I wrote this is in 2009 for a sub forum on TripAdvisor. A lot might have changed but this was my take on getting a visa.
My USA Visa experience at the London US Embassy and costs
I have written my experience of getting my visa for anybody who might be interested.
I am a British male who lives in the UK!
Ok so I have been charged for drink driving and I had a separate caution for drunk and disorderly. When I booked my holiday back in January I was totally unaware of visa restrictions to the US, but I soon discovered if you have been arrested you need to get a visa.
First visit the US embassy website and it will tell you how to apply and what forms you need to fill in, a lot of the forms you have to fill in online and send them automatically when you finished filling them out, you also need to print the forms to be able to take them with you.
Book your appointment as soon as you can as when I phoned there was a 2 month waiting list for the interview. When you have booked and paid for you interview you are emailed a receipt which you need to print and take with you.
Also you need a police report, the info on how to get it is also on the embassy website this takes about 10 days to come through the post so get it as soon as you can. You will need 1 passport photo for this and it has to have the back signed and you need to send a copy of a household bill for proof of where you live with the application.
you also need a separate photo for the US visa which is a different size, I went to a local Jessops to get mine done, they do have a booth at the embassy but it was not working when I went so I am glad I did it before.
My only strong bit of advice is read the Embassy website thoroughly and check you have filled out all the forms you need to (they have a list on the website) as it’s a long wait as it is without being pushed to the back of the queue as you have not filled in all the forms you should have!
There is a video on you tube of what to expect on the day
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzZOvF1EEXE
What they don’t tell you is you spend about 2 hours just sitting and waiting, about 1 minute having your documents checked and 5 minutes having your interview, which for me were just a few basic questions.
I did take with me bank statements, proof of address, payslips, and other bits of info but I was never asked for them.
When you go to the embassy you are not allowed to take any electrical devices no ipod no phone not even a key fob!! And they don’t have anywhere for you to store them either so if you turn up with then you are sent away to find somewhere to store them
I arrived at 0830 and was finished by 1100
The cost of the visa
Visa $131.00 (£80)
Police Report £35
Passport Photos £5
Visa Photograph £6
Courier to return passport £14.20
Travel Expenses £50
Total £ 190.20
