet a little scared because I know there are other applicants who failed their interview and it’s either I’ll pass it or fail it. There are no other options.
Anyway, around 3am Vanessa and I were already up preparing ourselves and re-check our papers for our interview. As I’ve said in my previous entries, I was with 2 other applicants Mitch and Vanessa and Mitch was already done last Friday and had already passed her interview.
So we took a shower and at 4am, we’re already in the street looking for a taxicab. Our interview was scheduled at 7 30am but we opted to go to the embassy hours earlier since we ‘ve always heard info that it is an advantage to go to the embassy earlier especially that there will be hundreds of other applicants.
We stayed in a hotel where it is only a few blocks away to SLEC and the US Embassy. It was not necessary to ride a taxicab but hence it was too early and we were not familiar with the place, we opted for one. We arrived in the US Embassy building after 5 or 7 minutes.
There were already people outside the embassy gate when we arrived so we just joined them. Hence it would take us hours to wait for the embassy office to open (they usually open around 6 00am), Vanessa and i rented chairs (P30 each) from the kiosk sari-sari store that is located in front of the building. This store is also offering rental space for cell phones, keys, or anything that is not allowed to bring inside the embassy.
It’s not that safe but if you have no choice then you need to gamble, as for us, we left our cell phones and keys in our safe deposit box in the hotel.
This is also one thing that the interviewee needs to take note, she/he needs to be research/ask this simple things before going in the embassy. This way, it will save more time and its more convenient.
So anyway, here comes 6 00am and the workers in the embassy started going in the front gate to call for the 6 30am visa applicants and around 6 45am, they started calling the second batch which is our schedule..the 7 30am batch.
These are the papers that they asked in the gate:
- Appointment letter
- DS forms (DS 156, 156k and 157)
- ID
I believe they are checking the DS forms to double check if the forms were correctly filled up. So then we continued to wait in line (it was a long line) until we were told to go inside the door for k1 visa applicants. Take note that there were k3, student visa applicants and etc that were also scheduled for interview or for paper processing on that time.
When we get inside the building, we were still following a line going to the first paper check and here’s what they checked and gathered from us:
- DS forms (156, 156k & 157)
- Birth Cert
After this, they marked my papers with a number. They then issued me a copy of this number and told me to wait for my fingerprint.
This is the time that I was able to sit down and wait for my number to show in the queing board for my fingerprint and for my interview. After around 20 minutes, I took my fingerprint then I went back to sit down and wait for the first interview/collection of my papers.
Then I saw my number on the queuing board and told to proceed to a window # (sorry I forgot what window number was that). It was a Filipina and she collected papers like: CENOMAR, NBI Clearance, Divorce decree of hubby, the evidences of relationship that I compiled (she took the whole folder) and there was a preliminary interview on this time. Like she was clarifying/verifying the information I submitted.
To be honest, I was trembling while walking going to this window but after our talk, I felt at ease. The questions were all about me and my then fiancé –now hubby; some information about him and some information about our relationship.
It runs around 5 to 7 minutes then I went back to sit down again to wait for the consul interview. Now this was different, I feel like I’ll be on for an electric chair or something. Though my confidence was boost up, I’m still nervous.
I can’t really help it, I know on the other side of the world, somebody’s nervous too.
45 minutes went by….
My number was blinking in the queuing board and displays I need to go to window #27 (yeah I still remember this number) and so here comes my moment 
. I went to the room nervous but confident. The consul started the interview by saying “Hi” and “How are you?”.
He was very professional and was also cracking jokes in between serious question that’s why my tension flew away. It was mere like a conversation per se and not an interview. Everything he asked was all about hubby and I and there was nothing that he asked that I didn’t know. Carlo (hubby’s name) and I would talk/chat forever for like 2 years in our long distance relationship.
The only time we can’t talk is when he or I’m sleeping. That’s true. When he’s at work and I’m at home, we talk via email..until I’m about to sleep. When he comes home from work and I’m going to work (time difference), we talk on email again and during weekend, we study together and if he goes out or I go out, we text each other. Even when he attended biz trips, I am the first person to have a copy of his itinerary.
So anyway, after 10 minutes, I got the consul’s smile and my warm congratulations, my take care on my incoming trip and best wishes for my incoming marriage. Then he also told me proceed to window # (sorry I forgot the window number) to get some papers and to pay for my visa delivery, and I give him big thanks. You know, I can’t thank this consul enough for giving me an “at ease” interview experience.
I was almost crying on that time, I became very emo or rather I should say..I was full of emotion. I calmed myself first before proceeding to the next window or else I’ll faint :-). Then I went to Delbros booth, I filled up a paper (details for the visa delivery -address, contact #, case # and etc) and then I went back in our hotel and this time I went walking.
You might be asking about Vanessa? She had her interview ahead of me; I believe all of those who had a child/children with them on that time were interviewed first. She was also approved.
My only advice to give for all of those applicants that are waiting for their incoming interview, compile all the papers that the US embassy is requiring ahead of time so when the interview/medical time is approaching; you don’t panic.
Don’t get nervous on the interview, everything they’ll ask from you are all relevant in your ongoing relationship. I know that may sound unavoidable (not being nervous) but take it from me, I was there and everything was really easy.
