Bad news, Good news out of Gambia
First the bad (really stupid) news:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/denies-visa-school-robotics-team-gambia-170703125919901.html
3 JULY 2017
US denies visa to Gambian school robotics team
Robot built by high school students in The Gambia will be shipped to Washington, DC, for event without its inventors.
Five teenage pupils from The Gambia who built a robot for a prestigious international competition in the United States will not be able to accompany their invention to the event after being denied a visa.
=================
Then, common sense comes to the fore:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/gambia-school-robotics-team-granted-visa-170706180540205.html
6 JULY 2017
The Gambia school robotics team granted US visa
The students had reapplied for second interview and said that this time, they were asked questions relating to robotics.
The US embassy in The Gambia has reversed its decision and granted visas for a high school robotics team to compete in an international competition in the United States.
...
However, in a second interview with the US embassy, all five students were given visas.
Fatoumata Ceesay, one of the engineering students, told Al Jazeera that although she and her peers weren’t told the reason behind the decision’s reversal, the second interview differed a lot from the first one.
"It was very nice and sensible compared to the last one," the 17-year-old Ceesay said. “The questions were related to the robotics. We had an interesting conversation and they were friendly."
===============
There was a statement in the second article that really jumped out at me and tried to throttle me. Made me really sad as well:
"Sometimes, in a second interview, they are able to present new or additional information or background details that allow them to overcome the presumption of immigrant intent that each consular officer is required to assume," the spokeswoman said.
...presumption of immigration intent each consular officer is REQUIRED TO ASSUME?!?
So, when you apply for a visa to come to the US, the person interviewing you immediately assumes you are trying to sneak into the US. Guilty until proven innocent.
Sorry, this is NOT the country I was born in and have lived in for 70 years!