The Judgment Day

Had my visa interview on 14 may, guys chill the visa interview is not quite like the real judgment day where all your evil and noble deeds are evaluated. In my opinion visa interview is a normal, formal task and when you have all the things right in place u need not worry about your visa.

My visa appointment was at 8:15 in the morning so instead of going to VFS ,the visa facilitation centre I went straight to the consulate . Seeing a large number of people standing in front of the consulate made my heart sink, I thought it would take a lot of time to get the visa thing done. 2-3 guys working for the consulate asked people to stand in different queues according to their time slot. To my surprise the queues seemed to move in to the consulate pretty fast. I entered the consulate approximately at 9:15 and hereafter the drama unfolds.

Scene 1: Security Check

U are asked to go through a metal detector. If u abide by the laws of the consulate and pass the test u are given a wooden stick that u r supposed to keep through out ur interview. (I don’t know if they use these wooden tokens to keep the count of people inside the consulate but anyways u have to keep it with u through out the interview).

Scene 2 : Receiving Document

When u enter the consulate u are supposed to stand in a queue to get the documents that u had initially submitted in the US VFS Application Centre.Here you get your token number.

Scene 3 : Finger Printing.

U proceed to the finger prints counter where u are supposed to get finger print of both ur hands and then of both the thumbs.

Scene 4 : Wait Sate

After u are done with finger printing. U wait in the interview room. Now the consulate seems more or less like state bank where all the customers are asked to sit on chairs and the officers sit in cubicle. I sat besides the loudspeaker it is here where u can hear clearly your token number. Token numbers are announced randomly and do not follow any sequence so u have to listen carefully to very announcement made and see if ur token number is being called. (the announcement is somewhat like – token numbers 123,245,12,385 report to counter number 11 .)

Caution : do not miss your token number .

Scene 5 : Actual Visa Interview

I went in the cubicle and the VO asked me 3 questions. U don’t have to worry about the microphone ,it is powerful enough to catch ur voice.

Question 1: Why US ?

Answer: To do my Masters in Computer Engg with specialization in Software Engg.

Question 2: What do u do currently?

Answer: Work in IBM as an Associate Systems Engineer.

Question 3: Why do u wan to leave a good company like IBM and come to us?

Answer: For further studies, I would love to join IBM India after my Masters.

Vo: Ur visa has been granted.

Scene 5 : Smiles all over the place

I came out smiling and handed over my wooden token to security officer while exiting.

Visa Done … Final Hurdle Crossed.