US Visa Application - Part 4 : Prepare for the interview

After the interview appointment has been set, you will need to print your confirmation letter as this will be the one that you will need to present. Stated on this letter are the documents that you need to bring with you to the embassy on the day of the interview. I was just asked to bring my passport. But it also stated that I can bring other documents that may be required to support my case. For this I have prepared my payslips, an employment certificate, bank statements and proof of ownership of real property. I went as far as memorizing my cousin's (the person I stated in my application that I plan to visit) home address and where she works. I also asked my cousin where she plans to take me (popular tourist spots) should I be granted a visa, although honestly, a trip to Victoria's Secret for lingerie shopping and to Bath and Body for body splash overload will be exciting enough for me... And of course, outlet store, outlet store, outlet store! It would be nice to be able to watch an NBA game too.

I tried to be as organized as I could possibly be with my documents. My mom, who clearly has more organizational skills than me, had her documents in a clearbook. I was told to only present documents when the interviewer asks for it,  so the last thing you would want is to fumble while looking for your documents. They say an interview would last for only 3 minutes, I don't think the interviewer would patiently wait without getting pissed if you take your time in finding the document that she needs to see.

The night before the interview, I called up some friends who have gone through the experience of applying for a visa too. They just told me to relax and to be early for my appointment.  After preparing the folder containing all my documents, I also prepared the clothes that I will be wearing.

Washed my face, brushed my teeth, whispered a prayer, set my alarm to go off at 4:30am, checked my fb and twitter one last time and tried to sleep.

US Visa Application - Part 3 : this little pig went to the bank

After the online application form has been properly completed, the next step is to pay for the US visa application fee. I got this table from the us embassy website :

160 US dollars for a non-immigrant visit visa. Whether your application for a visa gets approved or not, you really have to shell out this amount. Once you have decided that you are ready to part with your hard earned cash,  Go to this site : http://ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-paymentinfo.asp

and choose whatever payment option will be convenient for you. I decided to pay cash at the bank. 

After clicking on the option, you will be directed to a page that you need to print. 

Should you be applying with your family, please print a separate slip for each member, 1 payment slip = 1 applicant. Present this to the bank. 4 hours after your payment has been processed, you can now arrange an appointment for the interview.

Go this this site : https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/

and create an account.

After being able to successfully create an account. you will see this page:

Now we are ready to find a suitable date for our interview.

choose the visa type that you intend to apply for:

You will be directed to a page where you will be asked for your personal data. Please note too that you will be asked to input your DS-160 confirmation number so you must keep that handy. This part will also ask for your mailing address. approved visas are mailed so make sure to correctly input your mailing address.

TIP: Choose the earliest interview time! Tell you why on my next post!

US Visa Application - Part 2: Honesty is the Best Policy

The first step to getting a non-immigrant US visa is to go to this website:

https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/

click on the 1st option and you will be directed to this page:

Scroll down and select the location where you are and click START AN APPLICATION. You will then see this:

Take note of your application ID , print it if you can. I personally just wrote it down. Scroll down to choose a security question you want to answer and click CONTINUE.

will then be directed to this page:

It took me roughly 40 minutes to completely answer this all the way to the security background questions. As you can see, details about your passport, travel and US contact will be asked. I had the following ready:

• my passport
• my SSS ID card 
• the name, address and contact details of the person I will be visiting
• if somebody else will pay for your travel expenses, the name, address and contact details of the one sponsoring your trip should also be ready.
• information about my work

TAKE A TIP:

• Read carefully and answer each questions as honestly and accurately as possible.
• I found the right sidebar helpful too.
• Don't leave any questions unanswered and tick the DOES NOT APPLY button if the question is not applicable.
• You can leave an item blank if you see *OPTIONAL 

If at any part you failed to complete a needed data, you will not be allowed to proceed to the next page and will be alerted.

A box with letters written in red will show you which items you failed to answer, a corresponding red arrow will point to the items that needs to be answered. 

The security and background part is answerable by yes or no.  Read everything carefully. After completing all the security questions, you will be asked to upload a photo.

My cousin Ken was kind enough to take my photo and upload it. Please make sure that the photo you will upload satisfies the photo requirements. Click here to see the requirements set for visa photo. Please note too that should your visa be approved, the photo that you uploaded will be the one that will be attached to your visa. My cousin Ken took a couple of shots before we were able to find a suitable one to upload. 

While I was having my photo taken, Ken reminded me to:

• Remove my eyeglasses 
• Not to tilt my head 
• not to show my teeth when I smile

After the photo was uploaded and has been approved, the next step will be to review all the information that you have provided.

Should there be an item that you feel needs to be corrected, click on the edit portion and you will be able to make the necessary changes.

After making sure that all given information are correct; you will be asked to confirm the location where you will submit your application:

After which you will be asked to electronically sign your application and submit it.

There! A bit time consuming, a few clicks here and there but not really very difficult.  Next post will be paying for the application fee and getting scheduled for an interview.

US visa Application - Part 1: tell you a secret!

I was granted a 10-year multiple entry B1/ B2 visa which I received just yesterday. And as a sign of my gratitude, I will help the American embassy with "walang sikreto" its public service campaign against visa scams. I was at the embassy last October 16 for my interview and I saw this tarpaulin in the waiting area:

to know more about the embassy's scam-busting campaign click here

The secret? There is no secret! I went through the process unaided and only paid for the 6720.00 pesos (equivalent to 160.00 dollars) application fee through the bank. You really don't need to pay for assistance in obtaining a US visa. I hope this campaign can help put a stop to US visa application scams.

Want to apply for a US visa? Follow my next posts and I will try to be as detailed as possible and hopefully be of help.