USA Training Visa

[spitfire747]

I am off to the US Embassy tomorrow to get my VISA for the USA.

Has anyone been recently..

Any difficulties...
How long did it take at the embassy...
how much was the issuance fee...

Thanks to anyone in advance

Cheers, Spitty

[Hufty]

I was there a couple of months ago and have been twice altogether. No problems, although get there as early as you can. There can be quite a queue and you need to wait in line to hand over your paperwork and get given a number before waiting again to be called for your "interview".


Although people aren't served exactly in order, there is a loose correlation between the time you arrive and the time you get seen.

You MUST have all your paperwork in order though or you'll be sent to the back of the line or sent away! If you don't know what the issuance fee is (£68?), you should double check you've done everything - you have to pay it at a bank BEFORE you go and bring the coupon as proof. You need a load of other random stuff too - return envelope and photograph etc. Note when they say they need the photo to be of a certain size they mean it! I saw loads of people being sent back to get new ones!!

I was there (both times) for around three hours. The interview took around a minute both times...

Hufty.

[spitfire747]

thanks for that, i have paid the fee, got all the paperwork, photo is a standard passport size photo, but i will measure it all up tonight got passport, payment coupon.

appointment time is 08.30am aaahhh as i have a 3 hour journey to get there !


thanks, spitty

[FlyingForFun]

Spitty,

Suggest you bin your "standard passport size photo", since our standard passport size is different to the US standard.

They should have sent you a list of approved photo shops. If I remember correctly, Snappy Snaps was the only chain, and there were a few independant shops too. Go to one of these places. I went to Snappy Snaps, they had a digital camera specifically for the purpose of taking US Visa photos. It had markings all over the view-finder to show the photographer exactly where your head, shoulders, eye-line, etc, had to be. Taking the photo took, well, the time it takes to take a photo, it was printed about two minutes later, and they double-checked everything with a ruler too. Very professional, and well worth it to avoid even the slightest risk of having to do it all over again.

FFF
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[Ropey Pilot]

I would re-emphasize what FFF says - if you notice a 'standard passport photo' is not square wheras a US Visa one is...

I was with someone who had a UK passport photo accepted while I was there, but I really wouldn't count on it, that was a few months ago and they have got even more anal since (if that was possible). I beleive there is a 'Snappy Snaps' a few streets away from the embassy if you haven't got one you can get to before you leave (the list assumes everyone in the country lives in London if I remember rightly).

Take a good Book and be prepared to practically strip in the street to get through the metal detector on the way in

[Chris Powell]

Spitty,

How did you feel when they refused to let you submit your application form because you hadn't paid the £65 fee in advance?!! Did they send you to the bank?

Seriously .... I hope it wasn't too painful, I was there for three hours last week.

Where are you going to in the US?

Chris

[spitfire747]

hey guys i got the visa eventually, i used a UK passport photo i had, stopped on the way to get 4 more done where my chin was closer to the bottom, so had 6 in total, just accepted the first i had, bit annoying really.

paid in advance, but someone else didn't, he had the slip and was not even allowed to join the external queue.

oh well all done and dusted, leaving for Miami on 1st March 2004

thanks all

spitty