How to prepare for an embassy visa interview?
It is no surprise to anyone that if you are planning to travel to some specific countries, you might need to get a visa for your journey. However, to have information about the visa process, you need to research beforehand. But what is even a visa, and what do you need to obtain one? Many countries require people of other nationalities to acquire a visa prior to their trip to enter their country. Visa is the permit given to a country's traveller, allowing entry for several reasons, including tourism, study, work, or other specific reasons. When applying for and receiving a visa, there are also some guidelines that you need to follow to ensure a safe and unproblematic journey carefully.
The pre-arrival visa applications process allows countries to measure and look through the applicant's details, which cover topics as finances, family and work status, details about past travel experiences, and others. Based on the country, there can be several reasons for such a complex system, but undeniably mainly it is done to minimize illegal migration and all the issues that come with it. It is also worth mentioning that visitors from some countries may also be required to go through health or safety checks before they actually arrive in the country where their visa is issued to.
Transit visa
There are a lot of cases when you just require a visa to pass through a country to go to another one, which is known as transit. In that case, as it is in the name of the process, you will have to get a transit visa. Depending on the country and the conditions of a specific travel itinerary of yours, the duration of travel visas is generally restricted by brief periods such as a few hours or a few days. Interestingly enough, a transit visa for international airports is another thing you should bear in mind as certain countries demand it just to travel through their airports, even if you will not go through border control.
In order to get the visa, first of all, you need to get all your documents assembled. Almost all countries require these: Visa application form, photo, passport. Besides these, you might need to attach other required documents according to the visa type you are applying to.
Interview
Now that we are done with preparing documents, it is a perfect time to prepare for a visa interview at the embassy. Yes, you have heard it completely right; there is an interview part too. However, do not get stressed or nervous; we got you covered as we will be talking about best and worse embassy interviews and discuss the preparation process for this very important part of the whole visa process. Your visa interview will decide whether you are eligible to obtain a visa. In that case, they will also decide which type of visa is necessary for you to obtain, solely depending on your travel intention.
Many embassies demand that you pay the visa charge before interview. First of all, bear in mind that often you will need to pay a visa issuance fee before your visa is actually approved. Make sure you know what the fees are, and also, paying methods might vary, required either in cash, online, or bank transfer in advance. You might have doubts about the location or even the existence of the embassy of your wished country in your homeland, but how can you even be sure when you do not know where to start? In that case, you are at the right address as you can learn about the location of any embassy in your homeland or nearby countries and get their contacts here. This can be crucial in some extreme cases while going to the embassy.
Dressing
When going to your interview, your main goal should be not to stress and keep it cool. Every year thousands of interview applicants complete their visa processes successfully, and with a few basic tips, you can get ready for your so-called visa day. As in every formal interview, dressing plays a huge role in succession. You definitely, do not have to wear a suit and tie, and it is not about wearing pricey clothing either, but if you wear tidy, clean clothes, it is more polite because first impressions can mean a lot. However, no matter how gorgeous you look, it is always better to feel comfortable, smoothening the whole process for you. I would advise men to consider wearing a top with a blazer or suit jacket, then pair them with black jeans or khaki trousers. And strictly avoid bold light colours or printed shirts, home shoes, and sunglasses. For women, the best outfit idea would be to wear a blazer or business jacket with a formal blouse and denim or maybe even dark trousers. Also, consider wearing a dress that is formal and appropriate for your interview. Clothing that you should avoid are extremely fashionable shoes and also try not to wear high heels. Usually, when it comes to makeup, try to wear gentle lipstick and a plain hairstyle.
Timing
After dressing up according to the guidelines, it is about to leave the house. Another tip from us: arrive early at the embassy's address. Some embassies operate with the system of whoever comes first, that person gets to the interview, even if your appointment time slightly differs. This means you will be out early if you are lucky enough. And it is no surprise to anyone that early morning rendezvous are typically the easiest and quietest.
Language
One of the things that you should consider is the language. There is a huge misconception about it, as most people believe that interview's language depends on the country where the embassy is located. However, it is completely false as almost all interviews are carried in the English language. So, expect the interview to be held in English and not in your native tongue. This case scenario recommends improving pre-interview English communication and you can prepare possible answers beforehand.
Questions
Even though each interview is different, you should be prepared to answer all sorts of questions, but let`s see the general questions. Receiving questions about your family and kids is a very common topic for the travel visa interview. With all of the stress and pre-travel excitement, you might often have a hard time easily remembering the workplaces of your children, their exact date of birth, and some similar details. Therefore, I recommend that you prepare yourself and memorize this information early enough to avoid offering a reluctant response and losing your chance of getting your wished visa. Questions about your travel companions as "Are you travelling with someone else?" are some of the easiest questions you might come across with. What do you know about the country you are going to visit? Take your time to do some research on the place you are about to fly to. It also gives you "extra points" if you can clearly talk about the places of interest you plan to visit.
Conclusion
Overall, it is very important to be respectful and attentive during the interview. Due to the number of visa submissions, there is tremendous time pressure on all consular officers to perform a fast and effective interview. They are required to make a decision that might completely change your life. In conclusion, what you first say and the overall image you make is vital to your performance. If you get anxious very easily, grab a book, maybe a bar of chocolate to keep you positive. Since there are long lines sometimes, you need to make sure that you are at ease. If you follow all these tips, your chances of passing the visa interview at the embassy will be higher, and you will get the visa to your destination country.
