US Visa thread 13

[mei-mei]

My husband and son are going to apply for a visa (i already have one). Is it possible to have my aunt join them in the interview? My aunt is going to accompany us in our trip and we're going to shoulder her expenses. I'm kinda worried lang if we will set her for a separate interview kasi she was already denied years ago.

She can join them but, for sure, she will be called separately by the consul. Our family applied before with my uncle and we thought they'd ask us to go to the consul together as 1 family, but they didn't. Because my uncle is a separate "family" of his own, they asked him to go first, then us later. So make sure your aunt has her own copies of documents and she knows how to answer the questions.

[pampam]

Hi sharing our interview experience last May 22. It might be useful to others who are planning to apply.
We are family of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids (10&6yrs old)

Our appointment time was 9:30 but since there is low volume of applicant that day they let us in at 850am

Window 1: pre screen
Asked our purpose of travel we said vacation.
He also asked for the picture of my husband and son only. Good thing I brought extra.

Window 2. Finger scanning
Asked for our full name and birthdate

Last step
Interview (male white American consul)
VO: hello folks
Us: good morning ( handed our passport )
VO: purpose
Me: vacation
VO: how long are you working and where?
Me: answer
VO: so you both own the business
Husband: yes
VO: how many employees do you have ?
Husband : answer
VO: how much gross income does your company earn?
Husband : answer
VO: how much net income ?
Husband : answer
VO: do you have relatives? Where?
Me: yes. Las Vegas
VO: when are you planning to leave
Husband: December during Christmas break of the kids
VO: (called my eldest son) hey bud what's your name ? What grade are you? Where do you study ? Have you traveled with your parents ? Where?
Son: answer
VO: (to my youngest son) how old are you? What grade are you? When is your birthday ?
Do you travel with your parents?
Son: answer  in a very low voice (ninerbyos yata 😂)
VO: can't hear you bud
Son: repeated his answers
VO: ok your visas are approved. It will be delivered in 5 days .

We got our passport yesterday with 10 yrs multiple.

I know everyone's advice is to stay calm pero if you are inside na it's impossible na di ka kabahan. Kahit wala ka tinatago and all your answers are truth minsan nakaka blanko din kasi ang bilis nila mag bato ng questions kaya kahit ready ka minsan di ka nakaka sagot agad 😂 Even my eldest son while naka pila kami binulungan nya ko " I'm quite nervous mom"  Siguro naririnig na nya kasi yung ibang interviews . May consul malakas boses na parang galit.

It won't help pa na naririnig mo yung interview ng Iba. Kahit ayaw mo marinig 😂
Will share ano yung mga narinig kong interviews while waiting

1. Girl before me. We have same window number I was behind her. An organization is sponsoring her trip. Questions are more about the said organization . The girl mentioned it's a non profit org that caters to kids with special needs. VO also asked her travel history. Medyo maraming tanong Sakanya but eventually she was approved.
2. On the left window , a senior citizen I didn't hear much the questions but she was denied. Si Lola umaapila about the decision. Eventually Sinara in VO yung blinds kaya wala nagawa si Lola ☹️ Medyo na stress ako dun.
3. Right side . A senior citizen having difficulty understanding and speaking Tagalog. So ang Tagal nila nag uusap hangang nag tatagalog na din si consul 😂
I don't know if she was given a visa or not kasi kami na next.
4. Far left side. A sossy lola, grandson and  Yaya (naka uniform si Yaya kaya Alam ko na Yaya sya 😆)
Did not hear the interview but approved silang Tatlo. Swerte ni Yaya 😊

Base sa mga narinig ko They will always ask for your salary or income. They don't ask for bank statement, itr, payslip. Basta they just ask how much salary mo. Baka na research na din nila yan before your interview.
Basta don't lie yan pinaka importante.
Good luck sa lahat ng may scheduled interviews 👍

[solstice]

Hi mga sis me and my fiance is planning to apply for US Visa for our honeymoon.  Pwede ba kami iconsider as group appointment na sabay iinterviewhin or individual talaga? Thanks!

