终于等到5月28日签证日,中午与老婆早早吃好午饭打车于12点半来到梅龙镇广场2号门,南京西路靠江宁路处。(评:请注意排队地方,如果直奔8楼会被赶下楼排队的。)在闷热的空气中等待了半小时(评:下午如果预约在1点半左右不用去太早,否则变成烤鸭没必要),保安开始放号,上楼,查验护照和预约记录,进门。(评:此前很多签友担心预约费用未从信用卡中扣除会不会影响预约,事实证明没有什么问题。)然后安检,取号,排队交表,一路无话。本来企图把录取信、商学院致领事馆的信、checklist、funding summary list随DS表一道递交,但被2号窗口男子扔出,告知面谈时再递交。而后坐下。
俺跟老婆运气极佳,是当天下午第三和第四个号码。当天下午签证人数约50人左右。很快,6号窗口窗帘拉起,正是在CD上听说过之和蔼可亲的大胡子uncle,在一个探亲和一个F1之后,便看到俺的号码闪烁。拎起6个透明文件袋,速趋于前…….
Me: How are you doing?
V Fine, and you?
Me: Pretty well. Would you like to see my business card first? (Also attempting to give him the checklist).
V Not now. Please put your index finger on the device (评:此前签友说在面谈前需排队叫号按手印,但显然上海程序又改了,是面谈的时候由VO提示你按手印)
Me: My wife is also with me, do you want to see her?(评:如果是携签最好这样问一下)
V Yes, ask her to come over.
(My wife comes over to the window and has her index fingers printed. VO smiles when my WIFE cutely puts her index finger on the device)(评:第一个微笑)
V (to my WIFE) Do you speak English?
WIFE: (firmly in Chinese) 一点点。
V (looking at the marriage certificate and switching to Chinese)你们什么时候结婚的?
WIFE: 俺们是2003年上半年3月份结婚的。
V (turning to me) So you will go to the US for study?
Me: Yes, I’ll go to the States for full-time MBA program at XXX College of Business at Univ. of XXXX. It’s a top 20 PUBLIC school.
V (nodding) So you’ve been to the US for a couple of times.
Me: Yes, twice. In 1999 I was an intern with XXX in XXX and in 2002 I was there for business with our senior management.
V (silently looking at the computer)
WIFE: (grabbing my hand gently but firmly)
Me: (continue) In 1999 I stayed in XXX for nearly 3 months.
V (continue to type) How would you cover your expenses?
Me: (not heard clearly) How would I prepare for it?
V No. How would you cover your expenses?
Me: Well, as you can see from my I-20, since XXX gives me assistantship and scholarship, the annual tuition and fee is only $X,XXX, the total minimum budget including the dependent is only $XX,XXX for one year and $XX,XXX for two years. You may want to see my banking certificates?
V (nodding while I hold forth) No, no need.
V (Circling on the I-20’s and saying to me) It’s much harder for her to get the visa if you two come for visa one by one. But it’s good that you’re together. (评:携签是爱和勇气的明证,VO这句话深深刻在俺的脑海。如果携签准备充分,婚姻也是真实的,那就一起去签吧)
Me: (smile) We love each other very much and we have never parted with each other for at most two weeks. The only time we parted with each other for two weeks was in 2002 when I was in US for business. I’m so used to her cooking(VO smiles again at this-VO的第二个微笑)
V Go to window 11 for your VISAS.
Me: Thank you and have a nice weekend! (making a face to the handsome guy who is waiting to apply for his J1 visa for postdoctoral research; a small brother of civil engineering waved his hand to me for congratulations)
WIFE: (didn’t hear clearly the plural term of VISA and whispering to me) 都过了吗?
Me: (in low voice with joy) Yes.
WIFE: (excited) Thank you.
(Got the visas after a half-hour chat with several PHD students waiting for visas at Window 11)
在签证之前,兢兢业业与老婆做了很多细致的准备工作,checklist几易其稿,存款证明办了一堆,正式工作业余工作收入证明,老婆准备了从2000年初识到目前为止的17本相册,仔细拜读CD和其他签证网站的大作,该做的都做了。但这一切都没有用上,整个interview只花了三分钟左右的时间,什么归国计划、存款证明、照片、录取信,F2去美目的和打算,全部都没有看没有问。下午一点种进场,3点15分已翩然出场。这大概在携签类别的签证故事中算非常短的了罢?
回顾整个过程,决胜的关键,我想一是过往经历,二是老婆跟我携签中体现的淡淡的但坚定的爱的力量。
非常赞同CD上签友的忠告,不要去想什么水车不水车,尽自己的努力做好最充分的准备(俺在签证当天上午还在建行补打存折水单),每一个看似放水的案例,都是因为申请人有让VO信服的理由。其实,如果申请人是在申请MBA过程中已对自己的essay花过心思,对自己的未来都有过痛苦而认真的思考,那么在签证的时候也就不会心中无底了。
另外,今天所见各位保安(不论中外国籍),都亲切可嘉,与以往在签经中看到大不相同,算是不小的进步,可喜可贺。
穿着:老婆与俺一致认为business casual是值得考虑的选择,勿需西装领带之累。谈话过程中,始终面带自信而友好的微笑。
此外,上海签证处空调并不是很冷,俺在11号窗口等签证时汗如雨下,诸位不必担心受寒。
插曲:一小弟因不能提交缴费发票而被终止签证程序,黯然离去,损失大好预约时机。听他的争辩,他说已用信用卡支付100美元,但交表窗口表示从未听说这种支付方式。俺老婆怀疑其上当受骗,在网上误听他人传言被人骗取了签证费用。待该小弟离去良久,老婆忽醒悟惊呼:为何不叫他出门至对面中信立即补交费用以继续签证?!但此时为时已晚,俺两人为之扼腕叹惜不已。大家要引以为戒。
与各位同志共勉!
原文引自:
https://forum.chasedream.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=27&ID=52760&page=26
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