MY INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE
First of all I would like to thank all the forumers for their wonderful contribution. Kudos to people like Ammeck09 and Alexee357 who have been our mentors with conviction. Also to Stmykael and Benniit and the rest who have kept this forum active, and prevented it from dying a premature death. All Dv2011 winners in this forum should also know that we are blessed to be here because the information we share here is very, very and very valuable. I would have been at lost completely without this forum.
My interview was scheduled at 7:30am on the 12th Oct 2010, so I arrived at the US Embassy ground around 5:55am I went there early to avoid being caught up in the early morning Accra traffic. Please all should endeavour to reach there early. At least 1 hour before your interview time. I then inquired from a security guard (if you don’t know ask) what I was expected to do and he told me to join a small group of expectant interviewees waiting under a tree just close by. As time ebb away other prospective interviewees joined and thence, an Evangelist appeared and kept all of us alert with verses of hope from the scriptures. I met two other guys who were there for non-immigrant visa and we chatted for a long time.
At about 7:15am we were all asked to join one single queue but were separated into immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicant by the time we got to the front of the queue. That was the last time I saw the friends I made in the morning. What an irony!
At the entrance to the Embassy proper, we went through security checks and mobiles phones and all other gadgets not allowed inside the Embassy were taken by the security guards for safe keeping. I did not carry any phone on me hence did not wait long at this entrance. We were then ushered into an open space where we waited for few minutes before we were asked to proceed to another door. The door leads to the consular section where interviews take place. At the door, I was asked to leave the first page of my 2nd notification letter and that was where I met two other DV 2011 winners. They also did same. We were asked to make ourselves comfortable and wait to be called.
Whiles waiting I decided to start a conversation with the other DV2011 winners to find out their level of preparation and if there were anything I needed to know. To my surprise, they had little or no clue about the DV further processing and in fact, they had not finished getting a passport, neither did they have their medicals. One of them (a guy and a lady) even said she had not brought any money for payment. I asked them why then did they return their forms so early and quickly to KCC if they were not ready. They did not know it could be done that way and this was free information everybody in on our forum had.
Before I could asked them further questions, we (three of us) were called to window one and behind the window was a pleasant looking Ghanaian lady. She asked whether we were ready to be interviewed and I said YES but the rest said NO. Yes because if you have wonderful people in a forum like this forum you would always say YEEEEEESSSSS! The lady’s demeanour quickly changed when they said NO and looking very irritating she started;
Lady: Why are you not ready?
Guy: My passport is not ready?
Lady: When did you receive your fist notification letter? Was it not enough time for you to get a passport?
Guy: April
Lady: Why did you turn up for the interview then? Do you turn up for a job interview to then tell your prospective employers you are not ready to be interviewed without any notice? When do you think you would have another interview date? Other days are for other people and we cannot guarantee you any date soon. She finally asked them to go and sit down.
All this while I was quietly standing looking at what was unfolding. If this guy and the lady had chanced on this forum, right from day one, their problems would have been minimal.
The lady then turned to me with her initial pleasant face and handed over two sheet of paper (white and yellow). The white was a form to fill which required my qualification, family situation and then signed and dated. I took the yellow paper to the cashier and paid the DV fee which was 819 us dollars. Please forumers make sure you buy dollars and take it there. Their dollar rate is too high!
After the payment I took the two sheets together with my receipt to the same lady and then she asked me to give her all my documents which I did (My passport, Police certificate, birth certificate, educational certificate, passport picture, AOS, Medicals). I was asked to wait for my interview. Whiles waiting another DV 2011 winner who observed me going about approached me and wanted some information. She had no qualification and wanted to know if she should go ahead and pay the fee. She said she had some job experience training and wanted to know if she could use that. Reading from this forum how difficult it is to get by with job qualification I offered her some few advices. Then I saw the other two passport-less DV2011 walking to window 1 and I finally saw them leaving the Embassy. Right there I heard my name called to come to window 5. Quickly, I walked briskly to the window and in front of me was a white cheerful looking guy. Then my interview began.
Actual interview coming soon!!
