Ukexpat23

Quick question for anyone that knows. I chose London for my location on the DS160 but went for my interview in Belfast. When I finally get the email back, will I need to post my passport to Belfast or London? And if Belfast, anyone have experience on timelines on receiving back from Belfast?

waitinggame24

I would imagine Belfast. Had a few there and its goes back to them not London. Do the emails to submit passport usually come through first thing in the morning??? save me checking throughout the day......

MancDave

So after eagerly awaiting my passport coming back, it arrived back today, with the visa inside. They’ve issued me a 11 month 3 week visa which expires May 2025!? This doesn’t even give me time to book and pay it off in time, what’s the point of that 🤦🏻‍♂️.

I was expecting a 2 year plus waiver if I got one at all, is it worth contacting them or should I just call it a day? I presume they won’t extend, and will just advise to do the whole process again?

christmasoompa

They won’t extend. Usually a short visa is given if your passport expires then, or you were very lucky to get a waiver in the first place (so you’re being given a short leash to start with!). See this post - Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application

You can reapply though, if you know it expires in 11 months then you could reapply in a couple of months to try and get another when the first expires.

Good luck.

shiversaint

As unhelpful as the comment I am about to say is, the reality is this: visas are a priveledge and not a right. You self admit a "colourful" past and didn't expect to get a visa at all. It sounds like what you received is exactly in line with your circumstances.

Florida88

Doesn’t the ACRO have to have been issued within the previous 6 month at the interview?

MancDave

I fully understand the basis of your comment, and I wholeheartedly agree, but I just don’t understand the point of going through all this malarkey for nearly 12 months, to then be issued a visa that expires before the date I wanted to travel. I was asked the dates I wanted to travel both on paper and in interview at the embassy, so just seems silly to issue a visa that expires in 2025, when they know I wanted to travel in 2026, hence the application 🤦🏻‍♂️

christmasoompa

You must have known that a short visa was a strong possibility, so it's not really the London consulate's fault. They're not going to give you a longer visa just because you applied too early.

11 months is quite unusual though, it's usually 6 months or a year - when does your passport expire?

MancDave

My passport expires in 2029. To be fair, no I didn’t know it was a possibility. I tried to do as much research as possible, but there’s so many variables from person to person. I presumed with me putting the travel dates down, along with stating them at the interview, that if I was issued a visa, it would be for the travel dates requested? Fair assumption to make no? I’ve applied early because I was told not to book dates until I have a visa. The whole system just seems very opaque and antiquated, and feels like I’ve just wasted the time, money and effort to be given a visa that’s useless 🤣.

S Folinsky

It strikes me that it was ARO at CBP that put a short leash on the waiver of inadmissibility. Consul’s hands were tied so to speak.

shiversaint

It's a fair assumption, yes, but ultimately those date fields are aimed at people that don't have an ineligibility and from countries with high risk of overstays. The 5 year multi entry visa that is most prevalent in this thread is generally given to one time offenders that have a significant gap between their application and conviction - this makes up the vast majority of cases. Despite that, there is actually quite a bit of information in this very thread that describes the outcomes for people with more complex criminal records.

But, the system IS opaque and feels antiquated, I fully agree. Another user, S. Folinsky, recently posted a blog article that describes actually how the waiver process works, which explains a huge amount about the frustrations that most of us have experienced on this journey.

I think one thing we can say with certainty: assume nothing in the world of US Immigration. Sadly, you probably should have reiterated your planned trip during the interview to stand a chance of being covered for that.

If I can recommend one thing: look out for one of the package deals that major airlines run to New York for a weekend trip or something like that. They are often quite competitively priced, and NYC is something everyone should experience at least once. At least try to use the visa.

Otherwise buddy, I empathise with you. It can be a very very frustrating experience. A lot of people land on this forum loaded with huge amounts of negativity and entitlement, they go through the experience and come out recognising that actually, some poeople have far far worse experiences and any visa at all is fairly lucky. You'll get there.

11 months and 3 weeks when OP had it in hand - by the time issuance and returning of the document is completed, OP would have lost the 1 week that would make it a 1 year visa.

S Folinsky

You may want to take a look at flights.google.com One enters the dates of intended travel and destinations.

There is a huge plethora of flights from the UK to the US within the next 11 months three weeks. And the airlines accept immediate payment.

As an aside, it can be an interesting exercise to peruse the
State Department Reciprocity Tables. Ciitzens of Iran can obtain visas for three months single entry. They can obtain tickets. Vietnamese Citizens get visa valid for one year.

Natfar

yes we have an interview booked for August 24 so will be well in date

Wales44

Good Luck....

bryanlloydx

Anyone ever received an email from [email protected], asking for the ACPO Police certificate to be sent ahead on the interview date? Appointment is schedule at beginning of June so maybe there are being proactive… any thoughts or experience from others? This will be for my second B1/B2 visa after last just expired in April 24.