"Yeehah" got my Visa Yesterday (they must be doing a batch run of Aussie visa's) interviewed Melbourne 28th January, Passport/Visa turned up 26th June (21 weeks & 2 days)
here's my story, its interesting as I have been detained before. didn't want to tell all until i got my visa in case in jeopardized anything.
history- 1 conviction for possession of cannabis in 1987 (19 yrs old, now 44), $150 fine
1998- 1st US visit, filled out visa on arrival, ticked yes to being arrested etc. at counter they simply asked what for and they laughed and said in you go.
1999- 2nd US visit, filled out visa on arrival, ticked yes to being arrested etc. at counter they simply asked what for and they laughed and said in you go.
2001- 3rd US visit (2 months after 9/11), filled out visa on arrival, ticked yes to being arrested etc. at counter they just stamped passport and said seeya, I thought this was strange as they had always asked what for, so "I WENT BACK" and said aren't you supposed to ask me some questions and then he realized he had stuffed up and proceeded to rub out his identifying stamp and sent me back to another counter (meanwhile my dad went all the way through and out for a smoke)
next counter- bit of a wait and then sent to another counter
next counter- this one I was escorted through some doors by a security guard, he commented that nobody goes back through the doors and I would be on the next flight back home, "sheet" my dad had no idea where I had ended up and we could not contact each other and I had his bag.
Detained- bundled into a room with about 15 illegal Chinese immigrants with fake visa's, was getting pretty scary, they were resisting fingerprints screaming and carrying on, they got sick of them and short cutted to my interview, but first a strip search in a "room" sat down, security said take off your stuff, I started taking my boots off then he said don't worry about it "you Aussies are alright" so out I go, interviewed, told the truth about everything (very important) had a quick phone call with my dad (Malaysian airlines had informed him "very bad") pleaded to speak to a supervisor etc, which they let me but just more sympathetic apologies, (I was gone for sure)
back into waiting room, but I asked if i could be put somewhere else as the Chinese where all coughing and spitting and I said I might catch something off them, so the they let me wait in their office (nice of them) they were so apologetic, they kept commenting that they had a zero tolerance policy and they had to send me back, I pleaded that I was so honest and already stamped and through and voluntarily came back, they studied that US stamp carefully and commented that the (poor) guy who stamped it would be sacked (you could still make out his number) I was then fingerprinted.
back to waiting, waiting, for what seemed like an eternity, then out of nowhere they said "you can go" I thought, to the next waiting room for my flight back home, but again they said "you can go, GO" so after being detained for about 5 hours I was free, they said and wrote in my passport that next time get a visa, no problem.
waiting out the front of LAX for a hotel bus for 10 minutes and then I saw one of the interviewing officers come running out to track me down (again "sheet") but she only wanted to give me something out of my wallet that got left behind, I didn't even know they had gone through my wallet they must have took every single thing out and photocopied it. so she handed it to me, bus came and I was gone.
You have no idea of the overwhelming feeling of relief I felt, like nothing before ever in my life, then straight to the pub.
fast forward to 2 years ago and now working for an American company (in Australia) I was offered a trip to Houston, Nashville, Scotland and England flying business class and all expenses paid but with only about a months notice I obviously had to decline due to visa wait (did my research), I wasn't prepared to risk it and the embarrassment of wasting the company's $30,000 airfare to be sent home on arrival in LA, I'm sure they would have some sort of local record of me at LAX and I wasn't willing to lie on the esta, telling the truth before had paid dividends so I'm sticking with that philosophy.
In January the interviewing officer was great and said she would recommend that giving me the waiver would be in the national interest of the USA because I worked for an American company and may be required to travel for work again in the future.
I had already booked flights for November, was always confident, and knew I had allowed plenty of time but if I was refused my wife and kids would have been going on their own and I would just have to cop it on the chin.
so that's my story, hope it helps someone as the many stories in this thread have helped me.
