For non-Canadian Citizens who are seeking B1/B2 Visitor Visa to the States.If you are going to the Toronto US consulate, please read this before you go!
Your US VISA application declined on the interview? Even though you are genuinely only intending for a cross-border shopping and leisure tourism.... The skeptical visa officer behind the window just won't give you a pass? You are not alone!
There are a whole bunch of people out there who are innocently bewildered about their bad fortune. However, it is not necessarily the wrong zodiac that let you down.
Based on my own and my friends' experience with the visa office, I do have some tips to share:
Be prepared:
Every
time I was there lining up, I came across visa applicant stopped at the door
simply because they didn't print and bring with them the essential, required
confirmation page.
And photos as well! If you don't have adequate ones with you, make sure you shoot a set from the machine (if you go to the Toronto Us consulate there will be a camera machine available on site,) before you approach the window.
But it's always better to prepare photos in advance following online instructions. What if the consulate you go for does not have an instant photo kiosk? And it may take you two hours to get the photo ready and come back only to find that your appointment has expired!
And photos as well! If you don't have adequate ones with you, make sure you shoot a set from the machine (if you go to the Toronto Us consulate there will be a camera machine available on site,) before you approach the window.
But it's always better to prepare photos in advance following online instructions. What if the consulate you go for does not have an instant photo kiosk? And it may take you two hours to get the photo ready and come back only to find that your appointment has expired!
Demonstrate by Evidence:
You will be talking about your work, income, your family tie, perhaps your big mansion
on Toronto lakeside, your local business---all those things that
will pull you back like magnet... So you
may want to show some hard evidence like certificate, pay stub, bank statement, property ownership, etc
Well organized files also demonstrate that you take it seriously. You are well prepared and you have the confidence to justify your application.
Well organized files also demonstrate that you take it seriously. You are well prepared and you have the confidence to justify your application.
Be Courteous and Respectful:
Treat others the way you'd like to be treated. Isn't that old magic too true?
Build a respectful relationship no matter how temporary it can be. Through your body language, eye contact, tone of speech, and your words, and guess what? The other side behind the window will quite likely mirror your attitudes :)
No one would abruptly reject a courteous applicant before allowing you enough time and opportunity to present your case.
.
I have a friend who thought the officer behind the window was another front desk sign-in guy, and he threw back a few answers casually, thinking to himself " who you are to ask me all these weird questions".. And before he even pulled out his well-organized documents about work, income, he was out of the game.
Build a respectful relationship no matter how temporary it can be. Through your body language, eye contact, tone of speech, and your words, and guess what? The other side behind the window will quite likely mirror your attitudes :)
No one would abruptly reject a courteous applicant before allowing you enough time and opportunity to present your case.
.
I have a friend who thought the officer behind the window was another front desk sign-in guy, and he threw back a few answers casually, thinking to himself " who you are to ask me all these weird questions".. And before he even pulled out his well-organized documents about work, income, he was out of the game.
Dress Well:
The
first impression and "err on the safe side rule" play just as well as in any
interview.
You may find lots of applicant in their Friday jeans and lounge room hoodies? But it won't give you a demerit point if you dress your regular business outfit and present yourself in a decent and more serious manner.
You may find lots of applicant in their Friday jeans and lounge room hoodies? But it won't give you a demerit point if you dress your regular business outfit and present yourself in a decent and more serious manner.
Be Sincere and Genuine:
Look
at the officer in the eyes and tell your story as it is. If you have sincere
reasons to travel and return, he will give you a sincere consideration.
Talk Reason:
If you have been unlucky enough to get a refusal, you cannot shun the question:
what happened last time?
I know there is a lady who got refusal more than once and her reply to that question is always: I don't know.
Here is what my friend has done to revoke the decision:
I know there is a lady who got refusal more than once and her reply to that question is always: I don't know.
Here is what my friend has done to revoke the decision:
He obtained a good interpreter for his second interview and explained to the visa officer:
I did not understand the procedure very well; my English is limited, and for the first interview I didn't have a qualified interpreter to assist me; I did not have a chance to present all the documents as I put in front of you today, etc. etc.
He did get a pass at the second interview, shortly after the first refusal.
My whole point is, visa interview is like a job interview, people failed not because they are not qualified, but because they don't follow common interview rules.
Besides, Visa officers are human beings like you and me, and the decision process can be highly subjective.
What
you cannot change is your factual conditions, but you can certainly have some
influence on the human side. If you are able to market yourself well, you
increase your chance of getting a nod.
For information on how to book an US visa appointment within Canada, please refer to my previous blog:
How To: Apply for US VISA
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