Work and Travel ve Vize hakkında Amerikan Konsolosu Anlatiyor

[Roma]

Arkadaslar,Azerbaycan'da AZUS sirketi tarafindan duzenlenen Work and Travel Konferansinda Amerikan konsolusu soz aldi.
herkese okumasını tavsiye ediyorum,degerli bilgiler


Good morning!

I’m very happy to be here today and want to thank AZUS Company for inviting me to speak in this conference.

“Summer Work and Travel” program is a very important program supported by the US government. It is important to us, because, we would like as many students, young people from other countries as possible to come and experience the United States. And one of the good ways to come and experience the United States is the “Work and Travel” program, because, it gives an opportunity to work in the United States alongside American people, and also to travel and see what United States is like. Not in movies, not on TV, but what it is like in real life. This program has been successful in many countries around the world, and it has been growing and getting bigger and bigger in Azerbaijan. And we are very happy to see that. We are working with all the companies that are trying to bring the students from Azerbaijan to the United States. And as many good students who can come and apply for a visa at our embassy, we would like to issue them a visa if they qualify for it. So, I would like to encourage all of you who consider the “Summer Work and Travel” program and consider participating in the “Summer Work and Travel” program. Part of the program, part of the process of applying to the program is getting a US visa. And this is when you come to see me and see my friends and colleagues at the American embassy in Baku. Many people think that getting American visa is very difficult and mysterious. It is not mysterious. It is, in fact, very simple and I can tell you today exactly what you need to do. So, after you come to your interviews tomorrow, if you get selected by one of the employers to participate in the program, you will work with AZUS Company to prepare your paperwork, to prepare the applications and everything else that you need to apply for a visa. And then, you will make an appointment to come and see us in an American embassy.

When you come to see us, I will really be interested in only two things. So, I told you it is simple. Only two things. Number one: Do you speak English well enough to do your job? Well, I do not mean do you speak English well enough in order to be an American writer or to be on an American television. That is not what I am looking for. What I am looking for is enough English in order to be able to do the job you are going to do in America. Now, I understand that you will be coming to American embassy for the first time, you really want to go to America for the “Summer Work and Travel” program, so you are nervous. And when you are very nervous it makes it very difficult to speak in your language. It is even more difficult to speak in English, if you are nervous. I understand that. And I will try and my colleagues will try best we can to make it a calming and relaxing experience for you. But, I still understand that it will be difficult. So, I suggest, that you practice ahead of time with your friends, other students speaking in English about your life, your studies and about what you will do in America. Now, do not prepare a speech and come to me and start saying that speech. Do not do that. Just be ready, so that when you come to the American embassy, you do not feel as nervous as you would otherwise.

So, once you told me that you speak English and we have spoken for few minutes and I think that you speak enough English to do your job, I am going to ask you the second question. And the second question is going to be: are you a good student? What does that mean?! Do you have good grades? Do you have a good idea about why you are studying and what you are studying and what you are planning to do with your major and studies after you graduate from a university here in Azerbaijan. Now, you are young and one time, not that long ago, I was young myself. And when I was young I was not completely sure what I was going to do, when I finish the university. If you would ask me when I was in university: “Are you going to come to Azerbaijan to work at the American embassy?”, I would look at you like you were crazy. I could not expect that. So, I understand, if I ask you what are your plans for the future, you cannot tell me exactly where you will work, you cannot tell me exactly what company you will work for. But, if you are what we consider a good student, you will have some good reasons for why you have chosen studying your major, your concentration. You will also have some kind of idea of what kind of job can you get in Azerbaijan. And you will also have some idea why doing a “Summer Work and Travel” program in America will help you in future. And, if you are able to explain that to me clearly and logically, and in English, you will find yourself qualified for a “Summer Work and Travel” visa. For some of you because you are nervous or because you are not entirely clear about what we expect of you, it might be difficult to get a visa first time. Do not feel discouraged. We will give you another opportunity, if you do not succeed at your first opportunity, to try again. And hopefully you’ll be more successful.

Last year we issued approximately 200 visas for “Summer Work and Travel” students from Azerbaijan to go to the United States. I am happy to report that most of them came back home after their program. In fact, of two hundred students I know only of 3 who did not come back. This is important for us, but it is also important for you. When you go on a summer work and travel program, you do not just represent you, you represent your university, and you represent your family and your country. And everything you do in the United States reflects on your university, family and your country. When people will think of Azerbaijan, they will think only of you, because, most people in America will meet one or two people from Azerbaijan – YOU! And that’s why it is very important that when you go the United States and after you finish your program you come back to Azerbaijan. I know, many of you will go to the United States, look around and say: “this is an interesting country, I would like to come back, I want to study in here in the future”. That’s fine. Come back, apply to an American university. If you get accepted, you can apply for a student visa. But, the “Summer Work and Travel” program rules are very clear and very strict. And we will make sure that people who go to “Summer Work and Travel” program come back. And if they do not, it will be very bad for the future of the “Summer Work and Travel” program in Azerbaijan. But, I know that most of you here will be successful and most of you here will have a good experience in the United States and will return to tell about your experience to your friends, to your family members and to people at the universities.

Thank you again for inviting me and I wish you best of luck. Thank you