Here is the detail of my interview.
I arrived at the embassy around 11: 15AM (5:15 Local Time). I was scheduled at 12:00PM. The security guard told me to come back to the gate around 11:50AM. I stayed in a cafe in front of the embassy.
When I had come back, the guard asked me to show him passport and 2NL. I did. He then let me in through the main gate for security check. Having passed through security check, another guard guided me to a wide room where a lot of people were found. The room was full of applicants. I think the day was overloaded because of previous day system failure and holiday rescheduling.
An Ethiopian lady told me to put my original and copy documents in a folder as per a requirement written on a piece of paper. The folder also had another paper which I was expected to sign after reading. I took the folder and arranged my documents as written on the paper. I gave back the folder to the lady and went to my chair.
Having settled my tension, I started to observe everything in the room. There is a playing station for kids. There are 15 windows in the room. They are arranged like a bank counter. The difference is, anybody in the waiting room cannot directly access what is inside the window. The window is fully covered by thick clear glass, except very thin hole around the bottom for papers exchange purpose. There are sound devices inside and outside of the window through which any conversation between inside and outside is made. I thought the windows were only for primary document check, finger prints and visa payment purpose. I thought interviews are done somewhere inside in an office, like interview for employment. But the fact is visa interviews are done in this waiting room. Just like a bank service, there are people in the room waiting for their turn as others are being interviewed. If you follow closely, you can hear every conversation made between the CO and the applicant at a given window.
After an hour, my name had been called to a window where I gave finger prints and got a payment instruction paper. I gave the paper that I had signed earlier to the lady at this window. I pay 330USD (around 6,700 birr) at casher’s window and gave the payment slip back to the lady who had given me the payment instruction paper. Then I had gone back to my chair and started to wait for my name to be called for interview. In the mean time, I was following to others interview.
I heard many successful interviews and saw many happy faces. On the other hand, I also heard many refused cases and saw many “dead” faces. One guy was refused because he was 10+2 vocational school graduate. Another guy was put on AP because he gave different answers for the same question. The CO tried to make him calm and asked him again. Surprisingly he gave another answer. A family of 4 also got denied because the father had not included the entire family member on the original eDV application. He had applied only for himself, but brought all family member for interview. One lady was told to stay in the waiting room because she had no single photo to show the CO. I wonder why he asked a single lady for a family pic.
….. I saw many more…. Two thing impressed me, the first, the COs respectfully try to explain the reason why they refused to grant visas even though the applicants were shouting at them. the second, only primary applicant pay an application fee $330 before the interview. Family members will pay only if visa is approved.
My turn came, and my name got called at a window where a male CO and a lady translator welcome me. Raised my right hand and swore to tell only the truth. Finger prints taken again and interview got started.
CO: welcome
Me: thank you
CO: Can you speak English?
Me: yes
CO: have you ever been married?
Me: …..
CO: do you have kids
Me: …..
CO: What did you do after you finished your high school?
Me: ….
CO: who paid the application fee for you?
Me: me
CO: are you currently working?
Me: yes
CO: do you have any paper from the company you are working for?
Me: yes. I showed him.
CO: who is your sponsor?
Me: …..
CO: congratulation. I approved your visa
Me: Thank you
CO: Send this paper to your sponsor bla bla bla….
I will be happy to answer if you have any questions or need more clarifications.
