Of testing times..composure..patience and success

US F1 VISA....thats what i had been waiting for such a long time...the interview was scheduled on 2nd june monday at 330 PM..

230- i am at the consulate...was sent back...and asked to come at 3:15...so me and my parents wait in the hot sun till 315...sweat dripping like a mini waterfall...

315-i undergo initial security check...

345-the person who verifies the docs b4 the interview gives me a big shock...he asks me where my SEVIS fee paid receipt...im totally blank...i had no idea i had to pay that 100$ fee cos wherever i read, it said it was IF APPLICABLE...nonsense....however he still asks me to lineup for the interview...im cursing myself for being so careless...now i meet Cherian...from bangalore...who is a BE graduate from VTU...who has come for his F1...hold on..the similarities dont end there..he sees my DS-156 being marked with a jet-black permanent marker...and asks me if even i havent paid the SEVIS fee...i say a curious "yes" anticipating that hes also travelling in the same boat as mine....and it indeed turns out that he too hasnt paid his SEVIS fee..we exchange a few words about this thing being IF APPLICABLE...hoping to get thru the interview...however we knew that wudnt happen cos the US consulate is pretty strict about missing fees and docs...so we 2 are almost certain that our VISA would be rejected on the basis of incomplete docs.. UFL seemed to be in another galaxy and far-fetched...it is in these kind of situations that 2 things can happen...either
1-all ur sense organs become hyper-active simultaneously....
2-or they become passive simultaneously...
You have to keep ur cool and make sure that 1 happens and not 2....i kept my cool...

415 PM-Cherian's turn for the interview...there is one more guy after cherian and then it would be me...was wondering what would happen to cherian's fate...the lady interviewer tells him that he hasnt paid his SEVIS fee...and handed over a blue and white sheet of paper to him...cherian and the lady exchange a few words which werent quite audible...cherian leaves...the next guy's interview goes off smoothly...now its my turn...the anxiety is killing me...even then i managed a big smile on my face throughout and held my nerve....the lady handed the same blue and white sheet of paper to me...i come out of the interview counter...i sit back and chk out whats written on those 2 sheets of paper of fate...

430 PM-the sheet of paper said that my SEVIS fee recipt was missing and that i could come back to the consulate on any tuesday, wednesday or thursday between 10 AM and 12 noon...both me and cherian and relieved...however, the lady had taken back our DS 156,157 and 158...

445 Pm-out of the consulate at madras...my parents are anxious cos of the postponement...

we had planned to leave chennai in the 930 train..but plans needed restructuring now...train tickets were cancelled...our stay at the RBI quarters were extended...and in the meanwhile i managed to pay the SEVIS fee and collect the receipt of payment from a cyber cafe nearby....rest of the day was as insignificant as any other day...


The next day-3rd june 2008-tuesday

930 AM- im in the queue at the consulate for the routine security check...was let in by around 945...my turn for docs verification...remember the fact that my DS 156...157 and 158 were already taken back by the interviewing lady...

10 AM-the doc verifier looks at my docs and asks for my DS forms...im in for a shock again...in the meanwhile...cherian in the next queue is in with shock...we both had given back our DS forms the previous day and thot the same wud be used again...but not to be...such a coincidence that we 2 are travelling in the same boat all along since the previous day...we were aksed to go to the VFS office which we were told was just a few blocks away and that a cab wud be arranged for us...the cab was waiting by the time we came outside...

1030-the cab raced to the office in about 5 mins in the heavy traffic...we were asked some basic questions about being brought to the office...and then were asked to fill in the 156 again...that was done and printouts of DS 156 were taken...but for the 157 and 158 printouts we had to go to the nearby cyber cafe...download them from our accounts and get a printout...and i think i ran faster now than in the marathon just a few weeks ago...i pity myself for that considering chennai's ultra hot weather...finally we hit a cyber cafe...took a printout..took an auto and reached the consulate at 1115...

1115 AM-it was the third time i was entering the consulate and the third time im being sent for verification of docs...this time it goes off smoothly at the doc verification counter...the volunteer guided me to the shortest queue for the interview...the interviewer asked me some basic questions which i answered...and then after a minute of typing something on her computer she says "visa approved" in a tone which seemed melodious to me...

I thanked all my stars...and i come out...my parents and cherian are waiting outside...i do a thumbs up to both of them...and so did cherian...everyones happy...no wonder they say alls well that ends well....


And well the blog doesnt end here....i ll give some gyaan shortly for people so that no one else faces any probs when they go for a visa interview....