More US Visa tips

here's the continuation of my article yesterday.

so after paying for the application fee, booking your interview online comes the hard part- the interview. before going there, remember to double check your stuff. you may need to bring a certificate of employment your income tax form, bank statements, credit card statements plus all the supporting documents you need. Honestly the most important part is your ties to your country. a letter from your company may help.

here are more tips for that us visa:
1) be organized. the last thing the consul wants is you rummaging through tons of papers while she asks for documents. organize. organize. organize. it makes both you and that consul's life easier.
2) don't forget the important stuff. passport, 2x 2 photo, a pen, your application form. your papers. some common sense is a prerequisite
3) be there early. you're required to be 1 hour earlier than your interview time. there's also a queue of people.
4) dress appropriately. you want to be taken seriously? dress the part, but don't overdress. this is not a wedding, you're not going to the mall either.
5) bring extra money. when your visa gets approved, your visa and your passport will be mailed to your address, pay a delivery charge of Php 250 and more for provincial areas.
6) handle yourself well. this is probably the most important part when it comes to that interview. answer your questions carefully. don't buckle. answer the question clearly. don't be too restless and don't give preposterous answers.

good luck on that visa

hurray for obama!

after much hullabaloo i finally got my US visa!

It took me more than 5 years and restless nights to get this.

so you wanna go to the US eh?
here are my two-cents worth in making your us visa application successful:

1) go to evisa.state.gov.us this is where you download the application form.
be ready with information about yourself, your work, relatives in the states, etc.
2) pay the fee. its $131 US convert it to peso with the rate of 49.50 its about Php 6550 pesos. You pay the amount at any bdo branch.
3) after payment is completed, they will give you a supplemental form. fill up the necessary info. (Note: Under LIST COUNTRIES THAT ISSUED YOU A PASSPORT don't forget to put in Philippines. ) Remember to mark n/a in any question where info is not applicable.
4) book your interview. Go online and register. This is the faster way. You'd be asked to fill up information about you. You'd be charged $10 so be ready with your VISA or Mastercard.
There's a tricky part with the US Visa site. This site is not too compatible with Mozilla Firefox, I suggest you use the tricky old Internet Explorer. After registering and paying, and not scheduling your interview yet, you'd be stuck in net limbo, meaning you don't know what to do and you'd be back in the screen that asks you if what type of VISA are you applying. Don't worry and answer it again it will lead you the scedule an interview page. I suggest you schedule an early morning one (usual times are 6:30 am, 7:00 am and 7:30 am) Prioritize the first 2 timeslots.
5) Read everything carefully. One big mistake of most people is not reading what needs to be done. Remember to establish your ties with the Philippines or else they won't grant you a VISA.
The best way is to get a letter from your company signifying you have filed a vacation leave (VL) and they are approving of your stay in the US.