Hello lovelies!
Today I'll be starting my updates on my experiences in finishing my US Visa application.
Applying for a US Visa (or, in fact, any type of visa) involves a lot of procedures. This usually includes taking a medical exam to prove that you are fit to travel and have passed the standards for that country. There usually are limitations such as infectious diseases, or one might still need to undergo treatments prior flying out, or any other reasons. All these factors vary from one country to another.
I have some knowledge in applying for visas since I used to prepare documents for my crew in my previous job. US Tourist and Business Visas (B1/B2) are very different from Spousal and Fiance Visas, but they require the same medical exam for the interview. The requirements may vary for each time. In my experience, I will focus on the K1 Visa.
So, where do we start? Here's a simple guide and my own experience!
Preparation
All US Visa Medical Examinations are to be taken at St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic. This is not the one in Quezon City but their branch located at 1177 J. Bocobo St. Ermita, Manila. This clinic also caters to visa applicants for Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Instructions to start your medical exam is usually noted once you receive your NOA2 by visiting their website at www.slec.ph. The complete procedure and requirements can be found on this site, or click here to go directly to the US Visa page.
Wondering what time you have to be there? The earlier the better, especially if you don't want to spend the whole day there. However, coming a bit late isn't really bad unless you arrive after lunch.
Getting Ready
You don't need to schedule an appointment for your preferred date. You can come at any weekday to complete your medical, however there are some things and forms that you need to bring.
Accomplish the online registration form [click here]
Apart from the printed form, bring the following documents. Make sure that they are printed on Letter Size Bond Paper and NOT A4 Paper. This was not specified on their site, but they made me reprint my documents.
Original Passport and photocopy of the biographic page4 pieces of your recent 2" x 2" visa photo with no earrings or facial jewelry and accessoriesLetter with case number - or any official document that has your case numberAppointment confirmation page, if available[For more information and updates (if there are any) you can always check their page by clicking here]
My Medical Experience : Day 1
Yes I was sporting my awesome candy pink hair when I went to St. Lukes Extension Clinic last June 30, 2015.
I was actually hoping that it will be a quick process but I knew it may take a day or two. I arrived at 730am. The guard at the door will screen your documents before letting you in. If you have any missing requirement, you will be denied entry.
Upon entering, I went to the counter at the left side and got my documents checked again. They also took my passport and wrote on it.
[This is their ideal work flow on how things are supposed to take place]
I was then given instructions to pay for my medical. Their cashier is located at the 5th floor. The medical fee is $245 but should be paid in Philippine Pesos. This means, they will publish an effective price depending on the exchange rates. I paid 11,025php that time, but it is currently at 11,760php as of September 1, 2015. You can check for updates here.
Everything went on smoothly and from here, I proceeded to the 2nd Floor and submitted my documents to the counter at the front. I waited for my turn and had my an interview to see which vaccines I needed. Note that this was only an interview so I didn't have any shots taken. It will only be provided once you are medically fit.
After the interview I was instructed to go to the 3rd Floor for my X-Ray. I then proceeded to the 5th Floor for my Physical Exam. It was really quick!
At the 5th floor, I proceeded to the USA Counter. This is found at the right part. Don't hesitate to ask a nurse or security guard for instructions. It will help you save time and accomplish things much faster. It was funny because they anticipated me coming because of my pink hair. After taking my vital signs, I was instructed to wait.
Now this part was taking quite a bit. When I was finally called, it was already 1030am. Not bad since I arrived at 730am. This was the last part before the immunization. The doctor who saw me for my physical exam was a bit of a snob. She didn't really say much and just asked basic questions. Then she noticed my big tattoos and a scar on my arm.
Uh-oh!
Yes... UH-OH! Apparently having scars on the arms, excessive tattoos and/or being annulled will result to a psyche evaluation! Okay, now I thought I was going to finish early but all my hopes faded when she instructed me to go to the 4th Floor and give them a certain piece of paper.
I went to the 4th Floor and was told to return at 1pm. Now that was really annoying because I could've just gone home but oh well, let's get this done, right??
I was wrong. Again. When I returned at 1pm, the nurse at the 4th Floor instructed me to proceed to Room N at the ground floor. There I was advised that my evaluation will be scheduled at a later date when the psychologist will be available. To add to my frustrations, I was schedule on July 22nd - and my interview date was supposed to be July 21st!!
Now, I was quite worried because I didn't know if the evaluation will go well. It means another fee, too. And if they think I'm cray-cray I will have to go to a 2nd evaluation which is more expensive.
Keep calm and just be yourself.
