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Unfortunately, my plan couldn't come to action because I was scared that they might notice that I was faking the whole bathroom emergency situation. Moreover I did not want to get any bad attention on myself. I walked up to the interview box expecting the worse. I even took it as a sign of bad luck when I almost tripped over the metal box you stand on.
My fears about this lady was true, because she did not smile back at me when I smiled at her, neither did she reply my 'good morning' greeting. My heart was pounding fast and even though I tried to control my countenance, I could hear my voice was shaking so badly. My only consolation was that I wasn't doing as bad as the man right before me. This guy was well dressed in a suit and tie, but he was so nervous that he stammered all the way and even froze when asked some questions. Well its not too hard to determine whether he got it or not.
A minute into my interview, the lady paused, as she was confirming some information on the computer, These few seconds gave me sometime to regain my composure, and when she resumed the interview, I looked straight into her eyes while answering the rest of the questions. After 2 minutes, she asked to wait a bit, and she told me she was deciding whether to approve my Visa or not. She then asked for my passport and told me to come for it in the after 2 days. She handed me a note that had a time on it, and it was at that moment that I realized I had gotten my Visa!
I proceeded to leave and of course I changed my walking to emulate how I saw the other successful applicants walk, smiling all the way through. I was so excited that I even told the security guards at the gate I was going to America very soon, and they asked me remember them when I went.
I took my phone and called my husband, 'I got it!' was all I could say.
I always ask myself now,'what it was about the US Visa interview that got me and a lot of people so nervous?'. Was it the fear of being rejected? If you have any stories kindly share

Preparing for my Visa interview was very hectic for me, and as if gathering the documents alone was enough of a task, I had to memorize a lot of information. I remember staying up all night sometimes and reading through other people's experiences and coming up with possible questions that would be asked. My sister and I even staged an interview scene with I being the interviewee.
And for some reason I was told to keep the news of my interview a secret, because my mother didn't want any 'family people' jeopardizing my interview. lol #jazztinz.A month before the interview, I knew what dress I would wear, the hairstyle I would have, the shoe I would wear and even the perfume I would wear.. You see, I read a story online where someone had recommended a certain type of designer perfume and even though I couldn't get the same thing I made sure I got a similar designer perfume because the right smelling perfume could work wonders for you. You know all these things in one way or the other, determined if you were going to be granted the Visa or not, or so I believed.
On the day of my interview, I woke up extra early and even though my interview was scheduled at 11:30 am, I just didn't want to leave anything to chance. By 6:00 am I was on my way to the embassy which was only about 30 minutes away. When I got there, I was led to a long queue outside the embassy and I began 'sizing' everyone up to determine if they had a better chance of getting the Visa than me. I saw all kinds of people in the queue, and I was wondering what everone's story was and how it was going to turn out after the interview. I had a perception of who some people were just by their appearances.
In the queue, you could see the mum who wanted to visit her son abroad for the first time , the students who wanted to start a new life as International students in America, the young man wanting to have his first taste of abroad life and the business executive who was going for an international conference. I kept wondering if I had a similar story with anyone in the queue.
Since I got there way ahead of time, I had to wait outside in the morning sun till about 10:00 am before being led inside.( There really is no point in going there hours ahead of your interview time).
I then started observing the people who had completed the interview, and I devised a way of telling if they got the Visa or not. I noticed that if you were going to be issued a Visa, your passport was taken from you, and if you were refused a visa your passport would be handed back to you. Also I could use the general countenance of the people waliking out to determine if they got it or not, you could see the disappointment on some peoples faces, but others tried to hide it by smiling too broadly, but their eyes always gave them away. For those who got the Visa they kind of made it a point to show that they were no longer holding their passports, and they walked out with a lot of confidence.
You know, I was doing all this so I could determine the best interviewer to go to, I wanted to go to the one that gave out the most Visas, it was then that I noticed that for a certain lady, at least the 15 people who had gone to her all walked away with their passports. Her interviews were very short and lasted less than 2 minutes. I started calculating mentally as to whether I would get her or not, and when I realized I was most likely to be interviewed by her, I made a plan to have a bathroom emergency when it got to my turn

....To be Cont

DEBOLABI: @African Chic:::::::::::

you have not really answer my question...

my question is it worthwhile? in terms of standard of living over there, employment and salary etc?

thanks.

Sorry I have not been on Nairaland for sometime. Hmmm very difficult question to answer. Unfortunately I don't have much information about living in Canada. All I know is they pay more taxes than the US and its definitely colder. Sorry I cannot be helpful with this particular question. Hopefully you would get answers from other readers

To the best of my knowledge community colleges do not offer masters level programs. Their highest are the 2 year associate degree courses which is similar to to post secondary diploma

sweet-aquifer:
quiet enlighthening.....but how about someone intending to run his msc in petroleum geology in the us, but under one of the community schools?

Community Colleges are just 2 years, and he would have to continue to a 4 year college after graduation.I believe that community colleges have the cost advantage over a 4 year college and it is the best option for anyone seeking to minimize cost. Also I find that it is easier getting into a community college than a 4 year college and the only disadvantage being that you would not get to experience the whole 'college' experience.
Visit my blog www.lifeofanafricanimmigrant..com to read more about living in the US

I was inspired to write this post when I saw a comment asking me if it was possible to get a 'white collar' job in the USA with African qualifications. My knowledge on the job market may be limited to what I have read and heard and I therefore inquire blog readers to give more information if possible.

From what I know, it would be extremely difficult to get a professional job here without being educated here. You know, North Americans( USA, Canada) have this impression that they have the best school system in the world, and any qualification from anywhere else, much more Africa, does not meet their standards. The only situations I know of, where people got professional jobs without schooling here is when they have extensive experience in their field, and they really are on top of their game. Also I find that specialists in the IT field find it easier to find jobs in the USA even though they still encounter immigration setbacks

I have realized that if you really want to make it in the US, you definitely have to acquire some sort of qualification from here. And even with that, you really don't want to do a course that would make you compete with Americans(Hello Liberal arts). The job market here is very competitive, and Americans would definitely be favored over an international student who needs the company to file a Visa in order to work.
I have found that the sectors which have less Americans competing in are the careers that fall under the STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) category. These sectors have been overtaken by Asians, especially Indians. Find out more about the STEM here. I have a friend who just completed her masters in Mathematical Statistics, and she is now working as a data scientist. She now earns more than $100, 000 p.a less than a year after graduation
Also for most African immigrant there is a lot of pressure to go into Nursing. Nursing pays well over here, and you are assured of employment after graduation, so it is a good option for many Africans to consider. Nursing is not a bad career, but I find that most people get into it without having any passion for the job. They easily get bored along the line and some even wait 2 or 3 years just to qualify into nursing school. I believe that there are equally good and better courses out there(IT, mathematics, etc) that would ensure that you have a successful life over here, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to really research on the type of career you want to go into and the opportunities available.

That said, if you have a strong inclination to go into a particular field, you should very well follow your heart, but you must be aware of the opportunities or lack thereof that comes with whatever you want to do.