US Visa

We have just been approved for US visa. It was amazingly simple and easy to apply for US visa here in Singapore than in the Philippines.

First, pay the visa fee. For our non-immigrant/tourist visa you have to pay around S$184. In Singapore, only Standard Chartered is authorized.

Tips:

• Standard Chartered have a LONG queue on weekdays (especially Mondays) from morning till late Afternoon. You can try to go to their Ion branch on weekday evenings or weekends. I queued up for 2 hours but my friend who paid on a weekend took less than 5 minutes.
• CASH only. No NETS, No credit cards. Be prepared.
• Take note of the UID found on the receipt.
• Find the nearest Standard Chartered branch here.
  

Second, Fill up the DS-160 form. Ensure you confirm and end on the Confirmation page.

Tips:

• Be truthful.
• Keep Saving.
• Take note of the confirmation number.
• Print the confirmation page. (YOU NEED this!)

Third, Schedule your appointment with the embassy.

Tips:

• Print your appointment letter.
• Try to get an afternoon schedule, I got 8:45AM but I only finished around noon. My friend got 1:30PM appointment, and she was done by 2:30PM (or less!).

Fourth, interview.

Tips:

• According to the website, you will only be allowed to enter 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
  
• Note that this appointment time is not dedicated to you, it's by batch.
• If you get the morning appointment, try to be there early because there's LONG queue. And many queues.
• Q1: at the entrance, they have a dedicated queue for non-immigrant applicants just in front of the parking space. It was HOT! We spent about 45 minutes here.
• Q2: at the security, now this was hotter. They get 5 people from Q1, make them stand in front of the security so that 2 folks at a time can enter. You leave your ipad, phone, camera and all other gadgets.
• Bring a book! Or a magazine. And some candies in case you get hungry inside.
• Q3: reception. She basically will just look at the appointment letter.
• Q4: form submission. Ah! We spent another 45 minutes here. She will get the forms, passport, picture. Basically verifying your application.
• Q5: Fingerprinting. Wow, I gotta say it was a tough process. The lady kept asking my hubby to repeat. Haha. But she was very very patient. Very gracious too. Not to mention very pretty. Thank you miss. :)
• Q6: Interview. Finally!
• Smile. Be honest.
• The interview was very very quick. She was intimidating or scary, in fact, she seemed super friendly and nice.
  

Finally, visa delivery.

Tips:

• Be there physically.

Now gotta start planning when we can go to the US for a vacation. :)