I returned to SLEC on July 22nd to have my evaluation. I did a bit of research on how it goes and have read both good and not really good experiences. Some said that the doctor can sometimes be sarcastic and rude, and some said that it went smoothly. My schedule was at 2pm so I arrived at 130pm to give myself some zen time.
NOTE : There is an additional fee of 1058php for this session. I'm not sure if the same rate would apply now. Note that this may still vary so if you're subject to the same procedure, make sure to clarify what other fees would be needed.
Okay, so the thing about myself is that I am me so I came sporting my new purple hair!
NOTE : You can always reschedule your visa appointment as many times as you need. The MRV is valid for a whole year, and you can reschedule by phone through the following ways :
I dropped by SLEC on July 29th 2015 to claim my medical certificate. It's been a month since I started the process and finally it's done! I dropped by around 11am since I will only need my vaccines done.
I proceeded to the 2nd Floor for my vaccines. It took a very long time before I was called and I already had my lunch. Before around 2pm, it was finally my turn and while getting ready to get the shots, I was asked when my last period was. Having irregular cycles, I told the truth and said that it's been two months and that it's nothing different.
Not sure if wrong move for being too honest, or just stupid.
Apparently that was a big deal! It added to my frustration because I could have finished early again but of course it was delayed. I was instructed to wait and to my dismay it took about an hour for another doctor to see me, and interrogate me.
I was asked questions which I know leads to hearing answer "I'm pregnant" but I wasn't so I had to tell them calmly about my condition and so on. They could've just asked if I was pregnant directly and saved the 1 hour interrogation hassle. Finally, I was asked if I agree to have a pregnancy test which I said sure and just get everything over with.
All procedures were done by around 330pm. At this point I was annoyed and hungry. I ended up spending the remaining hours of my afternoon at Starbucks.
730pm finally I was called to sign the papers and my medical documents were finally done. I was informed that my certificate will be directly forwarded to the US Embassy. I was given my CD and finally it was finished!
One month! It took me almost one month to finish the whole process. It's not a common thing. I know some people who were able to finish it in only a week. It just so happens that incidents like mine are possible.
Anyways, I hope you got something out of it if you're wondering about what you might be dealing with. More updates soon!
Upon entering, I went to the counter at the left side and got my documents checked again. They also took my passport and wrote on it.
[This is their ideal work flow on how things are supposed to take place]
I was then given instructions to pay for my medical. Their cashier is located at the 5th floor. The medical fee is $245 but should be paid in Philippine Pesos. This means, they will publish an effective price depending on the exchange rates. I paid 11,025php that time, but it is currently at 11,760php as of September 1, 2015. You can check for updates here.
Everything went on smoothly and from here, I proceeded to the 2nd Floor and submitted my documents to the counter at the front. I waited for my turn and had my an interview to see which vaccines I needed. Note that this was only an interview so I didn't have any shots taken. It will only be provided once you are medically fit.
After the interview I was instructed to go to the 3rd Floor for my X-Ray. I then proceeded to the 5th Floor for my Physical Exam. It was really quick!
At the 5th floor, I proceeded to the USA Counter. This is found at the right part. Don't hesitate to ask a nurse or security guard for instructions. It will help you save time and accomplish things much faster. It was funny because they anticipated me coming because of my pink hair. After taking my vital signs, I was instructed to wait.
Now this part was taking quite a bit. When I was finally called, it was already 1030am. Not bad since I arrived at 730am. This was the last part before the immunization. The doctor who saw me for my physical exam was a bit of a snob. She didn't really say much and just asked basic questions. Then she noticed my big tattoos and a scar on my arm.
Uh-oh!
Yes... UH-OH! Apparently having scars on the arms, excessive tattoos and/or being annulled will result to a psyche evaluation! Okay, now I thought I was going to finish early but all my hopes faded when she instructed me to go to the 4th Floor and give them a certain piece of paper.
I went to the 4th Floor and was told to return at 1pm. Now that was really annoying because I could've just gone home but oh well, let's get this done, right??
I was wrong. Again. When I returned at 1pm, the nurse at the 4th Floor instructed me to proceed to Room N at the ground floor. There I was advised that my evaluation will be scheduled at a later date when the psychologist will be available. To add to my frustrations, I was schedule on July 22nd - and my interview date was supposed to be July 21st!!
Now, I was quite worried because I didn't know if the evaluation will go well. It means another fee, too. And if they think I'm cray-cray I will have to go to a 2nd evaluation which is more expensive.
Psyche Evaluation : Day 2
Keep calm and just be yourself.
I returned to SLEC on July 22nd to have my evaluation. I did a bit of research on how it goes and have read both good and not really good experiences. Some said that the doctor can sometimes be sarcastic and rude, and some said that it went smoothly. My schedule was at 2pm so I arrived at 130pm to give myself some zen time.
