This is going to be a quick post about the visa appointment. I did make a vlog about this a long long time ago (found here) that might be a little more accurate. It's going to be super dooper quick because other than waiting there was not much at all that happened.
So you're asked to arrive at the US Consulate around 15 minutes before your appointment. My appointment was at 8am and the building itself didn't open until 8am so I had to wait outside for a good while before they let us in. When the doors to the building opened we were allowed to come in and line up outside the security office. For some unknown reason they were having troubles with communication so we were not allowed in until around 8.15am. By this time the line to enter security was out the doors of the building.
When they finally let us in to the security office they let four people in at a time and I was in the first group of four. They tell you to sign in on the computers, which involves entering your name, date of birth and passport number, and you are printed a sticker (which you stick to yourself once you've been through the metal detector). Then they gave us two plastic trays. One for our purse/wallet and supporting documents, and another for everything else. They take both trays and run them through a scanner to make sure there's nothing dangerous hiding in your personal items. At the same time you go through a metal detector to make sure there's nothing dangerous hiding in you.
Once you're all clear they give back your documents and your purse. The tray with all of your other items goes under the security desk and they give you a ticket with a number on it for you to claim your things when you return. When all four of you have made it through the metal detector you are taken upstairs to the waiting room. When you're placed in the waiting room you'll be given another ticket with a number on it. This number is the number they will call throughout the appointment when there is a booth ready for you.
After a little while of sitting around staring at the walls (because there's no phones inside) your number will be called. They'll bring you up and ask for your passport, DS-2019, DS-160 confirmation and your SEVIS payment confirmation. They also take a scan of your fingerprints and you are sent back to the waiting area. Here you wait a little bit longer.
Your number will be called again and you will approach the appointment window. At the appointment window the person behind the glass will ask you a few questions. Some people may be asked to provide supporting documents like the offer letter, proof of student status form or a bank statement. If they are satisfied with the answers and/or documents you provided then your visa will be approved. Good news is you now have a visa. Bad news is there's more waiting.
For those of you from Australia you have to pay a reciprocity or issuance fee. You'll be asked to sit back down again until your number is called again and you'll be brought up to the cashier window. Here you will pay the fee either in cash or by credit card. Once you've paid and you've got a receipt you are free to go.
In around 5-7 business days your passport will be sent back to your with your visa inside. It will arrive in the mail and you'll have to sign for it much like your DS-2019. When it does finally arrive you'll need to upload a scan of it to DOC. You'll also be asked to enter some of the details on the visa page to the DOC including the appointment date or issuance date, the visa number (the red number stamped on the bottom) and etc. Once you have added all these details you are finished with the visa process!
Now that this entry is out of the way I can finally start blogging about my adventures in the United States!
- Lily
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