The Day I got my US Visa

for the longest time, i have always had it in my mind that i would like to go to US- the land flowing with milk & honey, the land where the pasture is greener....

when i started working in dubai, people have always prodded me to get my US visa from dubai because it is easier. but year after year, i've always found a reason to delay doing it... either it coincides with my trip to philippines, or my time in dubai does not permit, or many other reason i create to dilly-dally the process.

until this march 2008, with resolve, i told myself, "it's now or never". so i went online and started to go thru the tedious process of compiling documents to fill up the appointment form. my main reason then was for the convention that i will be attending on november. so i got a june appointment because i was thinking that july-sept, i would be in and out of morocco for our project. i got a june 29 appointment.

by first week of june, i was already nervous. what if i do not get it? what if they ask a lot of questions which i do not know how to answer? what if? what if???? david calmed me by saying "it is in God's hand. just be honest and give it your best shot." i felt comforted.

the day came that i had to line up as early as 6am outside the US consulate building in dubai. i lifted it all up to Him. many of the decisions does not come with a hard and fast rule anyways. so after all the security checks and document checks, i had come face-to-face with the consul. well, what i remember is that he is not as terrifying as how others perceive them to be. just poker-faced. part of the job i guess.

he just asked me the following questions after looking at my bank statements:
- what are you going to do in US
- how long have you been staying in the UAE?
- how long have you been staying in your company?
- what is your position and how much is your salary?
- have you been to another western/european country before?

that was it! and i got a piece of paper that says i got a visa! no need to look into our company profile, my list of suppliers to meet up with, and other documents i prepared "just in case"... at that point, i do not know yet what kind of visa, is it one time visa, 5-yr or 10 yr? but it doesn't matter, the important thing was, i got a visa! praise God!

and the best part was, when i got my passport4 days after, it was 10 year multiple entry, B1/B2!

so when did i first use it? august 15, when i visited david and his family in kentucky while he was there vacationing too! isn't it nice how God makes all these things to fall into the right place? amazing!

and yes, last november 14, i went to the convention which was my primary purpose of getting the visa....

you will never really know if you will get one or not. Mano got a mulitple entry even when she said that her husband is there working. one friend did not get it even if all the directions point to a her getting one...

so do not burden yourself with so much thinking with things that are out of your control. the only thing is... God knows ;)