[grace08]

Anybody here na nagrenew thru drop box ? Kamusta application?

[unicorn_ChicMD]

Hi mga  sis, my parents are planning to apply for tourist visa. Both are working pa and matagal na din sa respective companies nila. Bibisitahin lang nila ang tita ko(kapatid ni mama) sa California. Do you think malaki ang chance ma approve sila? Do they really need to print their bank statements and how much ang safe na meron sa bank if ever? Salamat sa mga sasagot.

[Gaysha]

^It doesn't hurt kung i-ready na rin nila di ba? Amount should be commensurate sa how they can afford their trip etc and more. Basta prepare documents na rin. In fact, the US Embassy Manila have provided what documents to bring, check out under "Supporting Documents" : http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-typeb1b2.asp#qualifications although most reports here, they were not asked for any. In my case, I was asked to show my ITR and I was asked questions about what I declared there.

^^http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-visarenew.asp

[unicorn_ChicMD]

^thanks so much sis! correct, better to be prepared kaysa nganga pagdating dun. 

[darkchoco]

Depende lang ba sa oras and araw, or parang ang konti ng applicants ngayon? I remember when I got a visa last year for a work-related trip sa US, mas puno.

Ngayon, when I applied for a tourist visa, ang bilis ng processing. 8 am yung sched ko, pero nagpapapasok na when I arrived 7:20. By 8 am nakapila na ko for interview, and by 8:15 or 8:20 tapos na ko. Thank God, approved. Di ko lang alam gaano katagal validity, di ko na din tinanong kasi baka magbago isip nung consul hehe.

Less than 5 mins lang yung interview sa akin. Maybe it helped that I have a valid US visa (na hindi tourist)? Tinanong lang ako what I did when I went to the US last year, what I'm going to do there on my next trip (pasyal and to see relatives), how long I've worked for my employer, and if I'm married and have kids.

To be honest, ninenerbyos ako na ma deny even if may visas na ko for other countries (UK, EU, Japan) kasi I'm single and in my late 30s. Buti na lang approved pa din.

[Gaysha]

^10-year ME yan sis! sure na

[rome01]

Pwede ba magsama ng helper even if di siya applicant?
Hirap kasi ako especially if magtantrums need 2 pairs of eyes and ears sa kanya lalo if maglikot.
She can bring toys ba if ever ?
Kasi she hates coloring and writing so during wait time I don't think coloring book will be enough for her. Though ofcourse i-cocondition ko muna weeks before kami maschedule.

Do they have special lane as well for those with disabilities? My daughter is on spectrum , non expressive. She can tolerate minsan wait time pero lung may gadget and di naman pwede.

Regarding requirements, Okay na kaya medical cert from devped and NSO birth certificate?

How near the parking ba and may waiting area ba for companions kung sakali di makapasok helper or hubby ko.

Thanks sissies.

[angeljolie]

After 2 denials (2009 and 2011), I was finally granted a 10-year ME visa last week. 

My sister has been in the US since 2008. Working visa sya nung first 2 applications ko. Itong last time, legal permanent resident na sya.

On all applications, single mom ako. Though yung first 2 times hindi ko naisingit na may kid ako. Etong huli nung tinanong ako if I'm married, sabi ko no but I have kids.

My interview was last Thursday, 6 July. Got my passport back today. Ang bilis!

Sa totoo lang nagulat ako hehe. I was expecting another denial kasi wala naman masyadong nagbago saken from my last application. Tanggap ko nang ibabalik nung consul saken yung passport ko. Sobrang nagulat ako nung sinabing approved. Buti nakapag thank you pa ako hehe.

