Falkirk (Scotland), Sept 30: A little bit of carelessness can land you in a grave trouble. Ask Mandie Stevenson and she will tell you how true is the statement.
According to a report by the BBC, Stevenson, a 29-year-old cancer patient had to defer to journey to New York after she accidentally marked herself as a "terrorist" on her visa waiver form! Goodness gracious!
Stevenson, who was diagnosed with a terminal breast cancer in 2015, realised the blunder after she had already submitted her application. The rejection of the application meant Stevenson had to defer her visit, which according to the report was her 'dream break' and she had to fly to the US embassy in London to prove that she did not pose a security threat. Stevenson had to undergo several rigorous interviews and she got the visa only after that. But Stevenson could still have to reschedule her trip since the authorities could not guarantee that the visa would reach her before her flying date. Also Read | As India-Pak tension rises, chefs from neighbouring country denied visa for Amritsar culinary meet Stevenson faced a loss of over £800 over the mess, it was learnt. Stevenson was filling the form on The Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) where she was asked: "Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?" Also Read | Why are number of Indian students in UK universities declining? "I believe I ticked 'no' and then when I have scrolled down to click confirm, I think it has nudged and moved. That's the story I'm sticking to," she was quoted as telling BBC on the show Mornings with Stephen Jardine.She got visa but only after intense interviews