Sharing my US Visa application experience today:
Took a cab from SM North Edsa - taxi meter rate is Php 183 pero dahil alam kong malayo at pasko, nagdagdag ako ng onti.
I arrived outside the embassy at 6:00AM for my 7:15AM appointment. Nagpapapasok na yung guard at around 6:40. Had to throw out my water but I kept the bottle. Pre-checking. Fingerprinting. They started interviewing tourist visa applicants around 7:40AM (sabi ng watch ng katabi ko). Watch the number flash on the screen kasi hindi chronological order. I brought a book pampalipas oras. I am not a very chatty type of person when in lines.
I got the friendly blonde curly haired woman as the consul.
VO: Why are you going to the US?
Me: To watch the Lion King on Broadway (pangarap ko talaga to guys) with friends.
VO: Where do you work?
Me: <answer>
VO: What is your monthly salary?
Me: <answer>
VO: So where have you traveled to?
ME: HK, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Italy France, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, China
(Aba tinodo ko sagot ko para masabi that I have good travel history!)
VO: All of that in the past year?
Me: No, the past 5years
VO: I see I see. *looks at my passport*. Are you single?
Me: Yes.
VO: Who do you live with?
Me: I live at home with my parents and siblings.
VO: I see! That's why you can afford to travel, you still live at home.
Me: *Smile* Yes! (totoo naman!)
VO: Where did you go to school?
Me: <school>
VO: So you are flying all the way to the US to watch a show?
Me: Yes, I missed their show in Singapore way back in 2010.
VO: Why not watch Beauty and the Beast here instead here?
Me: They don't have the same soundtrack
VO: *nods* Well it is good show. Allright, you'll get your visa in a week. Enjoy the show!
Me: *big grin* THanks!
I got out at 8:30AM. Nagtanong pa ako sa isang nagja-jogging para sa oras because I had no watch and no gadgets with me. I walked all the way to UN and all the way to LRT station - mga 15-20 minutes walk yun.
It pays to be early kahit di ka makakapasok agad. Kasi mauuna ka sa pila, tapos mauuna ka din sa number. If you have kids/elderly, pauunahin naman yun so in those cases, kahit on-time lang ang dating.
Good luck to all other applicants!