First of all I would like to thank all the forumers for their wonderful contribution. Kudos to people like Ammeck09 and Alexee357 who have been our mentors with conviction. Also to Stmykael and Benniit and the rest who have kept this forum active, and prevented it from dying a premature death. All Dv2011 winners in this forum should also know that we are blessed to be here because the information we share here is very, very and very valuable. I would have been at lost completely without this forum.
My interview was scheduled at 7:30am on the 12th Oct 2010, so I arrived at the US Embassy ground around 5:55am I went there early to avoid being caught up in the early morning Accra traffic. Please all should endeavour to reach there early. At least 1 hour before your interview time. I then inquired from a security guard (if you don’t know ask) what I was expected to do and he told me to join a small group of expectant interviewees waiting under a tree just close by. As time ebb away other prospective interviewees joined and thence, an Evangelist appeared and kept all of us alert with verses of hope from the scriptures. I met two other guys who were there for non-immigrant visa and we chatted for a long time.
At about 7:15am we were all asked to join one single queue but were separated into immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicant by the time we got to the front of the queue. That was the last time I saw the friends I made in the morning. What an irony!
At the entrance to the Embassy proper, we went through security checks and mobiles phones and all other gadgets not allowed inside the Embassy were taken by the security guards for safe keeping. I did not carry any phone on me hence did not wait long at this entrance. We were then ushered into an open space where we waited for few minutes before we were asked to proceed to another door. The door leads to the consular section where interviews take place. At the door, I was asked to leave the first page of my 2nd notification letter and that was where I met two other DV 2011 winners. They also did same. We were asked to make ourselves comfortable and wait to be called.
Whiles waiting I decided to start a conversation with the other DV2011 winners to find out their level of preparation and if there were anything I needed to know. To my surprise, they had little or no clue about the DV further processing and in fact, they had not finished getting a passport, neither did they have their medicals. One of them (a guy and a lady) even said she had not brought any money for payment. I asked them why then did they return their forms so early and quickly to KCC if they were not ready. They did not know it could be done that way and this was free information everybody in on our forum had.
Before I could asked them further questions, we (three of us) were called to window one and behind the window was a pleasant looking Ghanaian lady. She asked whether we were ready to be interviewed and I said YES but the rest said NO. Yes because if you have wonderful people in a forum like this forum you would always say YEEEEEESSSSS! The lady’s demeanour quickly changed when they said NO and looking very irritating she started;
Lady: Why are you not ready?
Guy: My passport is not ready?
Lady: When did you receive your fist notification letter? Was it not enough time for you to get a passport?
Guy: April
Lady: Why did you turn up for the interview then? Do you turn up for a job interview to then tell your prospective employers you are not ready to be interviewed without any notice? When do you think you would have another interview date? Other days are for other people and we cannot guarantee you any date soon. She finally asked them to go and sit down.
All this while I was quietly standing looking at what was unfolding. If this guy and the lady had chanced on this forum, right from day one, their problems would have been minimal.
The lady then turned to me with her initial pleasant face and handed over two sheet of paper (white and yellow). The white was a form to fill which required my qualification, family situation and then signed and dated. I took the yellow paper to the cashier and paid the DV fee which was 819 us dollars. Please forumers make sure you buy dollars and take it there. Their dollar rate is too high!
After the payment I took the two sheets together with my receipt to the same lady and then she asked me to give her all my documents which I did (My passport, Police certificate, birth certificate, educational certificate, passport picture, AOS, Medicals). I was asked to wait for my interview. Whiles waiting another DV 2011 winner who observed me going about approached me and wanted some information. She had no qualification and wanted to know if she should go ahead and pay the fee. She said she had some job experience training and wanted to know if she could use that. Reading from this forum how difficult it is to get by with job qualification I offered her some few advices. Then I saw the other two passport-less DV2011 walking to window 1 and I finally saw them leaving the Embassy. Right there I heard my name called to come to window 5. Quickly, I walked briskly to the window and in front of me was a white cheerful looking guy. Then my interview began.
Actual interview coming soon!!
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