Hey hivers, another story time. I already shared with you my Korean Visa process adventure, which was a two-part blog because there were too many information. lol
Now I'm going to tell you about our immigration experience, check-in, and the night before our flight.
So I went to Cebu early because I needed to be at the office for our company's anniversary. It was a complete disaster since I arrived in the afternoon and the hostel that had been booked for me was not very great, so I had to shift into another hotel, luckily my partner was too quick to book one for me. I stayed at TSAI HOTEL, which was a very nice hotel with big rooms, and I would suggest it. So I stayed two nights and had a lovely time, but I had to extend or have a late checkout because I had to drive to the hotel and attend our company's anniversary, as previously indicated.
I was exhausted and felt like crying after being there for at least two hours. Jenny and I went to the mall since I wanted to print off all of my documentation for the airport and buy some film for my Instax camera. As we walked, my eyes closed, so I hurried home and took a taxi straight to the hotel, where I requested a late checkout and paid an additional price. I fell asleep and slept for an hour and a half before getting ready and heading to the motel near the airport.
In Lapu-lapu City, I reserved a family room at the Courtyard hotel. The room was enormous, with two large beds. My two companions were still in the province, and their flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30 p.m., so I took some time to rest while I waited. I tell them to just seek the front desk for assistance going up because they require a keycard. They arrived at the hotel at 8:30 p.m. and headed upstairs. To be honest, I was still exhausted and felt like I needed more sleep. We went to double-check all of the data, and Mark gave us a photocopy of the documentation we needed to provide to Immigration if necessary. They begin unpacking some items in preparation for the night. I envy them resting and being able to get some rest while I was still working. They awoke so early, but my lovely friend Alyyssa adored her bed and wanted some longer time to sleep. We planned to be at the airport about 10 a.m. so that we could check our luggage and eat before our flight. We arrived at exactly 10:15 a.m, but the counter was still closed and about to open at around 12:00 noon.
I was worried because our flight is at 2:50 PM and we have to wait in line at immigration, and we don't know how many passengers there will be because the immigration closes at 12nn the last time I traveled. So we decided to just hang out and get something to eat and get back as soon as possible as we don't want to be more hassle.
IMMIGRATION INTERVIEW
The line was not too long, and our friend Mark was nervous because this was his second time traveling outside of the country, and the first time was a disaster, so he double-checked his documents. The immigration interview with him and Alyyssa went well, with only two questions, and the immigration officer was a little off with mine. Here are some of the questions he asked me at the time that you might encounter if you plan to travel this year:
1.) When are you coming back?
Answer: October 14, 2023 sir.
2.) Is this for a vacation or business?
Answer: Vacation.
3.) Are you currently employed?
Answer: Yes.
4.) It shows here that you are with this company for 5 months, did you had a previous job and how long were you employed?
Answer: Yes, I was with Amazon for almost 5 years and here's my Certificate of employment after dismissal. (answering his question with confidence).
5.) Are you traveling alone or with friends/family?
Answer: I am traveling with my friends "and wave at them".
Okay, have a great vacation!
He looked straight at me after he questioned me, as if he was also observing my body language.
Just a tip: make sure to answer them truthfully and provide proof. Never lie; it's normal to feel nervous.
So time for us to board, see you Korea :)
Explorewithsasha Blog about her passion, daily and weekly routine, travels, and experiences, and in between. I welcome comments and feedback to improve my content and to continue learning.
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