catdogcali

This is kind of what mi itinerary looks like, I might alter it during the visit, however I want to show something solid:

Vacations Itinerary:

Places to visit:

Los Ángeles: (day 1 / 2 / 3):

• Hollywood Boulevard y The Walk of Fame
• Venice Beach y Santa Monica (or any other beach that's nearby)
• Rodeo Drive & Beverly Center
• ONLY if I have some spare time: Disneyland (This would take a whole day so it might not be worth loosing a day over it)
• Downtown (restaurant, dinner y lunch, shopping, walking around)

San Diego: (day 4) if traffic helps, an hour and 40m from LA:
• Seaworld
• beaches (Ocean Beach, Coronado) or any other beach in the San Diego area.

San Francisco: (day 5, day 6)  from LA 6 hours driving if the traffic helps

• Chinatown
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Cable Cars
• if I have spare time I might walk around town and whatnot, because I have another 6 hours driving back to LAX

I would be driving from San Francisco back to Los Angeles to return the rented car and then get back home, on the very last day shopping and pictures!

This is 100% honest -- if you see anything wrong with it, help, I might be honest but yet it might not look as good as it must look to the VO eyes.

Again, thanks a lot, and I apologize for the crappy English!

jeffreyhy

So the point of the letter is to show that you have at least one reason to leave the USA and return to the UK after your visit. Thanks for clarifying.

Regards, JEff

Noorah101

In the OP's case, not the UK, but still...back to his home country.

Rene

Noorah101

No, because there is no standard format.

There isn't one.

You're welcome. We're all volunteers here. Your thread in and of itself is your contribution, because it will help others in the future.

Rene

jeffreyhy

Thanks for correcting me on that.

Regards, JEff

jeffreyhy

What the consular officer wants to see is outlined in 9 FAM 40.31 Notes, in particular N2, N3, and N4. How the visa applicant demonstrates these things is up to the applicant, as "one size does not fit all". There are many formats that one could use, what's important is that it's simple and concise, so that it's easy to understand

One thing that I don't understand about your itinerary is that you point out it's essentially a day's drive from LA to SF and another day back, but you don't seem to include those days in your count. It looks to me as though your plan is for 7-8 days, not the 6 six that you show. Not a deal killer in and of itself, far from it, but it does create a subconcious doubt. Try to make sure that your documentation answers questions and does not invite the consular officer to ask questions.

Regards, JEff

Noorah101

I agree, and that's what I was asking about earlier. He's allowing one day to drive up there and one day back, but no days to see everything in SF. Let's say he leaves LA on Day 5 at 8:00 am and drives 6 hours continuously with no stops and no heavy traffic, gets to SF at 2:00 pm. I suppose he can sightsee that afternoon, have dinner, and then stay overnight. I suppose then he can see another few things early the next morning, heading out of SF at noon, getting him to LAX at 6:00 pm on Day 6, again assuming no stops and no traffic (which there WILL be at THAT time of day in LA!!). Turn in the rental car and get to the LAX terminal by 7:00 pm. His flight must be at 9:00 pm or later, if that's the case.

I personally wouldn't recommend driving all the way from SF to LAX directly to catch an outgoing flight that same day.

Rene

Noorah101

If you are planning to sightsee in SF, then drive all the way to LAX to catch your outbound flight, you aren't going to have much time for shopping, unless you do it early in the morning before leaving SF.

Do you have the flight itinerary prepared as well? You shouldn't buy any tickets until you have the visa in hand, but do you have the flight itinerary printed out?

Rene

catdogcali

I have to attend the ASC for fingerprints tomorrow noon, Monday interview at the embassy.

I have already made flight reservations (not paid until and if visa is granted) and I have pretty much see what my itinerary might look like, which is what I'm brining to the VO:

I arrive LAX @ 8AM

Days to be in LA (22 FEB / 23 FEB / 24 FEB)

Pick up the rented car at LAX and then head to the hotel, settle in and start my journey in LA:

Places to visit:
• Hollywood Boulevard y The Walk of Fame
• Venice Beach y Santa Monica
• Rodeo Drive
• Disneyland
• Centro de la ciudad y Paseo por la Ciudad

San Diego:

driving (I-5 S) with good traffic is a hour and few minutes from Los ANgeles, I would be spending the 25 FEB on San Diego!