NOTE : There is an additional fee of 1058php for this session. I'm not sure if the same rate would apply now. Note that this may still vary so if you're subject to the same procedure, make sure to clarify what other fees would be needed.Okay, so the thing about myself is that I am me so I came sporting my new purple hair!
Apparently they still recognized me as the previously pink-haired girl.
The doctor had some emergency and she arrived around 330pm. I was her first client and she instructed me to take a seat. I was polite and calm, and greeted her with a smile. She asked if I knew why I was there so I said yes.
She first asked simple personal questions about me, Alex Polar Bear, and family. Eventually she just asked me about my family experiences and several times she asked how I was now. I didn't lie or hold anything back. I did cry at some point, when I mentioned the parts when I had to deal with family problems - and those are the scenarios that made me a strong person now. I have no regrets. I assured her that I was fine.
The doctor looked at my hair and smiled, and asked why I thought of coloring my hair like this. So I told her how my hair color ideas started, and my love for art, photography, painting and colorful things. After about twenty minutes we were done but there were no results yet. I was then instructed to wait for a week to get the final results.
At this point, I was quite frustrated again. I already rescheduled my visa interview on July 29th! According to the site where you can schedule your appointment, you can only reschedule once and doing so again means you need to do another payment O.o
Okay, this is not true!
NOTE : You can always reschedule your visa appointment as many times as you need. The MRV is valid for a whole year, and you can reschedule by phone through the following ways :
Philippine Call Center - (02) 976 - 8500 to 02
International Callers - US Number +1 703 520 2235
Continental U.S. working hours : 7pm-7am EST / 6pm-6am CST / 5pm-5am MST / 4pm-4am PST
Email - support-philippines@ustraveldocs.com
Skype - UID : ustraveldocs-philippines
Monday – Friday from 8:00am to 8:00pm
Anyways, back to the topic...
I talked to SLEC's nurse who was assigned on Room N if I can possibly get my results before the 29th but I was told that the psychologist is only allowed to finish the reports within their facility during their schedule - which is Tuesday and Thursday. If my results weren't in by the 28th then it's not going to be ready on time.
I called them several times and on July 28th noon time, they told me that my results were ready for pickup but I had to do it before 2pm. It was noon time so it wasn't going to happen. As expected I rescheduled my Visa Interview on August 6th.
Claiming My Certificate : Day 3
I dropped by SLEC on July 29th 2015 to claim my medical certificate. It's been a month since I started the process and finally it's done! I dropped by around 11am since I will only need my vaccines done.
I proceeded to the 2nd Floor for my vaccines. It took a very long time before I was called and I already had my lunch. Before around 2pm, it was finally my turn and while getting ready to get the shots, I was asked when my last period was. Having irregular cycles, I told the truth and said that it's been two months and that it's nothing different.
Not sure if wrong move for being too honest, or just stupid.
Apparently that was a big deal! It added to my frustration because I could have finished early again but of course it was delayed. I was instructed to wait and to my dismay it took about an hour for another doctor to see me, and interrogate me.
I was asked questions which I know leads to hearing answer "I'm pregnant" but I wasn't so I had to tell them calmly about my condition and so on. They could've just asked if I was pregnant directly and saved the 1 hour interrogation hassle. Finally, I was asked if I agree to have a pregnancy test which I said sure and just get everything over with.
All procedures were done by around 330pm. At this point I was annoyed and hungry. I ended up spending the remaining hours of my afternoon at Starbucks.
730pm finally I was called to sign the papers and my medical documents were finally done. I was informed that my certificate will be directly forwarded to the US Embassy. I was given my CD and finally it was finished!
One month! It took me almost one month to finish the whole process. It's not a common thing. I know some people who were able to finish it in only a week. It just so happens that incidents like mine are possible.
Anyways, I hope you got something out of it if you're wondering about what you might be dealing with. More updates soon!
xoxo
~ Honey Bear ~
Contact : kimistarr@photographer.net | Travel Blog : Kimi Goes Places | Official : KimiStarr.Net | Starr&Sparkle Shoppe
Do St. Luke's got your passport together with your medical documents and send it to US Embassy in Manila or they returned it to you? :)
ReplyDeleteanyway, congratulations! i love reading your blog!
Hi thank you for sharing this, malaking tulong sa amin mag undergo pa lang, ask ko lng sana kasi ang meron lang kami ay yung NOA2 wala pa kaming hard copy ng NVC letter, pero binigay na sa amin yung MNL case number namin Thru telephone, paano po yun? pwede na kaya magpa sched for medical kahit wala pang hard copy ng MNL case number? Thank you
ReplyDelete