Interview Tips at The American Embassy
Whether your application gets accepted or rejected, consular officers would really like to see that applicants are honest, stay for the authorized duration and come back promptly after that. Even though the U.S. is a country of immigrants, it does not mean that anyone can enter the country for any reason. The visa interview has personal and consequently unpredictable factors involved in whether your visa application gets accepted or rejected.
Nervous already? Here are helpful tips when going for an interview at the American Embassy in Lagos.
- Arrive early. You don’t want to miss your interview just because you got stuck in traffic. If you are coming in from cities outside Lagos, ensure you book a hotel near Lagos American Embassy prior to the date. If you reside in Lagos but far from the island, its best you spend the night before your interview at an affordable hotel in Victoria Island.
2.* Dress formally*. Your appearance should convey who you are. If you are a student, you should look like a student. If you are an executive, you should look like an executive.
Don’t show signs of nervousness such as flickering of eyes, trembling of fingers as that could go against you. Mind your manners and refrain from unnecessary body movement.
Often times you might not understand what the interviewing officer is saying because of his/her American accent. If that happens, don’t feel embarrassed. Calmly and confidently say, sorry sir/ madam. I did not understand you. Could you kindly repeat what you said?
Be confident in your answers and avoid giving unnecessary information. Always reply with correct answers. All data while applying for the visa and details of the answers given in your interview are computerised and maintained.
Be polite, do not argue and do not ask unnecessary or unrelated questions. Do not unnecessarily elaborate your responses as this may not work in your favour.
If You Get the Visa:
Immediately go through all the information on the visa stamp very carefully. Make sure there are no typographical errors in your name, passport, number, date of birth, etc. written on the visa stamp. If there are any such errors, contact the visa application centre to get it corrected. Even a small error is not tolerable as it can cause trouble later on, and should be corrected as soon as possible.
If You Don’t Get the Visa:
1. That’s not the end of the world! It doesn’t change anything in life. Things continue to be as excellent as they were before.
2. We did our best. The rejection was solely due to a whim of the interviewing officer.
3. We can always apply a second time. Something to think about.