MY BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE
My plan was to leave home early enough by 5 a.m in order to get to the embassy on time. I had symptoms of malaria about a week to my interview so I couldn’t read my projects and other books earlier as planned until 2 days to the D-day by having 2 sleepless nights of marathon reading. All my qualifications are in Accounting but I read my “O” levels as well because I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.
Unfortunately, I didn’t leave home as scheduled, I read everything except my B.Sc project so I had no choice than to take it along with me to the embassy.
JOURNEY TO THE EMBASSY
I left home an hour late (few minutes to 6 a.m), which was an hour to my 7 a.m appointment time. I live in Ajunwon in Ogun state, very near Lagos state, so getting to Victoria–island withing an hour was an up-hill task. I had no choice than to risk a commercial motor-cycle from Ajunwon in Ogun state to Victoria-island in Lagos state – only the strong-hearted could do that ( I told the bike man I had a 7 a.m appointment, whaaoooo believe me I didn’t like that experience through the 3rd mainland bridge on a bike, but it was a risk worth taking).
Fortunately, I got to the embassy at exactly 6.55 a.m (OMG, what a ride). People were already on the queue but bothered not to join them, went straight to the gate, approached an embassy staff (a woman) and told her I was for DV and she said enter, enter, enter as if she was there waiting for my arrival. That was how I got into the first gate and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God for my life.
EMBASSY FORMALITIES
I was given a tag with DV number 21, an information sheet to fill and a paper with breakdown of the visa fee payable. I was asked to seat at the middle row. While seated a Nigerian guy announced items not permitted to be taken into the embassy building and that all sealed envelopes including the medicals must be opened, then I approached and asked him if I could open the sealed envelop containing my transcript from my Polytechnic and he said yes, open every sealed envelop. After been screened by the security, we were then ushered into the embassy building across the road for cash payment. Before it got to my turn, I brought out my B.Sc project in my bag and started reading. Eventually when it was my turn to pay, the decently behaved lady Cashier counted my Naira notes up to 4 different times and latter handed over N1,000 back to me been excess payment and I said thank God I became a N1,000 richer. I was searched again by the security and ushered into the main interview hall.
Few minutes into the main hall, my name was called by a friendly Nigerian guy for the submission of my documents. We smiled at each other during the collection process. I was however surprised when he returned both originals and copies of all my previous and current employment papers (I also qualify with my present employment), I asked why and he said emphasis is on educational qualifications. While waiting to be called, I again read and finished up the necessary areas in my B.Sc project that I took along (i.e. introduction, method of data gathering, summary, conclusion and recommendation). My confidence grew and got relaxed as I witnessed some interviews with few denials and many approvals.
At about few minutes to 11a.m, I saw a Consular Officer with my certificates from the transparent window. Since they never saw your documents until the day of interview, the consular officers usually study each applicant’s documents before being called. While going through my papers, she called her colleague, showed her my certificates and they both smiled. I never knew why, but said within myself that they had better smile than frown at my papers. I was ready and few seconds latter she called my number to window 13.
MAIN INTERVIEW
C.O: Good morning
ME: Good morning (with a smile)
C.O: Raise up your right hand and swear to say the truth
ME: I responded (with a smile)
C.O: Instructed to do the electronic finger printing
ME: I did
C.O: You are here because you were selected for further processing in the DV 2010
ME: Yes (with a smile)
C.O: What’s your name?
ME: I responded
C.O: What’s your date of birth?
ME: I responded
C.O: How old are you?
ME: I responded
C.O: I can see you are so much interested in Accounting, why?
ME: I fell in love with accounting right from Secondary school because of the wonderful attitude of my accounts teacher unlike the science subject teachers (with a smile)
C.O: She smiled back. What type of job will you do when you get to the U.S?
ME: I responded
CO: What other type of job can you do?
ME: I responded
CO: I can see you are an Auditor. What is the name of your employer?
ME: I responded
CO: What is the difference between an Internal Auditor and a regular auditor? (I guess she meant an external auditor, but when she said regular, I knew she wasn’t an accounts person)
ME: I confidently and perfectly defined an internal auditor but before I finished the definition and define the other she said stop, that’s o.k. ( I guess She got convinced I knew it)
CO: Who is the person on your form?
ME: My Uncle’s wife
CO: You have been found eligible to immigrate to the U.S.
ME: Thank you, with a simple smile (I felt like jumping but I maintained my cool)
CO: She started typing, after a while stepped–aside to pick a paper from the printer. She came back and told me “CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES”. She gave me the visa pick-up paper with a blue tag and said don’t make any travel arrangement until you pick-up your visa. THE END
You can see that no single question was asked from all that I read despite the night vigils that landed me in the hospital. But I certainly wouldn’t have had the confidence had I not prepared so well, so my advice to those awaiting interview is to prepare very well because you never can tell where questions might come from. It is CERTAIN that any member who follows happenings in this forum will SURELY have a SUCCESSFUL interview. This forum is the greatest, I swear!!
The waiting time from the day of receipt of first Notification Letter to the day of successful interview was 440 days (1 year, 75 days). My interview was in less than 3 minutes.
TO GOD IS INDEED ALL THE GLORY.
Observations of other applicants’ interview denial and approvals will come up next.
