It was a fun adventure in diplomacy and people's definition of boat rocking. The building is unassuming enough, but behind the scenes, it's exactly like a movie set. Bush, Cheney and Rice grinning at you from every wall, the US flag looming patriotically over each employee, freshly pressed linen, much flesh pressing and pearly whites as far as the eye can see! ... I exaggerate :)
But get this... the number of non-US citizen Visa applications, per day is .... 1500 !!!
The line of hopefuls, papers in hand, was snaking around the city block when we went. Official statistics show only 51% of applications are successful. The rest are turned away and despite appeal, usually will not get a Visa. The most common reason why people request a Visa, so we were told, is "... only a holiday for 15 days! To see Disneyland!". Invariably those people are rejected.
Because it's so easy to obain documents illegally here (birth certificates, certificates of Harvard graduation, business ownership), the interviewing officer is trained to disregard official papers and merely size them up for fallibility in the short 3 minute interogation through a class screen and microphone. A guy was arrested just last week for impersonating the son of a rich Mexican VIP.
It makes my Visa woes pale in comparison.
Watch out, though, kids, because big brother is watching. If you've applied for a US Visa, anywhere in the world, you're in the database for life. In a matter of seconds, our tourguide brought up my application... my petty misdemeanours, my recents travel log, facial recognition, all my fingerprints !
There goes my plans to begin my life of crime in Mexico. Jaywalking, riding without a helmet, stealing donkeys...
1 comment:
Wow, Big brother is watching alrite!!!
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