My day started at at 8.30 am when I reached the office to fetch the necessary documents for the interview. As I work in a US-owned MNC, I needed to bring my passport, letter from my employer stating among others:
1. Why the trip
2. They are paying for it
3. How long I needed to be there
I also had to fill up the DS-156 & 157 forms, together with a US Visa photograph (2" x 2") as well as the interview appointment form and the Alliance Bank payment receipt for RM467.
Once I reached the embassy, parking was a tricky issue. Thankfully I decided to ride my bike there, avoiding the jam whilst enabling me to park at the office tower parking area right beside the US Embassy.
You would need to get your Visitor pass (orange in colour) by showing the guard at the control post your interview appointment letter. After that is when the waiting starts.
They will allow about 2-3 person at any one time into the compound, but first you have to pass through the security check and metal detectors. Once in, you are not allowed to bring in your electronic gadgets, having to leave it with the guards in their numbered pigeonhole. You would have to register in the logbook the items that you have left for safekeeping.
It would be about a 15 metre walk to get into the Embassy's building. Again, another metal detector, and you would be given an 'Axx' number - A for adults and C denoting children. Applicants are required to wait in the 2nd waitng room (the 1st waiting room is where the interview takes place) where it would be a good idea to sort out your documents before you are called for the first time.
1st Call:
You'd need to proceed to Window 1 or 2 to pass your documents for checking. The embassy staff would then tell you if your documents are complete or not. If it is, they would take them and ask you to wait some more..
2nd Call:
To Window 9 for you to get your fingerprints sorted out. You would then be officially in the US biometric database system! Uncle Sam has a hold on your balls from this point onwards..
3rd Call:
Your actual interview session. The interviewer are multi-lingual. At least two of them were seen speaking in Mandarin and one of them in Swahili..
The officer would start by asking "Tell me why you're going to the United States..". If you are from local companies, he would most of the time ask how much salary are you paid. But if you are a student, the question would be whether you have family in Malaysia and in the US.
The questions are cleverly interrogative without appearing to be so. Questions are fast and furious, nonchalantly mixed with humor to keep your guard down. Give the wrong answers, and they'll home in for the kill. Freakingly professional, I have to say..
Anyway, if you got through all that, the visa and your passport would be ready for collection at 3 pm, the next business day at the VFS office on the 19th floor of Wisma MCA. If you don't collect your passport after 10 days, it will be returned to the nearest Immigration Dept!
*****
The rare trip to KL enabled me to start my PNB fund EPF scheme. It seems that there were a 2% free unit offer for the Amanah Saham Gemilang as well as Amanah Saham 3 Imbang funds. I actually wanted to open the Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 account, but changed my mind after knowing about the special offer as well as the fund objective in risk exposure.
The required documents were:
1. Certified copy of your latest EPF statement
2. 1 photostat copy of your IC
You would also need to open the funds account prior to activating your EPF investment scheme. I was sent running around to actually get this done, no thanks to PNB's staff incompetence in giving out basic instructions as well rudimentary Customer Service skills.
BTW, there are specific requirements from EPF to start investing.
The special offer for the free units ends on May 20th, so do hurry up. Prices for ASN3 goes up and down, so do check you risk appetite before going any further!
The required documents were:
1. Certified copy of your latest EPF statement
2. 1 photostat copy of your IC
You would also need to open the funds account prior to activating your EPF investment scheme. I was sent running around to actually get this done, no thanks to PNB's staff incompetence in giving out basic instructions as well rudimentary Customer Service skills.
BTW, there are specific requirements from EPF to start investing.
The special offer for the free units ends on May 20th, so do hurry up. Prices for ASN3 goes up and down, so do check you risk appetite before going any further!
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