Thursday, March 7, 2024

US Visa Interview: 5 Useful Tips To Obtain Your Tourist Visa

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It is not surprising that many Filipinos wish to go to America: find a higher paying job, be with families who migrated there, or to see the attractions even for a short while.

How to pass your US visa interview

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No amount of bad publicity (high unemployment rate, strict immigration policies, etc.) would discourage most Filipinos. But such dreams could easily get quashed when someone gets denied a US visa. Obtaining a tourist visa not only got more expensive but Filipinos find them more difficult o get.

Part of the blame is the fact that many Philippine passport holders who arrived in America betrayed the trust of American authorities. They overstayed — officially bearing the TNT (tago ng tago tag) — and worked illegally. No wonder US embassy interviewers can be intimidating and as discriminatory as possible to prevent the entry of additional violators into the country.

Interviews are typically very short, but a slight slip in response or lack of confidence may spell doom in your visa application. The number of applicants denied their visas far exceeds those of the successful ones. But this should not be a reason to be intimidated if you really want to go to America.

The following tips might be helpful in passing your interview, and getting that much-coveted visa.

Answer questions as if you were forced to go to the United States

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Officers usually ask questions related to your purpose in the US and interviews last only for a few minutes. While it’s obvious that your purpose with a tourist visa is to visit the country for a short period, they want to hear reassuring words that you have no intention of extending the stay and you have enough proof you are returning to the Philippines.

US visa interview
US visa interview

Prepare answers to follow-up questions: where will you stay in the US, which places you plan to visit, how much money do you intend to bring and when is your return to the Philippines.

Be confident in answering questions

Take away the thought that you must convince your interviewer to give you the visa and not waste the US$160 you paid; such an approach could backfire if the officer notices you’re just too aggressive. Nervousness will never be a good characteristic to show when you’re interviewed; officers are trained to read your facial expression and mannerisms. Act naturally as if you’re talking to your best friend, be honest as possible but avoid contradicting statements.

Choose an appropriate travel date

While it’s easy to say you want to visit America anytime at the discretion of embassy officials, it would be more helpful if your travel time coincides with something relevant. If officers know that you’re a student, they may be assured that you are returning to the Philippines to finish your studies. If the work-related event takes place (say WWDC) you can time your travel during those dates, with no intention to deceive your interviewer.

Prepare your documents

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Not at all times, the officer in charge of your US visa interview would like to look at your supporting documents but in case they do, it’s best to prepare all documents necessary.

  • Philippine passport
  • Non-immigrant visa DS-156 form
  • Supplemental non-immigrant visa DS-157 form
  • Required photo
  • Birth certificate
  • Consent to travel for minors
  • Application fee receipt
  • Marriage certificate, for married couples
  • Air ticket
  • Invitation letter, if attending an event
  • Travel itinerary
  • Hotel booking confirmation, or letter from family or friend who will accommodate you
  • Bank records
  • Tax returns
  • Employment certificate
  • Any other document that will support your need to go to America or support your strong ties to the Philippines.

When you fail to pass your interview

Even at our best efforts, we could still fail to convince consul officers to issue us a tourist visa. However, such denial of a visa is not permanent. In such a case, you will have to think of filing for another application after addressing the reason why your previous application got rejected. Otherwise, for a Filipino tourist, there are many other places you can visit. Others don’t even require tourist visas!

US Embassy Consular Section in the Philippines

U.S. Embassy
Consular Section
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Manila, Philippines 1000

Telephone: (632) 301-2000
Fax: (632) 523-1356

Disclaimer: This article only provides guidance and in no way guarantees approval of visa applications.

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