Visa interview

I got out of the hotel room, with my father, at about 6.30 am. I had told my parents that there wasn't any proper place where those accompanying the candidate could accomodate themselves near the consulate, so my mother stayed back and decided to come later with my father, who would come back after dropping me.

We went to the first hotel; they said breakfast would be ready only by 7am. So we went to the next hotel and I didn't really feel like eating anything, but managed to eat 1-and-a-half idlies. Then we went to the consulate by auto, for about 40 Rupees. There were already lots of people, and then I saw that my father was the only one who was still in a dhoti! He planned to drop me and then return to get ready and accompany my mother.

The guard called the batch at 7am, 7.30am, 7.45am and then the 8am batch. I immediately went ahead and joined the queue. There, a couple from Hubli, appearing for their B1, B2 visas, started talking to me about their application forms, and had various queries, but I had the least of interest, but little did I know that they would be of help later!Some 5 minutes after I stood in the queue, one of the security guards frisked me and then a security guard from inside a window checked my passport and interview time and let me in. There my plastic bag and folders were flipped to check if I had any cds, floppys(?) or any other unpermitted items. Then, I was asked to be seated before the pre-screening counters and wait till all the people of 7.45 batch and before were screened. It was then that I realised that I had not written my name in my native language, Kannada. I knew only to speak it; suddenly I remembered the elderly couple who were from Karnataka. I had been standing in the queue outside the consulate behind a guy from Hyd, and was sitting next to him. I asked him if he knew Kannada and replied in the negative. I told the VFS personnel and approached the couple, who, luckily were sitting in the row and hadn't been finished with their screening. I got them to write my name first on a piece of paper and then on the DS form. Thank God, I said to myself and thanked them. Fate has its own ways of making sure things happen the way they should....

The 8am batch was called to stand in the queue for the pre-screening. Before me in this queue was a girl, who had a barcode sticker already on her passport; she must be coming for her interview the second time, I thought. The lady at the counter, screening, asked her if she had paid the sevis fee for the correct I-20, because she opted for another college this time around for her visa. The lady said she hadn't paid the fees properly; the girl insisted she had. I don't know what happened later because the lady called someone on the phone and entered something on the computer and cleared the girl.

My turn came. I gave my DS forms, SEVIS fee payment online receipt printout, passport, HDFC fee receipt (yellow colour, the pink is personal copy), from which she took out one barcode sticker and stuck it on to my passport. She took a photo of my photo on the DS form, scanned the barcode and entered something in the computer in front of her. I noticed that the camera, a Sony digital camera, was operable via the computer, was connected to power supply and was fixed onto a stand with the lens facing downward. The lady at the counter placed the photo below the lens, waited for it to focus, and then 'clicked' through the computer. She put the DS forms and passport into a folder and gave it to me. I thanked her and asked the other personnel where to head next. He told me "Straight ahead, left, and the next building." I followed his intructions, and came to a heavy metallic door, which would open by pressing a horizontal knob. The door was really heavy and I almost let it hit me when I left it free.

Once inside the building, I looked around and personnel there told me to go and stand in the queue in the next section. The section near that entrance was for immigration visas, and there were some people seated in chairs and moved to the interview windows as and when their names were being called. I moved on to the next section, and stood in the queue. We were to get our fingerprints taken. There was a young American taking the fingerprints. You have to go to the window, place your left index finger on the scanner, which is a small box about the size of a rectangular peripheral mouse, and then the right index finger. The queue for this finger printing goes around the seating chairs, which is for those who have finished giving their fingerprints. I sat down in the second row. There was another queue in front of the chairs, this is a zig-zag queue for those who have their interview times called out by the VFS personnel who are regulating the visa seekers.

As I was seated, the infamous Mark, who is well known in online communities for his humour, came and introduced himself, to be about 16 years in the process of giving visas. He said Good Morning, to which not many replied back, and he said, "I can't hear you", to which all of us mumbled back, "Good Morning". He went on to speak about -wishing the visa officers taking the interview-smiling to them and speaking c-l-e-a-r-l-y and completely-giving them only what they ask for(documents)-avoiding fraudulent documents-being confident because, since his visa officers may be arrogant as they're young, may not be interested in us-how a third of the 200 daily applicants present fake degree certificate-how to place the folder in the slot UNDER(he stressed this many times lol) the window and not to shove it-speaking the truth - about whether you will return or not after studies - he said no one would like to pay 30k$ a year and return to India for a 12k$ a year job, so don't say you WON'T stay back in USA, just speak your mind, like you haven't decided or maybe you will work for a year or two-not giving stereotype answers to the question 'Why this University' or 'Why the US', like 'It fits my profile', 'I got an I-20 from this University" and stuff, because the VOs would have heard it so many times already.
This notwithstanding he even picked on a guy and told him how to be and look confident, and joked about unlike this guy who had a folder weighing about a kilo(must've been less), someone had come with a folder weighing 45 kilos(??)!However, one thing was clear-Mark wanted to relieve everyone of the stress and bring a smile instead of a frown on everyone's face. Finished with his speech, he said, "Now why isn't the air conditioning working.. It's really muggy in here.. Is that one working? (Now he's on a phone line by now, which is kept on a column i.e. pillar in the centre of that room)" and then he speaks to someone to fix the AC.

