Getting a visa to the US is considered to be one of the toughest tasks in this part of the world. Till the visa is released, every applicant is on tenterhooks as the very moment the officer has the slightest of doubts regarding the background of the applicant, he declines the visa with a standard grin on his face. Though you have the option of reapplying, a positive result depends only on the strength of your stars!
I had an interesting experience when I applied for a US visa for the first time. At the time, I was in Sri Lanka as an expatriate official serving in the Colombo branch of a leading Indian bank. Our daughters aged 18 and 13 then were studying in Chennai.
As I had outstayed the tenure of three years normally allowed to an expatriate banker, my transfer back to India was on the cards.
Before we returned to India, my wife and I planned a vacation abroad. After a long discussion, we zeroed in on the US as our holiday destination.
With the visa applications duly filled out, my wife and I walked into the American Embassy on Galle Road. Unlike the anxiety that was looming large over almost every applicant, we felt calm and remained collected as we had already decided that Europe would be the next choice, in case we didn’t get the visa.
That day, we saw several aspirants returning disappointed with their applications turned down. When our turn came, we walked in coolly and greeted the interviewing officer. After realising that my wife was a Sri Lankan, he asked me where and how I met her before we got married. He also enquired if we had been living in India all along after I tied the knot. When I explained that it was an arranged marriage and that she was closely related to me, but was born and brought up in Sri Lanka, he looked amazed. Further, when I said we got married in 1972 and from then on, we had been living together in India, he appeared even more amused.
Finally when he asked for our travel itinerary, I politely informed him that we would be chalking out our trip plan only after he gave us the visa. With a calculated smile on his face, he asked us to wait for some time. We sat down and I started reading the book I had taken with me. After a brief waiting period, we were asked to pay the visa fees. We walked out of the Embassy with our passports stamped with multiple entry visa.
However, due to exigencies of service, we were compelled to postpone our trip to the US. Christmas was fast approaching and our daughters were scheduled to be back in Colombo on vacation. We then felt it would be ideal to take our daughters along with us to the US. Though we had valid visas, we had to apply for the visas of our children separately, which everybody said would be near impossible. However, we were not perturbed as our intentions were very clear and our appeal genuine.
On the D-day in the Embassy, when our turn came, I was surprised to face the same officer who had granted us visa. After listening to my explanation, he had a small chat with our daughters. To one of his questions as to whether she would like to continue her studies in some good university on her arrival in the US, my eldest daughter answered in the negative and also added that she might apply for a visa to do her Master’s in America after completing her Bachelor’s degree in India. To the great surprise of many, the officer released the visas of our children.
We embarked on a wonderful journey to the US and Canada that time and enjoyed our stay for over a month-and-a-half, returning thoroughly happy. We went back to our daily routines feeling spirited and rejuvenated.
Whenever someone intends to apply for a visa to the US Embassy, or any Embassy for that matter, I only advise them to be totally transparent and honest with the visa officer. I also guide them to keep cool during the interview and answer the questions boldly. Of course, this is possible only when your intentions are honourable and clear and you have no other hidden agenda!
tharci@yahoo.com