| L-a-x |
Posted
on 28-Oct-03 09:39 AM
This is from Nepali times. What do you think of this article??
I did not realise being considered a potential threat to the US national security and a possible illegal alien would be so thrilling, especially since most of my family, friends and colleagues think of me as goody-two-shoes. I no longer am a boring young man, at least not according to Uncle Sam.
Unlike the Buddha, who was initially unsure of his path to nirvana, I was absolutely confident of my (temporary) path to the US. Armed with an invitation letter from a Washington DC-based global financial agency, a support letter from my current employer (another global agency) plus confidence from visiting multiple countries, including a past visit to the US, I had surveyed other visa applicants at the US Embassy with some pity. I walked into that interview with a swagger I didnt know I possessed.
After a brief interview, the white gentleman behind the glass window said politely and firmly, I cannot issue you a visa . He explained that I had not adequately proven my ties to Nepal . He advised me to apply after a month with full details of property owned, bank statements etc.
Ties to Nepal ? That began my mini-angst. What defines my tied-ness to Nepal? My legal tie as a citizen and as an employee in a legal Nepali institution were clearly stated in that application. Obviously both were inadequate for the US government.
Material ownership (house, land, money) was a major thread to this answer. Marriage was, apparently, another criterion of tied-ness according to a colleague. I was clearly very, very un-tied-y. My colleagues pragmatic suggestions were, Buy a house and marry someone with two kids immediately . Other explanations ranged from a global geo-politico-economic situation analysis to a critical observation of my personal self. They just do it to make you reapply and get more money, a friend said. So thats how the US economy and the Iraq war are being funded.
An American friend emailed her governments attitude dismissively: They view all brown skinned single men as a threat . That explains why my cousin got a visa, he is naturally lighter skinned than I, although he, too, is single. Perhaps my recent trips to Malaysia and Sri Lanka looked suspicious. Lesson: all travel should be planned keeping in mind one may need to get a US visa some day, ie avoid all other countries. My least liked hypothesis came from a conflict expert, who said, Sometimes they refuse a visa because they dont like the way a person looks . Visually challenged applicants should use a veil or opt for plastic surgery.
That fateful evening, charged with anti-American sentiment, I consoled myself by watching Bad Boys II at Jai Nepal Cinema first, followed by Friends on TV, comforted by burgers and Coke for dinner. I plan to boycott CNN, C-span and all American horror movies in protest next.
Name withheld on request. The author may reapply for a US visa.
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