Sometime later one of the VFS personnel asked if anyone from the 7.45 batch were remaining, to which noone replied, and then he said, "Ok, all those in the 8 o'clock batch please raise your hands", and then said,"Ok those in the seconde row please join the queue". I instantly joined the queue. As time passed I had the chance to observe the interview windows. Window 1 had the young American guy fingerprinting; Window 2 had a middle aged American guy fingerprinting. Window 3 had a fair East-Indian looking lady; she was taking the interview as though she didn't care about anything; she was left handed and took every chance to give the candidate a teasing look....and obviously she was rejecting a lot of people. In the next window there was the East-Asian looking lady, with hair till her shoulders which were a bit curly. She was serious; giving every candidate thier worth I believe. Both these interviewers were taking some time to complete the interviews. A lady came carrying a baby, and she sent to the top of the queue bypassing it and was directed to the East-Asian lady. The East-Asian was asking a lot of questions, I overheard one of them as "Then why didn't you go " or something like that. At this moment the VFS volunteers shepherded some of us in the second row of the winding queue to the side windows and said, go to Window F.

I along with others went along. Now, I stood in a queue which I thought was for Window F because I thought I didn't see any difference between the queues for Windows E and F. So I asked a girl, "Is this the queue to Window F?". She said, "Yes", and I stood there itself. Actually, that was the queue Window E, not Window F. Then the VFS volunteers came and sent those behind me to the Window F. I, realising my mistake, was heading to Window F, when that girl ahead of me said, "No, don't go there, he's rejecting." I was astounded. What compassion... Seriously, I do believe my guardian angel was hovering somewhere around the Consulate. First the couple from Karnataka and then this girl. I remained in the same queue. Window E was a 45-50year old East-Indian-American gentleman, with a dark complexion, good height (I noticed when he stood up) and wore spectacles.

Another student in Window F was having a tough time, it must be his interview after one reject, his interview went something like this:
Visa Officer: So I understand this is the last time you will apply this year right
Student: Yes Sir
VO: Fine tell me a strong reason as to why you should not be rejected like the previous VO had.
Student: Sir I need an opportunity to study in the US........................................ ( I don't remember exactly)(after a couple of conversations)
VO(not satisfied with his reply): I'm giving you another chance. Why should I issue you a visa
Student: Because I have an I-20.
VO: So just because you have an I-20 I should issue a visa?
Student: .............................................(Some reply)
VO: Sorry I cannot issue you a visa because I feel you will not return from the USA.

The next student was trying to convince that VO that he could finance his education by pledging a 300 sq. yard piece of land. Reject. Next student said he had savings of 1 lakh. VO was very surprised. Then the guy said, I also have a loan for 13 lakhs, and 1 lakh from some other saving, so that makes 15 lakhs to finance my higher studies. VO says, OK since you have a loan to match your financial requirements I am granting you a visa. The student after this apparently did not have his provisional degree; he couldn't convince the VO about his financials; he was rejected on grounds of 'not being a genuine student as not having a degree certificate'. He must have been a genuine student because he was pleading his case very aggressively, with no effect. He was saying, "But I have completed my course!" He was half escorted out of the place. I felt really sad for him...

The turn of the girl in front of me came. She was asked to produce her marksheets and degree certificate; the VO asked her if she was the topper and if she had a certificate to that effect, and she replied positively to the former but negatively to the latter. And she was granted her visa.

Now it was my turn. But no. There were some technical glitches with the mike, and there was a technician and said, "Could you please step forward and speak into the mike?" I stepped forward and said, after split second thinking, "Check". Ha. Very neutral speech, I thought. The technician nodded his head, because I think the mike wasneng. He looked around and found that the mike was off..... He switched it on and asked the person behind me to go to the last window and speak to the mike. He promptly went to window F and was trying to do as said. The VO in that window was obviously surprised. Then the technician said he had meant the last window even past window F, past a door.

At last my turn came.
This is my profile:
College-National Institute of Technology, Trichy (B.Tech, Chemical Engineering)
CGPA-8.1
GRE-800+550-1350
TOEFL-109/120
University heading to-University of Akron, Akron, Ohio (Specializing in Energy & Environmental Engineering)
Total I-20 funding needed-$21,850
Source of funds: Father is sponsorer

"Step forward please", the VO said. Both of us said Good morning to each other simultaneously. He asked for my folder which I gave to him. As he was typing, he pushed aside my passport which was covering the section mentioning my current institution of study and saw : 'National Institute of Technology, Trichy'. He continued typing on his comp.
VO: Can I see your marksheets please
Me: Yes Sir, I have my consolidated marksheet
VO: Ah yes....
Me: Would you like to see my individual marksheets, Sir?
VO: No..
VO: Can you give me your GRE scoresheet please..
Me: Yes Sir.. ( I gave it to him)
VO: (After further typing on the comp, he placed everything aside, rested himself on his elbows, came forward and said,) Will you take a loan?
Me: Yes Sir, I do plan to take a loan, in fact I have a provisional sanction of 15 lakh.
VO: What do you intend to do after completing your degree?
Me: Well Sir, I haven't decided on a job in the USA, but I plan to come back to India and work here. The opportunities for my field of interest, Energy and Environmental Engineering are vast with a lot of petrochemical companies in Tamil Nadu itself.
VO: Ok Sir, your visa is granted and your passport will reach you in two days. ( He hands back the GRE scoresheet, consolidated marksheet and I-20)
Me: Thank you very much, Sir.

I was so overjoyed that I couldn't stop smiling... I found my way out, on the way helping a couple get into the interview building by opening the door for them, and announced the good news to my parents who were waiting outside. I was so happy... My father got some tender coconut to drink, and I called my friends and told them..