I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. I waited in line the entire morning.
First they made me surrender my cellphone and go through the x-ray machine. But before that I had to fall in line.
Second I had to submit my application form for pre-screening, and get my processing number. But before that I had to fall in line.
Third I had to wait for my number to be called for the next step.
Fourth I had to have my index fingers scanned. But before that I had to fall in line.
Fifth I had to wait for my number to be called for the next step (again).
Sixth I had to be interviewed by the consul. But before that I had to wait for my number to be called (yet again).
Seventh I had to bring my yellow stub to the courier booth so they can send me my visa. But before that I had to fill up a form, get a number and wait for that new number to be called. (this is so repetitive)
Eighth I was done, but they have my phone so I had to fall in line yet again to get it back.
It felt so much like being in one of our local government offices with cleaner facilities, with the never-ending lines and the cues that showed everyone else’s number but yours. I cannot even begin to imagine how crappy it would’ve felt for me to walk out of their embassy empty-handed.
I arrived at 8:30 this morning, because my appointment was for 9:30am. I got out of the US embassy at one o’clock in the afternoon. I was tired and hungry. My interview was conducted at about eleven o’clock. The first thing the consul asked me was: “how are you today ma’am?” To which I replied: “Tired of waiting.” with a shake of my head.
I am thankful that I got a visa, because this means I can go with my husband on his trip this June. But on the other hand, I also feel that all that hard work seems a tad too much to get it.
2 Comments
Monday, July 7, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Lucky you, you got your visa. So many are turned down because of errors in the application, some are honest mistakes, some are “white lies”. I recommend checking with this office that helped my friends with their K-1 Visa application. They are located in Angeles City and have a website at http://www.bdc-consultancy.com and they won’t charge you for asking questions, they are honest, and won’t give you promises that can’t be met. And yes, they escort the applicant to the Embassy if needed.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 3:12 pm
i know. i was truly grateful.
it’s just crazy how hard it is to get a visa when you hold a philippine passport…..