First Impressions (almost always) Lasts!
It hits you harder than a rock and messes up the rest of your day. Some feel angry that they were not given enough time to explain themselves. Others regret for not being able to speak their minds during the interview. Others simply explain it away by reasoning that the US Consulate Officer simply was not in the mood or was having a bad day. For some, it was a substantial lost of finances and time.
Either ways, it was still denial. You will have to walk out of that imposing US Embassy Consulate and wonder if the person alongside you had a denial also. Looking for sympathy ey? It is a record that is permanent inside the US Embassy and in your psyche for now. But hope is not lost, it can be undone with a subsequent successful application. The challenge is HOW?
Oh yes! I will remember you on our first meeting!
Yes, first impressions (almost always) lasts!
–to the detriment of most US Tourist Visa applicants.
This is the main reason why applicants with previous denials have difficulty in getting approvals or visa grants. The US Embassy has records of all your previous applications and this is a reference point and yardstick for all future applications. The difficulty is how to undo and change that prevailing mindset and momentum of that record.
The US Tourist Visa Application has always been a fascination and passion for me because I feel for the applicant whether they get denied or approved. I know because I have been there. I am also very fascinated at the psychology of the Consulate Officers as they profile an applicant.
It is like an FBI type of work for me. Investigating, interrogating, scrutinizing, questioning, and digging into motives and intentions of the applicant so that I can advise him best in getting that US Tourist Visa approval.
It is an art for me for the past 11 years to teach and advise applicants how to navigate the heavily ‘trapped” US Tourist Visa application process and interview so that they could come out unscathed and successful.
I have many new clients who give me these feedback after they ventured on their own when applying for a US Tourist Visa Application. Some have a history of one denial, others two, and some three. I have not encountered stories of fourth denials. I am thinking maybe because most have given up or some have “wised” up in seeking advise prior to another attempt.
In general, I know that based on honesty and intentions, about 90% of applicants deserve to be granted a US Tourist Visa. These applicants have no intentions of being illegals or plan to be TNTs (Tago ng Tago) in the US. Sadly, about 80% of B1 or B2 Applications (another name for the US Tourist Visa) each day result in a denial. I had my successful applicants count in their interview windows the number of approved vs denied applicants.
So why is a denial record disadvantageous to you?
-It sets the tone and mood for ALL your next US Tourist Visa applications
-You can be caught in an assumed lie when your subsequent application form (DS-160) looks or feels different when checked by the Consulate Officer
-It is harder to undo the prevailing bias and momentum because of the previous record
-It gives the applicant unnecessary psychological stress
-It wastes finances unnecessarily when in fact an approval could have been achieved. Lost of finances are multiplied for those with family members and those coming from the provinces.
The solution
If you have not experience any denials yet, the most important solution is not to get a denial in the first place. There is no one formula that will give you an approval. Be smart! Seek advice! The US Embassy has no record of you or any bias. Take advantage of this clean slate by seeking help. I have heard and known of many smart Alecs boldly thinking they could easily make it and whimpering after a denial.
Believe me, reality will only hit once the denial is received. Nasa huli ang pagsisisi.
I don’t want that to happen to you.