The saga of the VISA #1

I've put off writing about the Visa saga because it's all been so traumatic that I've really wanted to forget all about it, however I'll try and spell out the list of events as they unfolded, and I shall try not to use the words "incompetent" or "imbecile"!
Customer says 'ey up*** Liza, we're opening a store in the USA - would you like to go and test it out there for us?'

As I work for a US based company, I check with our immigration department as to whether I need a visa for work. I fill in a couple of forms and they say I do need a visa. I begin the visa application process and am asked to - complete MANY forms, write a 7 year CV, send a copy of my Degree Certificate, and pay several fees.

This process in its own right was not straightforward - the CV was sent back with the comment 'we need to see your job TITLES, not your job ROLES. ????!!!!!! What else is a CV all about if not your job roles? Finally after several to-ings and fro-ings of forms, my visa pack is ready and it is FedEx'd to me from the USA.

I then try to make an appointment at the US Embassy London for my interview. There's a 6 week wait-time for appointments. I need to be there in a fortnight. Ho Hum.

Visa/Immigration people say - it doesn't have to be the LONDON UK Embassy - just ANY US Embassy. I check the website - Belfast, Paris - all of them have over 6 weeks to wait for an appointment. But I find out that the Brussels embassy has the shortest list (in Europe). 2 days.

We figure that to get to Brussels on the plane is the same amount of time as getting to London on the train and so I book an appointment for the following Monday - 11th August.

I set off to Brussels on the Monday morning flight from Leeds Bradford airport.
The ill-fated trip to Brussels ensues - I won't go over old ground as I've already written about it....suffice to say I miss my appointment on Monday and have to reschedule for Wednesday.

Wednesday morning at 9am I'm there in a queue of 6 people outside the embassy. After the security checks I get into the building only to find over 30 people in front of me! Eventually I get to the front of the queue at about 10am. I hand over my visa pack, prepared by the immigration people at work.

Before I set off on my journey, I checked (and double checked) the list of things you need to present for your Visa application.

• 3 copies of the documentation (a list of documents included in my visa pack showed me that all the required documents were included)
  
• A very particular requirement for a photo - almost, but not entirely completely dissimilar from a standard passport photo
• evidence of the payment of the fee
  

Everything was present and correct, so as I got to the front of the queue, I presented my documents to the embassy official.

She rifled through the documents and then said 'Where is your I-156 document?' I checked the cover letter from the IBM Visa team. Yes, it was on the list of documents contained in my pack. I replied that the document must be there as it was on the list prepared by my company. I looked through myself. No, the document wasn't actually there. My heart sank. I'd just travelled for 2 days to get to this appointment, only to be rejected at the last hurdle. I nearly cried.

Read the story of the Visa Part 2

*** Well they are a Yorkshire based company.