a trip to the new world - preparations
Last month, I went with a group of co-workers/friends to visit our company's headquarters in the US.
First off, we started packing, prepared the electronic tickets, all the information needed...gates, planes, schedules, name and address of whom we will visit..etc.
A month before that we had a nice visit to the american embassy in cairo, a very long row, but we had our names in a separate list, what happened was our company sent a special email to the counsular asking him to make us get a group interview instead of each having an interview on his own.
A week before we called the american embassy visa appointment system, you listen to some endless menu options, and each minute is about 1 and a half EGP, then a representitive talks with you. They took our passport details, name, birth place and date, and type of visa you want, in our case a business trip/visitor visa, then they gave us a slot and interview appointment date about 25 or days later.
That would conflict with the plans of our trip as we were planned to arrive in the US about 30 days after that, so we wouldn't make it, that's when the company decided to send the email to the embassy.
Not only we were grouped for a single interview, all of us, but they made the appointment 20 days earlier.
We went, it was quick, the embassy was full of people, we were mainly separated into two groups, immigration and visitors.
You give the related officer the CIB 100 USD bank receipt, the filled applications and then wait for your name to be called.
There were lots of seats and a few computers for those who couldn't fill the applications online, yes, you cannot just print and handwrite inside their applications, you have to fill it online then print it.
A happy guy, told me, Son I can't use this thing, can you help me and fill my application for me using this strange device..i did and it helped me consume the waiting time.
We were called, interviewed, it was basically why are you traveling to usa, who are you visiting there, what do they do, what are you planning to do while there, who will pay for that,...etc you will have to provide the invitation letter.
We all took a multiple entry B1/B2 five years visa.
Then we spent the days preparing for travel, confirming the flights, meals, renting a car, checking the maps, and working in between.
First off, we started packing, prepared the electronic tickets, all the information needed...gates, planes, schedules, name and address of whom we will visit..etc.
A month before that we had a nice visit to the american embassy in cairo, a very long row, but we had our names in a separate list, what happened was our company sent a special email to the counsular asking him to make us get a group interview instead of each having an interview on his own.
A week before we called the american embassy visa appointment system, you listen to some endless menu options, and each minute is about 1 and a half EGP, then a representitive talks with you. They took our passport details, name, birth place and date, and type of visa you want, in our case a business trip/visitor visa, then they gave us a slot and interview appointment date about 25 or days later.
That would conflict with the plans of our trip as we were planned to arrive in the US about 30 days after that, so we wouldn't make it, that's when the company decided to send the email to the embassy.
Not only we were grouped for a single interview, all of us, but they made the appointment 20 days earlier.
We went, it was quick, the embassy was full of people, we were mainly separated into two groups, immigration and visitors.
You give the related officer the CIB 100 USD bank receipt, the filled applications and then wait for your name to be called.
There were lots of seats and a few computers for those who couldn't fill the applications online, yes, you cannot just print and handwrite inside their applications, you have to fill it online then print it.
A happy guy, told me, Son I can't use this thing, can you help me and fill my application for me using this strange device..i did and it helped me consume the waiting time.
We were called, interviewed, it was basically why are you traveling to usa, who are you visiting there, what do they do, what are you planning to do while there, who will pay for that,...etc you will have to provide the invitation letter.
We all took a multiple entry B1/B2 five years visa.
Then we spent the days preparing for travel, confirming the flights, meals, renting a car, checking the maps, and working in between.
posted by voicy at
7/01/2006 04:15:00 PM
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