Hi,

Please how was your experience on Turkish airlines?

Been getting mixed reviews and I would like to get your opinion.

Anticipating your prompt response.

cakeman:
Arrived JFK lastnight onboard Turkish airline. CBP was a breeze. Why are you coming to America? How long you staying? what do you do? then welcome to America.



Less than a minute.

Hi Everyone,

Been following this page for months and I cannot put in words what I have gained. All I can say is God's Blessings to everyone.
I have been feeling very uncomfortable for not sharing my experience so I decided to give back to this awesome forum.

I had my interview last Friday in Lagos (7:00am).

As soon as I was cleared with the initial checking I got into the interview hall and did a quick scan of all the VOs. Everyone seemed calm.
I was assigned to a particular window and I was the third person in queue. The person being currently interviewed was denied, so the two guys in front of me began to panic.

First guy stepped forward and was denied. Second guy stepped forward and was also denied. (They both said similar stories).

First guy said he was going to visit Disney world. He was married with one child but was not travelling with his wife and kid because wife is busy with work and child is in school. Said his wife was a registered nurse. VO asked that so he has decided to go to Disney world all by himself and he said yes. (Not sure this helped his case).

Second guy said he has a wife and kid. He's travelling alone because wife was busy as she is a registered nurse.

Then I stepped forward....

VO: Good morning.
Me: Good morning.
VO: How are you?
Me: I'm well thank you. How are you?
VO: Fine. Please pass your passport.
Me. Slips passport under counter.
VO: Where are you going to?
Me: Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
VO: What are you going for?
Me: Vacation.
VO: What do you do?
Me: I work as a abc with xyz firm.
VO: What kind of clients do you have?
Me: Mentions a summary of what I have on my DS160.
VO: How long have you worked with your Company?
Me: 5 years.
VO: Have you travelled outside Nigeria before?
Me: Yes.
VO: Where?
Me: Dubai and South Africa.
VO: When?
Me: Dubai in 2015 and South Africa last year (2016).
Vo: What was the purpose of both visits?
Me: Vacation.
VO: Did you travel both time alone?
Me: Yes, I did.
VO: Scans through my passport and asks "Do you have an old passports with the visas?
Me: Yes *slides old passport under the counter*
VO: Flips through pages and confirms visas and stamps. Passes back passport.
Me: Checks passport to confirm she passed back old passport and not new passport *smiles*
VO: Do you know anyone in the US?
Me: Yes, my cousin. Then I went ahead to add that she lives in Alabama.
VO: *completes sentence for me* So you won't be visiting her?
Me: No, I won't.
VO: Keeps my new passport and picks up white paper. Circles pick up address and said how I would be notified when visa is ready for pick up.
Me: Thank you very much.

Walked out of the place and said "Thank you Jesus" until I got to my car!

**NB: Apart from old passport with visas. No other document was checked**


COMMENTS:

1. Pray for God's grace.

2. When asked where you are going to try to be specific as best as you can. Do not just respond New York. Specify the exact area in New York. I think this shows confidence and that you are fully aware of where you are going.

3. Be calm and confident. Have this mindset that if they deny the whole world. Your case would be the exception.

4. If you have travelled before (no mater where). Don't let your number of official trips surpass your personal vacation trips. You are applying for a tourist visa so you need to come off as a Tourist. Not someone that got lucky to travel because his/her company sponsored the trip for a training etc.

5. If you have not travelled before, the above (No. 4) does not apply to you. Just be truthful and say you have never travelled before.

6. No matter what anyone does for you (relative, company or agent) make sure you triple check everything yourself.


A Little Background:

* Denied student twice in 2006 based on insufficient ties. (VO did not bring this up at all).
* Went to school here in Nigeria to study same course I was supposed to study in the US.
* Graduated, served (NYSC) and worked for five years before applying again.
* Earning above 650K. (VO did not bring this up at all).
* Single female.
* No kids.
* Travelling alone.
* Time between first denial and new successful application is about 11 years. I deliberately did this to build my career and pass a message that I am not desperate to go to the US. And most importantly, to make sure I don't dent my travel history with strings of denials. It was a very long wait. But to the glory of God it was worth it in the end.

I really hope this helps somebody.

Plus, I’m interested in the Qatar airways promo (or any other promo).