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I've been invited to speak at the Javaone this year at San Francisco. I decided to write about this only after everything (leave, tickets, visa) was confirmed. The tickets and the leave are not a problem but the Visa is - my visa request was rejected.
The interviewer said that he was not convinced I was competent to speak.
Here's what happened:
- I presented my passport and the Forms 156 and 157 to the interviewer.
- He asked why I wanted to go to the US. I replied that I was invited to speak and hence the trip.
- He asked me about my company, and I told him about our company and our work worldwide.
- He asked me about the topic, and I told him about the topic (OpenGrok)
- He returned my passport and stated that he was not convinced that I was competent to speak.
- I pushed the invite from Sun through the tray requesting that he read the invite where Sun stated that they're sponsoring my trip and would be glad to have me over.
- Without reading the letter, he pushed it back saying "I'm sorry, but that letter will not help".
- I asked, "Could you tell me then what will help ? I'd like to know."
- He replied, "I can't tell you that right now. But you are welcome to reapply".
All said and done, I'm not frustrated or angry at the interviewer. It doesn't help. I'm sure the interviewer had his reasons - I was unable to learn of those reasons.
So, I'm going to reapply. But I'd also like to know:
- Do you know anyone else who has faced such a situation (where the interviewer does not even look at the invite letter ?)
- How do you make an interviewer reconsider his stance of not even wanting to look at any more papers ?
- How can one be better prepared ?
Here are some ideas that I have.
1. Carry along
- printouts of the presentation
- emails from various people who've congratulated me on my previous talk at the Sun Tech Days at Hyderabad (Great morale boosting mails, I tell you :)
- photographs of me speaking at various events.
- A list of various talks that I've given and the lists where I'm an active member/
2. Get letters from my company stating that I'm a recognized speaker within the company.
3. If the interview questions my competence, reply with "Actually, I'm a very prolific speaker+ lecturer in India and I have with me some supporting documents".
That's all so far. All thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
April 25 2007, 19:00:59 UTC 5 years ago
That's sad
There's little that can be talked and done on such "mood driven" visa allocations...If they really want to see, I suggest carrying photographs of talk you gave in past and related shining branding information (SunOne templates, schedules etc.)
I can't prevent myself from appreciating your mental peace; I find such procedure finicky and too frustrating.
April 27 2007, 14:28:15 UTC 5 years ago
Re: That's sad
I've put together various documentation and snaps just now. Thanks for the ideas.As for the mental peace, I'm inspired by a dialog from Dr. Who : "Where there's life, there's hope. And where there's hope, there's chance".
The final statement by the interviewer/consul started a train of thought in my mind that perhaps I ought to try once again ! More on this during the coming week :)
April 25 2007, 20:28:52 UTC 5 years ago
PeteyPao
April 27 2007, 14:29:04 UTC 5 years ago
Could be anything !
I can just hope for better luck the next time :)May 9 2007, 05:12:12 UTC 5 years ago
Maybe!
It could be just about anything !Anyway, I'm in the US right now. I got my visa within a week's time of first being rejected. My journal has the latest info on that.
Thanks for writing :)
Anonymous
April 25 2007, 21:49:03 UTC 5 years ago
I know how you feel...
I know how you feel. It is sometimes a very frustrating experience.If they are going to reject without looking at your papers, it does not matter what papers you carry with you.
Good luck next time
May 10 2007, 23:18:29 UTC 5 years ago
Re: I know how you feel...
Indeed. Anyway, I'm here now in the US :)Anonymous
April 26 2007, 07:15:57 UTC 5 years ago
They just commited an act of injustice ! That demands anger, it might counterproductive to your ends to display it to them, however. It doesn't matter if the policy isn't the interviewers, the person in question chose to apply that policy. There's no such thing as a government, there's only people behaving 'governmentally'. They have restricted your life and your liberty, they have caged you.
I swear every time I'm going through some customs barrier I'm half a heartbeat from yelling "GET OUT OF MY WAY".
You must be living in an oppressive/corrupt society or have little notions of liberty and justice to feel it inappropriate to feel anger.
- Stacy.
May 10 2007, 23:23:56 UTC 5 years ago
Also, I could have easily questioned his own competence in softare, or his skills at public speaking. Maybe I'd have even proved him wrong ! But at what cost to me ? For all I know, they could even put a special "jerk alert" in their system.
I face such problems regularly at work, too. I have enough differences of opinion with quite a few colleagues on just how much of design is needed, what exactly is upfront design, etc. Despite being written off by a majority as a mis-fit, I continue to remain in my workplace :)
Even in my society, there are lots of people who wouldn't tolerate even the slightest of implied/perceived insults. I, on the contrary, have chosen to have considerable patience. On the flip side, I'm often seen as willing to put up with just about any garbage hurled at me.
Anonymous
April 26 2007, 08:37:42 UTC 5 years ago
Don't speak at anything in the US
OOPSLA experienced a spike increase in attendance when it was held in Vancouver and dropped again when it was held in Portland.I'm thinking don't bother going to anything based in the US and hold conferences elsewhere.
May 10 2007, 23:25:27 UTC 5 years ago
Re: Don't speak at anything in the US
I'd like to speak at the OOPLSA someday myself. However, hating an entire country/culture purely because on one individual's decision at a given point of time does not seem fair to me.At the time of writing this response, I'm in the US, have presented at the CommunityOne track, and am busy figuring out some Eclipse build issues.
Anonymous
April 26 2007, 09:38:49 UTC 5 years ago
You wont get frustrated if you know you are good..
and that is what you are exactly doing !.. Its the attendees of the conference who lose since they cant here your talk !..That said... when you reply... if I were you ... I would give them a piece of my mind without even caring about their f***ing country norms !
-A
May 10 2007, 23:27:19 UTC 5 years ago
Re: You wont get frustrated if you know you are good..
Thanks. I know that I'm good at what I know, and I know that I have a certain value in this society and among the people whose lives I've changed for the better.As I've written in a response to an earlier poster, I chose to not get angry for a reason,
Anonymous
April 26 2007, 14:06:37 UTC 5 years ago
What were you wearing
Did you look like a speaker? As Twer we tend to not give due respect to looking the part.Sometimes, these visa guys have an x number of applicants they have to reject, you may just have been one of the x.
May 10 2007, 23:28:39 UTC 5 years ago
Re: What were you wearing
I don't know what the interviewer's mental image of a speaker would be like. I certainly don't look like a conventional college lecturer. I look more like a software developer (some people even say that I look 35 years old ! )I was wearing a formal full sleeved shirt at that time.
Anonymous
May 2 2007, 14:08:30 UTC 5 years ago
May be just his mood....
Seriously....First time I went for Visa I got it for 3 months... I went to US ... came back... then again I had to go so I applied... with same reasons and same qualifications... interviewer said he dont think I am eligible... phiss... how come I am not eligible now... .. but I had to go, so I reaplied... and this time I was eligible... and that too for 10 years... dude.. just take care of things people suggested above and ALL THE BEST....
May 10 2007, 23:29:48 UTC 5 years ago
Re: May be just his mood....
Thank you for writing in.That was a very wierd case you'd to go through ! I too have received a ten year visa. Of course, each time I enter the US, I will need to convince the immigration officer that I need to be here :)