How To Apply for a Visa to Come to the USA?

An Unofficial Guide Looking to come for to the USA – here are some tips especially if you are from Asia, Africa and Latin America:

1. Brace yourself for extra rude treatment from visa officials – they think you are coming to steal the apple pie.
2. Wear ear plugs – because you will meet some loud officials especially the ones whose job is to welcome or provide security.
3. While in the USA you are innocent before you are proven guilty at the embassy you are guilty before you prove you are innocent.
4. Officials will have a hard time believing all you want to do is visit for a while and go back to the place you call home.
5. Be prepared to wait long in the cold or heat as officials believe that is how you enter the promised land.
6. Don’t ask to use the restroom while you wait in line – they are afraid somehow you will sneak in.
7. If you are old or single they think you do not want to go back to your home country.
8. Don’t be surprised if the official is not courteous to you as that is not part of their job description and their superiors do not care either. They however expect you to be dressed in your best and to be courteous to them.
9. Officials think they are trained psychologists – they can make a judgment call on your credibility in 2 seconds.
10. Don’t expect one group of officials from one government agency to agree with another group of officials from a different agency – on the same set of facts.
11. Be prepared to lose your legal visa status in the few seconds the officer makes a snap judgment call on your intent.
12. Officials think that you cannot uphold the law and at the same time treat people with respect.
13. Pray – miracles happen

To the many people who experienced much of the above - as a citizen of the USA I can say these officials do not represent our core American values. All over the country I have met Americans who are decent, kind and have a deep concern for their global family and uphold the dignity of the individual especially the vulnerable.