Eto yung mga tanong saken:

Consul: why are you going to the US?
Angeljolie: sightseeing and visiting family.
C: what family do you have there?
A: my sister and her family.
C: where?
A: louisiana
C: are you married?
A: no but I have kids.
C: how many? How old?
A: 2. 14 and 4.
C: are they traveling with you?
A: not this time.
C: what do you do here?
A: i work for the XXX
C: how much do they pay you?
A: xx thousand pesos
C: (looks at something on the wall. Kept on typing on his computer.)
C: how long have you been with XXX?
A: 4 years.
C: have you traveled outside the Philippines?
A: yes, to about 8 countries in Asia.
C: have you traveled outside Asia?
A: not yet. (Bagong renew yung passport ko so walang laman except for a recently secured Japan tourist visa. Buti naman naniwalang naka travel nako hehe.)
C: Your visa's approved, you'll get your passport back in about a week.
----------------------------


It pays to be confident kasi the first 2 times I was trembling. Ngayon since tanggap ko na na madedeny ako, hindi nako kinabahan. 😂

Good luck mga sis!

[nikki]

Hello! Anyone else here renewing via drop-box?  I am currently working on mine and my hubby's US visa renewal... mine is expiring this october and his in december.  I hope everything goes well.  I had a hard time applying for US visa before and got denied twice if I remember correctly.  I was single then and my immediately family are legal permanent residents.. I think I have higher chances now but still worried of course (I also stopped working 3 yrs ago so I depend on hubby's financial support).

There's only 1 thing that's bothering me now..  when you read up the criteria for drop-box, we are definitely eligible.  However, in the process of securing the drop box confirmation letter, there is 1 question there that I'm not sure of.  You must be able to answer "Yes" to qualify.  The question is, if there is not need to change name, gender or birthdate in the Visa.  My existing visa still has my maiden name, but my passport and my DS-160 form of course, indicates my married name already.  I have yet to complete the process but I'm leaning on "YES"  i guess it's ok to keep my maiden name in the VISA.  i didn't have issues with it anyway even if my passport has my married name already.

any thoughts? 

[Fidelis8]

hi nikki, based on my understanding i think you should go for a YES but let's wait for more opinions
i haven't tried the drop box method yet

[nikki]

^thanks sis!  yes, agree.  I guess I didn't want that tiny bit of info to affect the whole process of me using the drop box vs an actual interview.  In the first place, it wasn't listed as an eligibility criteria but was only included in that set of questions upon generating that confirmation letter/scheduling an appointment.  If my maiden name is used in the VISA (assuming it's approved), then there is no actual change to my current situation of having my married name in my passport.  But then, maybe if it's a gender or birthdate correction, then that's a whole different scenario.

[appleberry9]

How much is the current US tourist visa fee in pesos?

[nikki]

^it's 8,160 ($1 = 51 pesos) valid until July 16

[cl1995]

My parents and my 2 older brothers will renew their visa via drop-box except me because I was issued a tourist visa when I was 12 so I will be interviewed

Will update you when they renewed their visa via drop box

[nikki]

I dropped off mine and hubby's visa renewal application yesterday at 2GO megamall. I didn't have to pay anything na pala.

Hay I'm still very much worried and paranoid. I had a hard time getting a visa in the past since my immediate family are LPRs. But I'm praying so hard I get approved together with hubby 🙏

[Giegie]

hi there....I tried the drop box route but then they returned my application due to my photos sobrang hassle nga eh na I have to schedule na an appointment with the embassy, with a new set of photos.

It was such an ideal program specially now that you can pay fees online , and apply online , so if you pass the program, you would have renewed your application without really leaving your house, just going to the 2go outlet was your out of the house travel for the whole renewal process

To those who were successful with this program please share your story.

[ff_rabbit]

I'm also about to renew via drop box but the 2go outlet (Emerald - Ortigas) I went to doesn't accept US Visa applications. So I guess not all branches are affiliated with the US Embassy. I will just go to Megamall since I read above that they accept applications.

I also would like to hear from those who successfully renewed via drop box 😊