Places to visit:

• Seaworld
• Playas de San Diego
• Paseo por la ciudad

San Francisco: (FEB 26, FEB 27)
drop the rented car at LAX and take the plane to SFO @ 5AM which gets to SFO at around 6:30AM

• Chinatown and China Town
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Cable Car

I would be taking a flight from SFO 28 FEB in the AM arriving LAX sometime around 9AM to spend my last day walking around town and doing whatever I want to do since the plane departs at 11PM

Next to my itinerary a list of the hotels I have looked into, rent-a-car places in LAX, and Hotels in SFO for two day period!

I'm brining a job letter (8 years in GOV, 5KUSD/Month Salary), court letter saying I was alledgely charged for firearm carrying but charges were dropped and case dismissed, bank statements, credit card (2 GOLD cards with 10K usd limit each), don't know what else to bring.

I don't know what the process is like, but I assume at the embassy, when you are called by the VO he/she will ask for my passport and DS-160? That's when I'm supposed to give the VO a folder/envelope with everything inside (supporting docs) along with my passport so the VO sees that's where the supporting documents are in case the VO wants to peek around?

I know the best way to go is wait for the VO to ask and not talk that much without being asked, nor explain way too much about anything would help.

That being said, I got a couple cons which is a VWP overstay back in 2001 (3 month overstay, stayed 6 months), an arrest for alledgely carrying a firearm (court letter saying case dismissed charges dropped) and a H1B denied in 2002, other than that I guess I got a pretty good job.

Thank you folks, I hope this works out, I'm definitely letting you know how it goes after the interview.

Noorah101

So you'll be renting at car in SF, I assume? And then renting another car in LA for the 1 day on Feb 28? Nothing wrong with that, just asking.

And SF.

Keep in mind that most people on this forum are going through London; you are not. There might not be someone on here who knows the process in your home country (Argentina or Brazil? I forgot, sorry.)

Rene

catdogcali

Yup put the rent-a-car for SFO as well Rene!

Thank you so much for your help, you and the other people in this forum who replied to this thread.

Yeah, I'm applying from Argentina. I'll let you know the outcome on MON.

Salute!

catdogcali

Got back from ASC this morning, fingerprints and photo taken, going for interview MON in the AM will let you know how it goes, finger crossed. Thank you folks!

catdogcali

Regarding the VWP overstay when underage, if asked, do i simply tell the VO I spent that much time (5 months) in the US alone doing snowboarding and going to concerts until college time started and that i left the US on my own?

I want to be 100 honest but not sloppy so I dont give the VO a bad impression.

The H1B was denied when I was like 18 or 19 years old, altho I was sponsored for it I guess this old VO lady denied it because of a lack of a college degree but I dont remember cause its been so long, will the VO likely to ask about this or not and if asked do I simply tell I dont remember but I assume it was cause of the lack of a college degree?

Interview on mon morning reading as much as I can trying not to make things go wrong!

ian-mstm

If you are specifically asked about it, then you must tell the truth - so keep it simple, specific, and exact. If you are not asked about it, then you are not obligated to volunteer any information.


You seem to have a problem with being overly wordy... it's a terrible failing when it comes to speaking to a US immigration officer. You need to be brief, to the point, exact. Don't minimize, don't hesitate, don't exaggerate - and don't do anything other than make it simple, straightforward, and truthful.


If you don't remember - then say you don't remember. Don't guess, don't make assumptions, and don't try to make up something.

Ian

catdogcali

Thank you a lot, in case asked then A simple and exact answer would be I was underage and wasnt aware of the impact it could have? or too young and spent 5 months going to concerts and sleeping in cheap motels to make the money my parents gave me last until i would return for college I wasnt aware of the immigration laws?

I might be too wordy indees ian thats why I wonde what a good answer would be, a simple and short one of course!