US Visa and me

Visa always has been an issue for me. I got the Chinese visa 50 minutes before my flight time. I applied for the Indian visa at very last moment expecting no reply from embassy but fortunately I got both visas. I applied for U.S visa right on time or before time but I didn’t get it

Being the Regional Student Representative (RSR) of IEEE, one of my prime responsibilities is to attend the student activities committee meeting held at U.S, I was supposed to be one of the participants but I couldn’t get through the visa.

I was interviewed on 15th February 2008 for the first time at U.S Embassy Islamabad. I spent PKR 30,000/= on this trip and took one and half day off from office. Before Interview could take place, I had to be in five queues before (Ticket Queue, Bus Queue, Security Check Queue, Embassy Entrance Queue and Finally Waiting Queue for Interview). It took around 3 hours for me to reach to the counselor officer. Mind it, I was not confused at any point and was confident enough to get the visa. While I was in waiting queue, I saw one person being rejected, I said “Damn, how bad this person would be feeling, he is rejected on the spot” unknowingly this will happen to me as well. And here comes my number, I went to the window, she asked several questions starting from my birth to till date and I replied to them to the best of my knowledge and everything was nothing but truth. After Interview she gave me a paper and passport back saying “Sorry, you are rejected, but it’s not permanent refusal, you can re-apply”. My question was “what’s the reason?” she said “Everything is written on this document”.  After a long debate she said “It’s your organization”. I was seriously startled. I went outside I saw the document very carefully, nothing in specific was written on that page but that document seemed to be general purpose. I was pissed and called IEEE authorities and told them the whole story. They recommended me to re-apply. I re-applied for the visa on 25th Feb 2008, in the mean while IEEE authorities faxed some documents to embassy about the authenticity of the organization.

Second time I am again in Islamabad taking one and half day off from office. Again 5 long queues, this time I went a early because I wanted to interviewed in good mood. Here comes my number and following conversation took place in between me and counseling officer (C.O).

Me: “Good Morning Sir”
C.O: “Good Morning”
C.O: “After looking at my documents, Sir this is second time in the month you are re-applying, so what is the change in you”
Me: “There is no change in me, however this time I have more documents with me to prove the authenticity of my organization and they have also sent you dozen of faxes”
C.O: “Sorry Sir, Your visa is rejected again; he gave me the passport and same paper back”
Me: “Could you please tell me the reason”
C.O: “Everything is written on this paper”
Me: “Friend, I have read this paper 10 times and I don’t find anything specific, everything is general. What’s the main reason? What should I tell to my organization?”
C.O: “Sir, Please refer to the paper”
Me: “See, I have seen this paper earlier and I know nothing is written specifically on it. Why don’t you tell me the reason? You don’t like my face? You have some other reservations with me?”
C.O: “No Sir, It’s not like that, It’s the over all situation of you”
Me: “Overall situation. Financial / physical or ….?”
C.O: “Sir, Interview is over, Thank You and he switched off the microphone”.
Me: “Taking my stuff and giving him terrible look”

Causes / Observation in two visits / Comments by Friends

-    U.S Visa rejection ratio in Pakistan is 8:2, meaning 8 are being rejected out of 10.
-    A pure U.S national was taking the interview in Urdu, that last for 20 seconds and old lady who wanted to see her son was rejected
-    500 to 1000 people are interviewed every day at Islamabad, Pakistan
-    I was rejected for the visa because I didn’t take the bath that day
-    U.S guys has limit of issuing visa, probably they approached crossed it that day.
-    Mood of your interviewer must be off.
-    Second time you were rejected because you hadn’t enough time to get the security clearance.
-    Your doesn’t look like a person who should go to U.S
-    Simply bad luck 
-    In case of U.S visa, more important is luck NOT Interview.

Disclaimer:

Whatever is written below is my personal opinion, others may have different. All are the facts to the best of my knowledge and observations.