Visa Application Process

[meryll83]

Hi all,

Sorry I know this has been posted probably a million times before, but we have a friend looking at coming to Florida for our WDW wedding who was arrested a year or two ago for drink driving

I believe he has to go down to the US Embassy in London to get a visa, but can someone do me an idiot's guide to what the stages in the process are, what documentation is needed, timescales, how long the visa is valid from when it is obtained etc?

Just want to make it as easy as possible for him to see what he has to do...

Thank you so much for your help

 

[jen_uk]

He will need to phone for an appointment (costs £1.50 a minute!), he should ring about 6 -8 weeks before he wants the appointment and they will give him a choice of days and times. I would make the appointment at least 4 months before so that if there any problems you have time to sort it.
Then he needs to apply online, he will need his passport number, details of the trip including flight number, hotel address etc, his work address, his education and work history, his family information etc. As he is male he will need to fill in the extra visa form which is also online. Once the form has been filled in you press return and it then gives you a barcode which you must print and take with you so they can access your info. You also pay online and you must take the online receipt, if you don't they will not let you in.
On the day get there about 30 mins before your appointment, you have to queue outside so don't bother getting there really early as they will not let you in. When you go in they give you a number and then you wait for hours until it is called. You should take the forms, documents proving you are settled here such as work info, housing info, bank statements to prove you can pay for yourself etc and your passport. Expect to be there about 4 hours, they should tell you on the day if you have the visa but in some cases they may do further checking. The visa can be valid for 1-10 years, my dh who is not British has only ever been given 1 year visas. If you are successful you pay £15 to get your passport delivered and then you should receive it within 5 working days.

 

[meryll83]

Thanks for this!

So he has to book his trip first and then hope he gets a visa?
Can this visa process not be done before hand?
Mind you, he'll have to get booked soon really to get a good price, and if his visa may only be valid for 1 year then he's going to have to wait a while to apply, as we don't travel til next October, but it's during a school holiday, so it'll get booked up and expensive if he doesn't book soonish.

I'm just not sure he'll want to potentially waste the money if it goes wrong, although I can't really see them denying him a visa.

So after booking an appointment and filling in the online forms, how much is the fee that he is charged online?

And at the end they keep your passport to get the visa tagged to it and then post it on to you, correct? And you pay the £15 for this on the day?

 

[Goofyish]

He will need to phone for an appointment (costs £1.50 a minute!), he should ring about 6 -8 weeks before he wants the appointment and they will give him a choice of days and times. I would make the appointment at least 4 months before so that if there any problems you have time to sort it.
Then he needs to apply online, he will need his passport number, details of the trip including flight number, hotel address etc, his work address, his education and work history, his family information etc. As he is male he will need to fill in the extra visa form which is also online. Once the form has been filled in you press return and it then gives you a barcode which you must print and take with you so they can access your info. You also pay online and you must take the online receipt, if you don't they will not let you in.
On the day get there about 30 mins before your appointment, you have to queue outside so don't bother getting there really early as they will not let you in. When you go in they give you a number and then you wait for hours until it is called. You should take the forms, documents proving you are settled here such as work info, housing info, bank statements to prove you can pay for yourself etc and your passport. Expect to be there about 4 hours, they should tell you on the day if you have the visa but in some cases they may do further checking. The visa can be valid for 1-10 years, my dh who is not British has only ever been given 1 year visas. If you are successful you pay £15 to get your passport delivered and then you should receive it within 5 working days.

Won't he also need his offence/arrest details from the police?

 

[Goofyish]

One more thing - I think that it can sometimes be quicker (and cheaper) to go to the US Embassy in Belfast for a visa.

May be worth investigating, depending how easy it is for him to get to London.

 

[knicola]

Before ringing for an appointment you need to contact locl police station to request a subject access statement, usually costs approx £10. Can take upto six weeks to come you will need this to take to the embassy. If you dont find out on day if you get visa then it takes between 5 days to 14 weeks for answer. My boyfriend has just been on 1st may it took 3 weeks to get answer and he has been granted a six month visa. he has 3 months to send passport in to get it put in and then the six months will run from then so you have to think about when you will need it for.

Do not book anything till you know ur getting visa this is what they advise you to do.

 

[jen_uk]

Won't he also need his offence/arrest details from the police?

I don't know how it is done for criminal convictions, dh only has one as he is Albanian.

The visa fee is about £65.

 

[meryll83]

Now I know this is wrong, but I've read on the disboards that some people have "forgotten" about their drink driving convictions and just filled in the visa waiver form and had no problems.

What's the worst that could happen if upon trying to enter, something pops up on their computer screens (I dunno how it works, if it's tagged to their passport or what!) that says "hang on, this person has a drink driving charge".
Could he get sent home on the next flight? Or is there something they can do to allow him access?

It is a big effort to get to an Embassy from where we are in the country, and I know other people have got in on visa waivers with no problems, but there's always that 'what if?' factor isn't there? I don't want to advise him not to get the visa and then have him not be allowed in the country, but if there is any way of avoiding the trip to London or Belfast this would be a much better option.....

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

What's the worst that could happen if upon trying to enter, something pops up on their computer screens (I dunno how it works, if it's tagged to their passport or what!) that says "hang on, this person has a drink driving charge".
Could he get sent home on the next flight? Or is there something they can do to allow him access?

Anyone that lies on the Visa Waiver form who should of applyed for a visa will be sent home on the next avaliable flight, probably at their own expense.

Also with the new system coming in where you have to register your details 3 days (i think) before you depart to the USA it would give them more time to check out who may be a "undesirable" into there country. Personally i wouldnt take the risk, apply for the Visa and have a great time

 

[meryll83]

Anyone that lies on the Visa Waiver form who should of applyed for a visa will be sent home on the next avaliable flight, probably at their own expense.

Also with the new system coming in where you have to register your details 3 days (i think) before you depart to the USA it would give them more time to check out who may be a "undesirable" into there country. Personally i wouldnt take the risk, apply for the Visa and have a great time

I knew this would be the moral answer I would receive! Thank you

 

[knicola]

I think the same, I just wouldnt take the risk, it cost us nearly £500 to do visa trip as my bf had to fly from isle of man night b4 appointment and stay in hotel over night to make sure he there in time for appointment.

 

[JJP]

the wait time at the embassy can be upto 6 hours

 

[JJP]

Hi
having just been through process be aware we applied for appointment in May and at that time the ealest appointment for the US emmbasy in london was mid August.
They have started to insist on a different form than the one through your local police station which is printed from police site on line and needs a photo sent with it - this cost aout £40 we then needed to complete the embassy on line form which had to be done before getting appointment as it produces a bar code and number that is required to get the appointment. all the detail for the procedure is on the US embassy site.
Best of luck