- A Kenyan woman shared how she failed her US visa interview twice before her third attempt changed everything
- Each failed application cost her money and the program she was meant to attend had already started without her
- Her mother's encouragement pushed her to try a third time, and this time the outcome at the embassy was different
A Kenyan woman has opened up about the gruelling process of securing a United States visa, revealing that she was turned away at the embassy not once but twice before finally receiving her stamp of approval on her third attempt.
Source: Facebook
In a candid Facebook video filmed in a selfie style indoors, the woman recounted how she had been selected for a three-month programme in the US, only to discover that obtaining the visa would prove far more complicated than she had anticipated.
First Two Attempts End in Rejection
She walked into her first interview completely unprepared, relying on no external guidance or supporting documents. The officer asked her just two questions: her name and whether she was married, before denying her application. She described the experience as a rude awakening.
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For her second attempt, she sought advice, gathered additional supporting documents and submitted a more detailed application.
This time the interview went further, with the officer questioning the length of her intended stay and whether she understood certain immigration rules, including what she referred to as the two-year rule. She answered confidently, yet the officer denied her again.
By this point, the programme had already commenced, and participants from other countries had arrived. She was falling behind.
Each application came at a financial cost she described as "not kidogo money," with fees of approximately $20 to $25 per submission.
Third Try Brings a Different Outcome
At her lowest point, ready to abandon the idea entirely, her mother stepped in and urged her to try one final time. She returned to the embassy with a comprehensive set of supporting documents and answered every question with thorough, detailed responses rather than brief, direct replies.
On that third visit, a different officer attended to her, and she noted that what appeared to be a senior official also reviewed her documents. That senior officer gave the approval, and her visa was granted.
She arrived at the programme roughly two and a half weeks after it had started, joining her peers mid-stream, and later celebrated her journey with a visit to Niagara Falls, arms raised in a pink poncho for a photo that captured just how far she had come.
Her story has resonated with many Kenyans who have faced similar setbacks with the US visa process, highlighting how preparation, persistence and the quality of one's answers at the interview window can make the difference between a denial and an approval.
Source: TUKO.co.ke