visanewbie

Hi all,

I wanted to post my recent success story on here for obtaining a B2 Holiday Visa. I read this site back to front whilst applying and it really helped, and I hope my story can help others too!

I booked a holiday to Disneyworld in Florida for 2 weeks finishing with a week on Clearwater coast. After learning that I would need a visa after being convicted with a drink driving offence 7 years ago, i went in to full panic mode, with less than 2 months before my holiday.

I firstly applied for my ACRO police form from the ACPO website. I paid £89 for the premium service with next day delivery. This guaranteed my certificate back in 3 working days. I received it within 2 working days. You also need to have a UK passport picture to send with this and it has to be certified by someone thats known you for 2 years. Similar to applying for a passport.

After obtaining this, I started my DS-160 online application form, I wanted everything complete before calling the embassy. I didn't have any connectivity problems with the form as some people experience but saved the form as often as possible as I went along. All the questions are pretty straight forward.

In the mean time, I found out that my local Max Speilman shop would give me printed and digital copies of my US visa pictures for £11.99. I got them done that day and uploaded the picture on to my DS-160. I had some trouble with the sizing, but just make sure if you have to resize the digital picture, it has to be square and to the US visa passport standards. A quick google search gave me the correct settings for doing this in photoshop. I took the printed pictures with me on the day, just in case anything was wrong with the digital one.

After completing the DS-160 and printing my confirmation, i felt ready to call the embassy. I called around 6.15pm and got straight through to an operator. They were very friendly and asked a few questions, my passport number, full name, place of birth, date of birth, etc. I paid the visa fee of $160. It turned out to be £105.30 that came out of my bank. This is non refundable whether you receive the visa or not. They then advised that because I have been arrested, i may be ineligible for a visa (eeeks) and I would receive an email asking me to send my documents to a department within the embassy who would review them and email me back.

I got the email immediately and emailed them straight back with a scanned copy of my ACRO police certificate, a signed receipt of payment for the visa (which they emailed to me), the VCU1 form (a form you have to fill in and sign with a few more personal details) and I also included my DS-160 confirmation letter just for their reference. I wasn't asked for the latter. I got an automatic reply to say that my documents would be reviewed and I would receive an email in the next 5 working days. Well... i couldn't stop checking my email, all the time, it's infectious. Luckily, I received my reply within 24 hours, inviting me to call the operator line again to arrange an interview.

I called straight away which was a Friday evening. I was advised they had appointments as soon as the following Monday and Tuesday. I opted for the Tuesday so I could book a day off work and prepare. I was given an appointment time of 9.30am, you can't choose your time. You then get another email confirming your appointment. You have to ensure you print this confirmation out as you need to take it with you.

Then come the nerves. My weekend was spent shopping for the perfect smart outfit to wear, collecting my documents and most of all... WORRYING. I bought a folder and plastic wallets for a smart presentation of my documents. Sometimes the embassy will want evidence of your ties to the UK, and reasons to come home after your holiday or business trip. I collected bank statements, my car log book, my holiday confirmation and itinerary, my contract from work, my holiday request from work, wage slips from the last 6 months. Basically the more you have the better. Best things are mortgage letters, loan commitments etc. Also in this folder I put the neccesities, the ACRO police certificate, MRV letter (visa fee receipt), the interview confirmation letter, the VCU1 form and the DS-160 confirmation print out.

I then booked a hotel which was literally 5 minutes walk from the embassy and travelled down on the train the night before. I booked a late train home on the day of my appointment in case i needed to attend a medical.

My appointment was 9.30am. I arrived at the embassy for 8.45am after hearing horror stories about the queues outside. I walked up to only a few people, pleasant surprise considering how nervous i was. You queue outside the gate and show your documents to two separate people. Then you are invited in to the security area where you have your things scanned and walk through a detector yourself (same as at the airport). DON'T take any electrical items, even car keys that have a chip in them, the man in front of me had to go and store his items as his car keys weren't allowed inside!! I literally took nothing, just myself, my folder and a book (for the wait).

