A Visa for the USA?

Thinking of travelling in the States for more than 90 days?

Want a US Visa?

A few words of advice from Cynthia Webb, written in the summer of 2008

DO

(1) peruse the US Embassy website (http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/index.html)

(2) phone their premium rate number (£1.20 per minute, average time 7 minutes) to book an appointment

(3) have your credit card handy because they want $131 each before booking the appointment

(3) be careful when downloading their mandatory online form that the barcode on the final page is a clear barcode

(4) carefully print their email to you, giving appointment details, and make sure the barcode is a clear barcode

(5) carefully print their email to you, giving a receipt for said $131, and make sure the barcode is a clear barcode

If you fail on 3, 4 or 5 you are not allowed in the Embassy for the appointment and may lose your $131

An extract from their website explains a few more minor points …

Local authorities will not permit anyone to wait outside the Embassy, so please do not bring anyone else with you.

Please also do not bring mobile phones or any other electronic devices, such as Blackberries, iPods, PDAs or remote-entry automobile key fobs to the interview, as they are not allowed within the Embassy. Failure to follow these instructions will result in the cancellation of your appointment.

Applicants are required to queue outside, even in inclement weather. Please, therefore, do not arrive at the Embassy more than 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment time.

DON'T

(1) bother asking the operator for information when booking appointment. For example when you are told ...

you have to bring proof of identity

you have to bring proof of ability to support yourself while in the USA

you have to bring proof that you intend to return to your home country

if you ask WHAT proof to any of the above, you are told "I can't advise you on that"

(2) cut or in any other way mar your fingertips

(3) turn up more than 30 minutes early

(4) bring any friends with you

(5) take anything larger than a handbag

(6) take anything electrical, eg mobile, blackberry etc

Now comes the day of the appointment. We went, armed with 3, 4, 5 above, downloads of our various bank account statements, this year's tax returns, P60s, a scan of our expected grandchild, a photo of our 88 year old parent's BBQ this year and a plethora of other things.

30 minutes early, we queued in the road to be duly vetted.

First words: "Hi, how are you today"

Second words: "I'm afraid your barcode isn't clear, you'll have to redo the form"

"I haven't got a computer"

"No worries, here is the address of a chemist round the corner who has internet"

"But my appointment is in 25 minutes"

"It will only take 10 minutes madam"

A stressed 5 minute walk took us to the aforementioned chemist, where we joined a queue of equally harassed people waiting to use the 3 laptops set up. £5 for 15 minutes, including 5 pages printing. By the time I sat down there was an even longer queue behind us – people with no form, handwritten form, badly printed barcode … the list went on.

Access the website, call up the relevant form, fill in 3 pages of personal information, press 'continue', this time check the barcode is clear and well defined, print …

Luckily I am a fairly competent typist, but we returned to an even longer queue in Grosvenor Square, getting to the front about 20 minutes after our appointment time.

"Hi, how are you today". I swallowed my chosen response of "Fine, can I go in now" and smiled sweetly. We were directed past 3 sub machine guns, told to remove our belts and everything from our pockets (left the laces in our shoes though) and submitted to an x-ray machine far superior to those at Heathrow. Onwards and upwards, following the arrows, we arrived at a desk where we were allotted number 1393 and told to enter and wait. Oh boy, about 300 people were lounging on chairs and most looked as if they had been there for hours.

However, our number was soon called and we went to our allotted window.

First thing we were asked for was 3 months' bank statements. Mmm. Anyway, we handed in all the documentation we had gathered, duly had our fingerprints zapped and were told to sit down and wait.

The room slowly emptied and an hour or two later we were called forward to another window. Firstly, we were re-fingerprinted to prove we were still us. Secondly, we were asked how did we enjoy our last visit to the States. Thirdly, how did we get our one year entry visa last time? About 30 seconds later we were heading for the counter to part with a further £16 to have our passport with visa couriered back to us.

And we were on our way home. A whole day, nearly £200 including travelling expenses, and a feeling of great relief. I must emphasise that we were met with pleasant smiles by all.

Now, there was a waiting list of about 2 weeks for our appointment, and we assume from the numbering that approximately 1400 people are processed daily. Multiply that by $131, times 5 days a week and you end up with an income of $917,000 per week. I make that over $45 million a year allowing for holidays! No refunds for refusals or non-arrivals! Not bad eh?