MY INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE
I arrived at the Embassy 6.30am on the January 6, 2011. I sat in the car going through over and over again just to make sure all documents are intact. At 7.00am I approached where those coming for interview had gathered. 5 mins later I saw people rushing towards the entrance to queue so I followed suit. We all queued in front of the entrance. We were told to take out our appointment letters in order to be inspected. With the appointment letters immigrants were separated from non-immigrants. I was the 5th in the queue. We were then ushered into the security checkpoint. Because I had no metallic mat or perfume on me I was the 2nd to go through the point, then to the point where we had to wait for further instruction.
At 7.45am a tall Whiteman (Head of DV US Embassy) and a Ghanaian came over with white and yellow sheets to speak to the DV winners on the qualification criteria (education/work experience). In fact, he did admit that only few people qualifying under work experience had been issued visas compared to education. He also gave an option for those wishing to reschedule their interview, which he said would be probably March and April. After that our appointment letters were taken from us and we were given the white and the yellow sheet which contains qualification criteria and fees to be paid to the cashier which we all filled. At 8.00am we formed a queue to enter the Consular Section to pay the visa fees. I was the 1st person in the queue.
The first 5 persons entered the section to form another queue leading to the cashier. I was third in the queue inside. After about 7 mins I paid my fees (GHC 1228.50) then went to sit down waiting to submit my documents. At 9.15am the Ghanaian that came with the Whiteman came to Window 1 and started calling DV winners to submit their forms. The security man nearer to us told us to form a queue so I was third. When it came to my turn to go to Window 1 the Gh announced that I go to Window 3 where there was a Gh woman. She has asked of my name and brought the forms I sent to KCC (DS & DSP). She critically compared the photo in my passport (issued in 2004) with the ones I brought. After a while she gave to me BECE results slip, Police Clearance (it underlined only one surname instead of two surnames on it and in my Passport), Tax Clearance, Employment letter in the AOS but took the I-864 and 2 NLs. She told me to rectify the mistake on my Police Clearance after my interview. I thanked her and sat down. At 9.45am I was called to Window 2 for fingerprint after which I sat down again waiting for the real thing (all this while I was having mixed feelings). The 1st DV winner (lady) was called to a window which I cannot remember to be interviewed. It was after I had sat down that I saw her returning smiling with a yellow sheet. 6 mins later I was called to Window 4 for interview.
CO: Good morning
ME: Good morning
CO: Do you swear that everything you are going to say is the truth?
ME: yeah
CO: Are you married? (Smiling)
ME: No
CO: Do you have any children?
ME: No
CO: Are you working? (Going through the docs) (He asked cos I wrote National Service on DS forms)
ME: Yes
CO: Which Work? (Started typing on the computer)
ME: Lecturing at …………
CO: Which subjects do you teach?
ME: Mention
CO: Do you training in that? (Still typing on the computer)
ME: No, I just have the passion and have been learning on my own.
CO: Do you have your BECE here?
ME: Yes (Quickly removed the Results slip and gave it to him)
CO: I mean the blue one do you have it. (After looking at it and returning it to me)
ME: Yes, I have it but I could not bring it here.
CO: I see your Police Clearance has expired. (Picked a blue sheet. Marked some option and wrote a date on it which is mid Feb)
ME: No, it has not. There’s only a mix up the surname on it.
CO: Ok. Correct it and bring the BECE cert the next you come. (Handing over the blue sheet to me)
ME: Ok
CO: Thank you
ME: You are welcome
My interview lasted for less than 3 mins. I hurriedly left the section with a smile few mins before 10.00am. By the Grace of Jesus this is all that happened.
