The Visa Experience

So here I am all geared up for the D-day. The most important thing for me is that the day is "astrologically good" :) I have a ton of papers I never knew even existed. I had documents from a CA about liquid assets (apparently liquid is the opposite of fixed, unlike what I learnt in my first grade :P)

Went to the Visa center about an hour earlier. Waited outside with my dad for some time, then went inside. Apparently, though I was half an hour early, I was one of the last people to arrive for that time slot! The line was long. All sorts of familiar "groups" of people - first time students, returning NRIs (the "yo-buddy cool dudes" :D), parents, etc. etc.

There is a lot of checking going on before we are allowed to enter inside. This is worse than the airport! The line doesn't move slowly; it moves slooooowly! However, the best part is after a little while, there is some "technical problem" and the almost zero line speed becomes exactly zero! They ask for people with children in first. After some time the problem is supposedly resolved and the 'near zero but not yet zero' speed continues. Some stupid checking and stuff goes on and we are sent inside.

The Indian staff are pretty rude, just as expected (I work in the AMERICAN embassy vanity!) Going inside, there are railway ticket counters. Hey wait a minute, I am not in a railway station! Oh, we are sent inside and they require the fingerprints of all the 10 fingers recorded so this is where they do this.

Going further inside the dungeon, we are required to show the filled in forms to a "vanity-rude" person who asks for some changes that are naturally meaningless but needed nonetheless (like typing in NA for your spouse's details even when you say you are not married and stuff like that!) Take a token and wait in the waiting area.

My chance comes pretty soon, perhaps after a wait of 10-15 minutes. So this is supposed to be THE moment. No, I am not really tensed. Go to the Visa Officer. She's a lady perhaps in her early 40s but I can be way off coz I am pretty bad at ages (especially with the ladies ;) ). She is typing something away at the computer. Here is the conversation -

(SK=me, VO=Visa Officer)

SK: Good morning ma'am.
VO: (smiles as if pleasantly surprised!) Good morning, how do you do?
SK: I am fine thank you, how do you do?
VO: I am great! Can I have a look at your documents?
SK: Sure!
(hands over the documents across the counter)
VO: (going through the documents) So University of Michigan huh?
SK: Yes ma'am.
VO: So how are you funding your studies?
SK: Personal funds + bank loan
VO: What does your father do?
SK: blah blah
VO: (types away at the computer)
VO: Your Visa has been sanctioned. You will get it in about 3 days.
SK: Thank you ma'am!

Bottom line: Less than 2 minutes interview. Just like everything else, this seems to be purely luck as well.

I was a little scared with the 221(g) stuff coz I applied in aero. That never came up in any case, reinforcing the luck factor and the astrologically good day :P