Anyway, after queueing outside, and going through security, I was inside the embassy for 9am!!! Only 15 minutes! I was given a number and told to take a seat in a big waiting room... lots of nervous looking people in here. Within another 15 minutes my number was called and I went to the allocated window. I had to hand over all my documents and had my fingerprints scanned from both hands. Make sure you don't have any cuts or blisters as you will be turned away! I wore gloves for 3 days before my interview (no joke!) Then i was asked to return to my seat and wait until my number is called again.

This is when I waited the longest, but still it was only 35 minutes!!! Amazing! A lot of people who arrived after me were getting their interviews first but I presumed it was because of my drink drive offence that I was a specialist case, not sure, just presuming that.

I was eventually called and the colour literally drained from my face, so nervous. The next part surprised me to how quick and un-stressful it was. I went up to the window to a very polite american man. He asked me to confirm my details. Asked me where I was going in America, who I was travelling with, what happened with my drink drive in 2006, and do i drink regularly now. He then asked if I had been in trouble for anything else, which I replied no. He then advised I had been successful and would receive my visa within a week! I was soooo happy! Yay! He didn't ask to see any of my documents (although, i strongly recommend you take them, each case is specific).

I next went to the DX courier counter to pay for my passport with visa inside to be returned to me. Needless to say I had a massive smile on my face. I paid £14.80 to the courier company to return my passport. Make sure you take a card to make this payment as they DO NOT accept cash!

Anyway, exactly 2 hours 15 minutes after arriving at the embassy and I was walking out with a huge smile on my face and a weight lifted off my shoulders. I turned up back at my hotel to my shocked mum who wasn't expecting me for hours.

I received my passport through the post today, I didn't actually have to sign for it like they advised, it just dropped through my letterbox. Anyway, I have been given a 10 year B1 Business and B2 Tourist visa for multiple entries. Couldn't be happier and now soooo looking forward to our Disney holiday in 4 weeks time!

Anyway, i hope this helps, as I know many posts on this forum helped me when I was applying. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks and Good Luck!

ian-mstm

Excellent post! Congratulations.

Ian

visanewbie

Thanks!

Wanted to help people as so many on here did for me!

materialcontroller

I don't know where you get your information from but this part is, on the face of it, totally incorrect. You almost certainly could have applied for an ESTA and travelled on the VWP. So you basically applied for a visa you didn't really need. Lucky for you that it worked out OK.

visanewbie

I did need a visa because I was arrested. It clearly states that anyone who has been arrested at any time are uneligible for the VWP and must apply for a visa. It's down to personal preference whether you do or not.

I did my research, it wasn't something I rushed in to.

Marocco

States where? The "visa wizard" on the embassy website gives (deliberately) incorrect information. You only need a visa if you were arrested for a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT).

visanewbie

This is on the embassy website.

Travelers who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records, (the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States, or have previously overstayed on the VWP are not eligible to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. If they attempt to travel under the VWP, they may be refused entry into the United States.

This, and also reading other peoples stories and experiences, was enough to make me apply for a visa. Better to be safe than sorry.

JumboCat

Visa wizard question:

Arrest or Conviction?
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any reason in any country, even if the arrest did not lead to a conviction, or do you have a criminal record? Please note: the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law. If you are unsure, press YES.

On the next page:

Arrest or Conviction?
Some applicants are uncertain how to answer the question, "Have you ever been arrested?"

In general, minor motoring offenses outside the United States that were disposed of by paying a ticket by mail have no bearing on admission to the United States. Travelers with minor traffic offenses that did not result in their arrest and/or conviction for the offense may travel visa free, provided they are otherwise qualified. If you are not sure whether or not you are eligible to travel visa free, the only way to resolve this question would be to apply for a visa. The Embassy and the Operator Assisted Information Service cannot provide any further guidance on this matter until you appear in person before a consular officer.

