The first stage of any visa application is to meet with an officer at your country’s embassy or consulate in Australia. This is typically referred to as your pre-visa consultation, VPC for short.
This can happen either in person, via video conference, or by speaking over the phone. It is important to be prepared!
You will need this preparation before coming into visit. Not only do you want to know what documents you should bring, but you also want to make sure that you are well rested and ready to spend some time with our diplomats.
A way to do this is to sleep overnight before the appointment so that you are relaxed and refreshed when you arrive.
We recommend doing this one week prior to the appointment to give yourself enough time to prepare. Also, try to come during off hours if possible, to help with relaxation.
It is very common for VPC applicants to feel nervous or stressed out before their appointment.
As mentioned before, knowing who your audience is will help you in many ways. This includes knowing what kind of situation you are going into with these people, as well as how they could possibly relate to you or your product.
If you’re applying for a job, make sure your application shows that you have done some research about the company and their mission. If you’re marketing yourself or your product, show them that you have invested in resources to bolster your image.
In both cases, be clear about why your investment makes sense and address any doubts they may have. You don’t need to know everything about an organization, but showing that you have done some research is better than leaving out this important information.
After arriving at your visa interview, you will be given an appointment time. This is usually for one hour but could be longer or shorter depending on how many questions they ask and what their schedule looks like.
You should bring this day ahead of time so that you can relax and prepare before coming in. You do not need to check out any items prior to the visit, however it is better if you did as preparation helps reduce nervousness.
The more awake and relaxed you are, the easier it will be to focus on answering questions clearly and appropriately! And again, being well-prepared makes for a smoother experience. Make sure to research potential topics advanced and have a few things ready about yourself and the country you’re visiting.
At the very least, you should know where the office is located, how to get there from home, and some basic facts about the city – just in case something comes up.
After you arrive at your visa interview, it is important to have a positive mental attitude (PMA). This means being confident in yourself and going into the meeting with an open mind.
You want to show how well prepared you are for this visit by putting some effort into researching things about the company and the country. You also want to be aware of the regulations so that you do not accidentally break any rules.
Keep an eye out for potential problems and ask questions if you become concerned. If possible, bring notes or copies of information to refer to.
In addition to showing off your preparation, you want to make sure you look relaxed and self-confident. Try rolling up your sleeve(s) before the appointment to see what shirt you will wear and picky whether to carry a bag or use a messenger bag.
Finally, try to envision all of the possibilities after the interview. Can you picture success? What can you learn from these people? How could you apply those lessons in your life? All of these could help you feel more comfortable during the visit.
After arriving at your visa interview, the next thing you need to do is have a quick check in with someone else from the organization that sent you here.
This can be another employee or even a different department within the organization. More often than not, there will be more people coming into the room so having some kind of formal meeting isn’t necessary, but it is good practice.
After all, you don’t want to be talking to one person and then suddenly remember something you needed to tell them! So make sure you update them as soon as possible- this should go hand in hand with your first tip.
Once again, if you feel like you are being pulled in several directions at once work towards focusing on the task at hand and try to concentrate only on what you are doing at the moment. If you find yourself getting distracted ask yourself whether this is really important right now? And most importantly, take a break every couple of minutes to reset and refocus.
As mentioned before, every organization is different when it comes to how they interview applicants for employment. Some ask more in-depth questions than others, but all require you to be well prepared!
Some tips that can help are being aware of what products or services the company offers, knowing their competition, and staying up to date on their current projects. These things show an interest in the company and its success, which typically makes them feel comfortable around you.
By showing some passion for the company, you’ll come across as more intelligent and professional. If there’s something related to the job position you’re applying for that they’re asking about, then go into detail and talk about it!
The most important thing to remember during your visa interview is to be yourself. No one else will ever get to know you better than yourself, so believe in who you are and enjoy this experience because this will make or break whether you get hired.
Before you meet with the visa officer, it is good to have a checklist of questions that cover all potential areas. These can be organized into several different categories, such as general questions about the country and the company, career related questions, and financial questions.
General questions are ones that touch upon no specific field or area. Examples include “What is your name?”, “How do you like working here?”, and “Why are you coming to America?”.
These types of questions help determine if there are any underlying issues that may prevent you from traveling. For example, if the person does not seem particularly happy in their current position, then chances are they will not get a job anywhere else within the organization. If this was planned, then possibly looking for new employment might be discouraged.
Career-related questions typically pertain to what positions the individual holds in the company, whether they hold an advanced degree, and things like that. This comes more under the category of asking about personal qualities than professional ones.
Financial questions usually look at how much money someone has, where they live, and whether or not they own a car.
After arriving at the destination, you will be met by an officer who will ask if there are any other visa applications that need to be processed or anything else he/she needs to know about you. This is what they call a pre-interview!
This is very common practice for employers when hiring someone new. They want to make sure this person is legally allowed to work in the country before giving them employment. It also helps them verify whether or not this individual has misrepresented themselves to gain employment.
By having this conversation prior to the interview process, it saves time later! Once everything is cleared up, you can go into the main part of the conference where you will meet with a member of the consulate staff.
The way to prepare for this meeting is to go through all of your documents, visas, and notes on yourself as well as the employer. Make sure you do not have any secrets like avoiding the job because you cannot get paid enough or because of poor performance. If these things arise, you may face trouble reentry into the United States or even deportation.
This will be your first time meeting with these officials, so try to relax and have fun as you prepare for this. You are being scrutinized by professionals in their field, so treat them like such!
They will probably ask some questions about why you are traveling to the United States and what your plans are while here. Having a solid answer for both of those will help set up your visa application.
If anything seems strange or vague, add more detail to make sure it’s clear. Don’t worry about overdoing it though, just be honest!
We recommend doing some research before the interview to know the answers to any possible questions they may ask.
