I just finished my interview yesterday and I got approved 10Y ME visa. Yes, the consul told me that she will be granting me 10Y ME visa after the interview. I’ve been reading this thread since I got my appointment scheduled – every pages from p1-p370. I will try to be as detailed as much as I can to help everyone
I came with my dad to the US embassy so I can have someone I can trust who I can leave my phone to. We’re from Cavite so we went out as early as 4am in the morning to avoid the Monday rush. We arrived in the embassy around 6am. There were lots people of already. I mean “lots” of them. As in. We were offered a seat, which I know is paid from reading the threads here. Php30 each. I got two for me and my dad while we’re waiting.
At exactly 6am, they started calling the immigrant visa applicants (petition applicants, fiancée, spouse etc.) There were different lines for immigrant and non-immigrant applications for a very obvious reason. Around 7am every non-immigrant applicant was called inside their so called “waiting area”. From here you’ll see signs of appointment hours divided by around I think 15-30mins i.e. 7am, 715am, 730am etc. You’ll also see a notice telling applicants to arrive 15mins before their appointment. Take note: If you’re appointment is 815am, like me, you need to make sure that the sign is 815am not 8am. Your appointment time is the time you will start entering the premises.
After my 815am batch is called, we went to the first line entrance with the gray tent. They will ask for your appointment confirmation. There will also be ushers that will tell you to fold your DS160 crosswise and put it in the bio page of your current passport. Take note: CURRENT. You will be asked to show your old passports later.
After they checked your appointment confirmation, there will be 4 separate lines for non-immigrants and 1 line for immigrants. Here they will check your current passport and DS160. They will paste a barcoded sticker in the back of your passport. Then you will be asked to enter the building.
After you are inside the building, your bags will be checked. Bags of any size are allowed. AS LONG AS you don’t have any electrical gadgets, foods, weapons inside. They will ask you to remove everything in your pocket so make sure you keep everything behind to someone or somewhere safe. Then you will be ushered to the main building.
Step 1 is pre-screening. There will be a simple interview to determine if you’re applying for the correct type of visa. They will also check if your photo meets their technical requirements – if not, you will be asked to take another picture outside. There’s a KODAK photo-boot you can see even before you enter the main building. They will take your photo according to the requirements for Php80 for 6 pieces. This is what happened to me. So after taking my photo again, waited for like 5mins to get the photo. Then I went back to the main building again for the pre-screening.
IMPORTANT: In pre-screening you can ask them to amend any mistakes you did while filling up the DS160 online i.e. not being able to include middle name etc.
After this will be the biometrics aka. Finger scanning. You will be ushered to the window to get your fingerprints. Once you get to the window, you need to state your name and birthday. In my case, I think I have someone same name as mine, I can hear the Chinese girl and the American girl talking that what they see isn’t me lol. Oh make sure, you put hand sanitizer before biometrics. It’ll be easier to get your fingerprints this way. First left 4 fingers, second, right 4 fingers, then 2 thumbs then they will tell you that you’re good to go for the final step – the interview.
The line for interview is fast. I timed it and it took me only 15mins of waiting before I get interviewed. Below is my own interview. I got assigned to window 22 where the consul is a curly-haired girl. I’m relieved that she looked nice.
I said to myself before the interview – “I’m claiming it Lord!” I smiled and moved forward to the window.
Profile:
29/F
Married, 2kids
5x,xxx salary 2 years in the company
30k savings – take note
No documents were asked. I have ITR, COE, payslips, NSO certs. I don’t have bank cert though.
Me: Hello! Good morning! (In a very energetic voice)
VO: Good morning! Why are you going to the US?
Me: I want to visit Guam for a short vacation.
VO: How long are you going to stay?
Me: 4 days
VO: Have you been outside the country?
Me: Yep. HK, Macau, Japan.
VO: Do you have relatives in the US?
Me: Actually, I was just recently informed that I have one. My aunt on father side, living in Hawaii.
VO: Is your father an American Citizen?
Me: Nope
VO: Where did your last name from? Are you married to a US Citizen? (My last name really sounds like American kasi lol)
Me: Nope. I wish but it just sounds like it. *small laugh* (I just blurted it out, lol)
VO: laughed. (Good thing she laughed as well) You have kids?
Me: Yes, 2.
VO: Have you been outside the country? (2nd time asking)
Me: Yep. HK, Macau, Japan (I wanted to highlight Japan that’s why I mentioned it last)
VO: Oh yeah, you already told me that. Is your family living here in Philippines.
Me: Yep, all of them.
VO: Is your father an American citizen?
Me: Nope.
VO: What’s your work?
Me: I’m working as a Digital Marketing Specialist in an Australian-owned company in Makati.
VO: How much is your basic salary?
Me: xx,xxx.xx
VO: How long have you been in the industry?
Me: 7 years
VO: What course did you take in college?
Me: Bachelor of Arts in Communication
VO: Okay I’ll be approving your visa of 10yrs.
Me: Thank you very much. *smile wide open*
VO: Short vacation only okay?
Me: Of course. Thank you again.
VO: You’re welcome.
TIPS:
•I know praying helps a lot but before you start praying try studying first on what will you be up to. Knowing is half the battle. I read page 1-370 pages of PEX threads not including blogs, gtalk. I know not everyone has the time but if you can’t read the threads, Google is just there.
•Smile and be confident. PRAY. PRAY a lot. Smile a lot. Be confident a lot. 50/50 chance on getting a tourist visa, if you researched and confident and smile and pray, I’m telling you now have 60% chance of getting it. Higher than 50 right?
•1:1 One question. One answer. See how my interview went. Joke if you can, it will lighten up the mood but don’t go overboard. Timing is everything.
•Pray. Nothing is more powerful than prayers.
•Be honest. They are human lie detectors like what’s mentioned in this thread.
•Be 101% honest. If you’re honest and not hiding anything and have pure intention of going as a tourist, it will show.
Hope this helps. Good luck everyone!