If a traffic offense occurred while you were in the United States, and you have an outstanding fine against you, or if you did not attend your court hearing, it is possible there may be a warrant out for your arrest and you will experience significant problems when applying for admission at the U.S. port of entry. The Embassy cannot assist you in this regard. You must resolve the issue before traveling, by contacting the court where you were to appear. If you do not know the address of the court then information is available from the Internet at http://www.uscourts.gov/links.html.

Is the full extent of your history of legal violations limited solely to minor traffic offenses that did not result in your arrest and/or conviction?

D-160 Application

Question on the D-160:
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty, or other similar action?

JC

Marocco

The embassy staff work for the State Department, which neither administers nor has anything to do with ESTA or the VWP. The ESTA form, on the DHS website, only asks if you have been arrested or convicted for "a crime involving moral turpitude".

evil-homer

Hi , i had my interview 2 weeks ago , almost exactly the same as you word for word , i too was over the moon to be told i could have the visa ,

I paid the £14.80 and awaited the return of my pasport, then the night before i was due to have my passport delivered they asked me to obtain a memorandum of conviction via email, which i have now had thankfully but i am yet to have my passport back , almost weeks now after my interview,

I have scaaned a copy via email to them and senT the original letter to them via royal mail first class recorded delivery , which hasnt yet been delivered

i aggree with above that you didnt infact need a visa , after going through this process myself i tent to think this whole proccess is geared massively towards making money , many of the cases that are infact ineligible to recive a visa should be told they are ineligible at the point when you email over all documents to them, you turning up for a interview in person is merely a formality to collect $160 from you, very simular to your case you should have been told you dont need a visa but they will allow you to obtain one simply to collect $160 from you

You only have to look at how much the waiting time as increased over the last year or so for when a case goes to DHSW for review, the current waiting time is now around 26 weeks, which i can only presume means a hell of a lot of people have paid the $160 and been to a interview in london when in fact they could have been told via email when scanning in documents that they are ineligible

the day i had my interview people were stuggling to find a seat to sit on there were so many people, i didnt count but i would guess they process 100 to 300 people per day maybe even more , at $160 per person 5 days a week this process earns a LOT of money, if only 10% of people dont infact need a visa (like you) then the figures are still very big, in this current economy i dont think anyone would turn down such revenue

ian-mstm

It's really sad that this is out there... because it does not reflect the actual requirements and, indeed, does not reflect the law.


If the officer determined that you were eligible for the VWP (which, by the way, it seems you were), your B-2 visa would have been denied. That visa denial would then have to be declared on every subsequent visa and ESTA. Had that happened, ESTA would have also been denied and you likely wouldn't be allowed to travel to the US for 6-12 months or more.


You got lucky! I'm glad it worked out for you, but you very easily could have been sorry either way!

Ian

JumboCat

I'm curious about the smart outfit? What do people generally wear to Visa interviews?

JC

materialcontroller

Can only speak from my own experience. I wore the same kind of smart casual clothes to both of my visa interviews - shoes (not trainers), trousers (not jeans), short-sleeved shirt and a lightweight jacket.

visanewbie

I was actually quite surprised in the difference of peoples outfits. I wore a smart dress and jacket, basically what I would wear to an interview. The majority wore this attire.

But a lot just had jeans and jumpers on, and quite casual clothing.

Steve_

What an interesting question, I just wore casual clothes and when I got there I was sat next to a Serbian fellow who was very well-dressed. Anyway while we were waiting a fat white American guy walked in, dressed in jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt who smelt very strongly of BO and had a beard down to his chest and he goes up to the counter and says to the lady: "Hey yeah, I need to apply for a new social security card, mine got burned up in a fire a couple of weeks ago."

And this Serbian fellow watches all this and a bit later turns to me and says: "You know I came all the way down from Edmonton dressed like this."