The Urban Dictionary has this as I came, I saw, I shopped – and whilst that is true. For me, it is “I came, I saw, I got a visa”…

In my Glastonbury blog I mentioned that I couldn’t go to a certain country because it was on the United States of America’s black list which, if I had gone, would almost certainly have meant at immigration in Dublin for the US, I would have been turned away – no flight for me. But there was a way to get to Syria and the USA without trouble. A visa obtaining a tourist visa to the USA would mean that I could travel pretty much anywhere and still be let into the United States of America. How hard would it be to get a visa for the USA in 2 and a bit months?

Turns out – impossible. Two hours on 31st January 2023 completing the application form, detailing my life’s travel history in the past 5 years with dates proved easy with the TripIt app, then I paid my €160 and found out the earliest appointment was 6 months hence. Syria was definitely off my list, but I paid the money for the visa, and I had applied in Dublin thinking it was bigger and would have more appointments than the consulate in Belfast, I just don’t know whether it was the right decision but I was committed to my appointment on 12 June 2023. Janet in the meantime went off to Syria (after the earthquake in February) and had an amazing and SAFE time.

8:15am, 12 June 2023, 42 Elgin Road, Dublin – US Embassy.

I walked there from my hotel on Upper O’Connell Street. It was a beautiful morning and I hadn’t slept particularly well, because I had made applying for the visa even more stressful with applying for my Chinese visa on 28 June 2023 using the same passport. The website suggested that it would be a 14 day turnaround for the passport to be issued with the visa and returned to me. That would have it returned while I was in Glastonbury, and with no one to sign for it, I really was jittery at not getting the passport back in time for the Chinese appointment.

8:45am
I walked through security. My phone, earphones, electronic watch and my e-reader were all taken from me and put in a locker. I was incommunicado. I had not been prepared for losing my e-reader. I joined the queue and there were signs in the room to be quiet in the queue. I was alone with my thoughts, I was alone with 50 other people and heard everyone’s interview with the embassy staff. If people were after confidentiality they didn’t get it.

Eventually I got to the front of the first queue. My appointment was confirmed and I asked the question of when I was going to get my passport back… the guy said within 2 weeks. I had already changed my delivery address to a friend’s house so that removed the worry of not being in when it was delivered, but there was still the what if… what if it took longer than 2 weeks… He saw the panic in my eyes and helpfully said “many people have multiple nationalities now, do you have another passport?” “why yes I do, but I didn’t apply with it.” “No problem” he said, “I will just change the details on the system”. I hadn’t even declared my second nationality on the application as when I applied for the visa I hadn’t had my Irish passport returned to me.

My heartbeat returned to normal as I then queued for the interview. I had even passed the hurdle of having the correct photo. On the website, on the multiple e-mail reminders you get, and on the door of the security building there are notices that the photo you MUST have for the US visa is 5cm x 5cm. This is unlike any passport photo needed for a British or Irish passport. This reminder had clearly been ignored by the countless numbers of people who were told to leave the building and go Ballsbridge Pharmacy to get the correct size of photo. The pharmacy must make a fortune!

My interview consisted of the guy asking me when I was going to the US, and me confessing that I had actually been to the US, and didn’t really need a tourist visa anymore, but I then declared why I had applied for the first place. At the mention of Syria, eyebrows were definitely raised as he asked why. I answered “out of interest” and he said ok and told me my passport would be returned within 2 weeks. I knew at this point the visa application was successful having watched a Russian lady depart the office clutching her passport. Before departing, she actually had sat down and told security that she had been told to wait. Security had gone to check the facts, probably she had been told to wait… but I guess to wait for something beyond her control meant that she hadn’t quite understood how long the wait might be and that it didn’t mean to wait in the embassy indefinitely!

I took two steps away from the counter, and then hastily went back and asked “So could I go to Syria now?”. There was a wry smile and he countered with “Just be careful”.

My Irish passport with 10 year tourist visa was returned to me in 2 days. I had really nothing to worry about.