Interview

Don't worry...I'm not quitting my company. Not just yet, anyways :-)

Had to go to the US embassy this morning for an interview. Since I have to go to the US in the next couple of months, and since my US visa had just expired a couple of months ago, I had to apply afresh here in Singapore.

When my travel agent put in the application, the embassy came back with the requirement of an interview for me. So I had to go there this morning.

It's not much of a hassle, not when I compare it with my first experience with the US embassy in India. There, one had to start as early as three in the morning to wait in the queue to enter. And the queue was still a huge mammoth thing that one had to negotiate. It was also a fairly unique experience for me.

As I progressed thro the queue and reached the final destination, I was asked to move to the "final" queue, which was directly in front of the Interviewing Officer. And I could see and hear the questions and answers. And here's the funny thing.

I had more than 8 guys in front of me. Every single one of them got rejected!

Every single one of them!

The reasons were of all types: "I don't think your English language skills are good enough to live in the US", "Your documentation is incomplete", "You look like a potential immigrant". Just about anything could have been the reason.

But it did not really worry me. Despite the fact that this was my first trip to the US. I guess the trip did not matter to me that much. And I got the VISA.

Today, here in Singapore, the queue was a lot shorter (but still formidable) and we were allowed to enter the embassy a few at a time. After I got in and showed my documentation, I was asked to move to counter 8 for my interview with this pretty American woman.

The usual questions ensued: Which company? How many years? Why are u going? How long? Why don't you want to work in the US? Why Singapore? How long? etc.

And at the end of the interview, she smiled and said that she was giving me a 10 year multiple entry VISA "so that you don't have to come for the interview again" (in her very own words).

Maybe be disliked my face so much, she didn't want it anywhere close to the embassy, neither did she want the photo in the application to be seen ever again :-)

But whatever the reason, I walked out with a 10 year multiple entry VISA to the US. Now I don't have to worry about spot decisions to attend my conferences.

At least something good this morning.