Friday, February 02, 2007 Velasco: How to Get a US Visa By Diana B. Velasco Grain of salt
(Part 1) FOR THE record, I would like to begin by stating that the United States is not in my list of the top 10 countries I would like to visit before I die. One of the biggest reasons for that are the numerous stories from friends and colleagues about the horrors and near-impossibility of obtaining a visa. The alleged reasons range between insufferably arrogant consuls and the mass of documents one has to bring to the embassy. I said I wouldn't even attempt to go there, as the stress would probably kill me.
Late last year, and with much disbelief, I found myself surfing the net to secure an appointment at the embassy. I was selected by Rotary District 3860 as one of the delegates to the 2007 Group Study Exchange Program, and it was an opportunity I would be foolish to forego.
Some people would say that the first thing to do to secure a US visa is to book an interview. That is a common mistake and something that I would like to correct.
The first thing that one needs to set before even attempting to go to the States is to have a purpose for going there in the first place. That purpose has to be extremely clear at the outset and should answer these four basic questions: 1. What are you going to do in the US? 2. How long will you be staying there? 3. Who is paying for your expenses? And most importantly, 4. When are you coming back?
We probably have a whole gamut of reasons for wanting to set foot on American soil, and they are probably all valid to some degree. Taking a state board exam, wanting to play tourist, going on a business trip or visiting relatives are reasonable to invoke to a poker-faced consul.
Here is a piece of advice though: it is the simplest and most straightforward reasons that get you a visa. Any form of BS, no matter how slight the degree, will be detected and will jeopardize your chances of getting that yellow claim stub. The consuls are very well-trained psychologists, and they can discern little fibs and outright lies in every little sigh, frown, smile and tear that you subject them to.
While I was waiting for my turn to be interviewed, I noticed a pattern of rejection that was not hard to miss. People who gave long answers, those who had no idea about what they were going to do there, those who practiced what they were going to say and most especially those who seemed absolutely desperate to go were not given a visa.
When you are asked "what are you going to do in the US?," answer in the clearest and straightest terms. State the purpose of the journey without any form of embellishment. You would be surprised that this simple question generates paragraph-long explanations from many applicants, making them prime candidates for rejection.
For the interview, remember this cardinal rule: the longer and more detailed your explanations, the smaller your chances of getting a visa.
(To be continued in the next column. For your comments and suggestions, you may email missabsinthe@yahoo.com)
