Amit Sinha's Travelog

Ok, so the word ‘exile’ might be a little strong, given that I am
sitting at a Starbucks, using an incredibly fast Wi-Fi connection
while looking at the bustling lunchtime traffic of bankers and other
sundry professionals walk around the Collins Street business district
of Melbourne. However, for a short while at least, that’s what I’ve
been reduced to, courtesy the United States Government.

The United States of America is truly one of the great nations in the
world. Its educational centers and corporations are known for their
efficiency and innovation. Its consultants have made billions
advising the world on better customer service and communication
methods. The internet found new uses and legs thanks to US-based
entrepreneurs, financiers and large telecoms. A walk down the crowded
and busy streets of New York provide the appropriate image for the
old adage, “Time is Money”. However, this concept of efficiency,
customer service and communication does not appear to have made its
way across to its foreign consulates and embassies, which continue to
vie with third world government organizations for a place in the
Customer Unfriendly Hall of Fame.

Over a month ago, on May 12th to be precise, I made my way to the
U.S. Consulate in Melbourne to have my U.S. Visa renewed. Everything
went smoothly at that time, and the lady at the counter assured me
that I would get my passport back with the visa within two days. A
week passed, and there was no response, and I had to leave the
country for New Zealand. Getting in touch with the consulate was
another exercise in futility. The very American concept of a Toll-
Free number was replaced by an equally American innovation, the 1-900
number. Its Aussie equivalent was used here, and for a mere $15 I had
the privilege of listening to a recorded message that provided me
with positively zero information. By now it was time for me to head
to Sydney, where I had a couple of days before New Zealand. Finally,
in response to an e-mail I had sent a couple of days earlier, I
miraculously received a response saying that they would return my
passport so that I could make the New Zealand trip and they would
contact me when my visa was ready. While my passport made its way
from the U.S. Consulate in Melbourne to my relative’s place in
Melbourne from where it was forwarded on to my hotel in Sydney to
arrive about fifteen hours before my flight to New Zealand, I decided
to set the stage for the next level of negotiations by sending an
email to the consulate asking them to provide me with an estimate of
when I could expect the visa, and also what could be the reason for
the delay. I figured if they required additional documentation and
suchlike, I might be able to help them. Needless to say, i received
no response to the aforementioned email.

Anyway, not allowing such trivial matters to come in the way of
enjoying life, I figured I’d let the U.S. Government’s affairs take
its own course, and put my faith in the fact that when the
authorities of a ten trillion dollar country say they will get in
touch with me, they would, I continued on my tour of Australia,
arriving into Melbourne a day before my departure to South East Asia.

And that brought me to this morning, when, without any email in my
mailbox, I decided to head over to the Consulate and try and
penetrate their defences and meet with some human being who might be
able to help me. At the entrance, I was stopped by security, who I
will admit was kind enough and extremely helpful. He took my
information and call somebody upstairs while I waited.

Anyway, so finally here’s where we stand- They have taken my
passport, and are going to ‘look at their system’ to see what the
issue is. They cannot tell me when they will know the status, and
neither can they tell me when I can expect to hear from them, and of
course, they cannot tell me when I will get my visa or what the
reason for the delay is- as a result, I am now confined to remaining
in Melbourne for anywhere from a day to an eternity.

I have the utmost respect for Governments wanting to protect their
borders and their citizens from brown-skinned young men who have a
penchant for dong things like flying aeroplanes into big buildings.
Protecting a nation, its people and making it safe to live is noble,
and I have no issues with things taking time in order to ensure that
all the boxes have been checked and the consulate has verified all
details. Providing a visa to an Indian whose been in the U.S. for ten
years, and has been working in New York for the past six with the
country’s second largest bank, may require checks that are a little
more onerous than say someone who decides to hide in a crate and make
his way into the country.

What I do have an issue with is the lack of communication. I believe
I have a right to at least know what’s causing a delay, how long they
expect the delay to be, in order to make my plans instead of spending
time and money switching flights and travel plans around. I might
also be able to help the matter, providing them with any information
that might be lacking. However, that would just be making life way to
convenient for the public I’m afraid.

Ok, so I am done venting now. I shall get back to my Venti Soy Chai
at Starbucks and figure out what to do with my extra time in
Melbourne. Maybe look for a job or something in case its a long wait.