Visas: Part II

Everything is starting to feel real now - I finally have my Visa! If you would like to hear (well, read really!) about the process of obtaining a visa, read on.

I happened to be in Perth, so I booked my interview at the US Consulate in Perth. I got a 9am appointment, and you are informed to arrive no more than 15 minutes before your appointment. At 8:45am sharp, I arrived at the Consulate, and navigated to the correct floor. It lead to a small room, containing a metal detector, an x-ray machine and a small waiting room.

I took only the necessary paperwork with me, so it was a fairly quick and painless process. If you are travelling with someone else who isn't there to have an interview, I would recommend only taking items that are absolutely necessary. For me, that included:

• DS-160 Confirmation Page
• Appointment Confirmation Page
• Payment Confirmation
• Passport
• Money
• Any other necessary documents

Once I had been deemed metal and free of any prohibited items (phones, USBs, et cetera), I was escorted to a different floor, where the interview would take place. The room looks much like the waiting room of a doctor's office, with the addition of teller windows similar to a bank. I took a ticket, and waited until my number was called. When my time came, I approached the Cashier window and handed over the required paperwork. I was asked why I required a visa, and I told the woman that I needed it as I was studying in Canada.  I wish I could remember how it came up, but she suggested that I may want a 5-year visa instead of the regular 1-year visa. Of course, this would be up to the Consular, however I was definitely interested if at all possible. After the quick discussion, I sat back down and waited for my name to be called by the Consular.

After about 5 minutes, my name was called, and I approached a different window so that I could speak to the Consular. I was asked a few questions, mainly about why I required the visa. After only a few minutes, I was told that my visa had been approved, and that my passport would be sent back to me. I then had to return to the Cashier window, where I paid the fee for the 5-year visa ($25 USD/$27.50 AUD) - the one-year visa is free (other than the initial Application fee, of course).

While the whole process probably looks ridiculously drawn out in text-form, it realistically only took about 15 minutes, and definitely wasn't quite as arduous or terrifying as I thought it would be. I actually have my passport back, complete with visa, back with me now. It arrived yesterday (27th June), and my appointment was two days prior - I would say that's a pretty impressive turnaround!

Have you recently obtained a visa for any country, or are you looking to get one in the near future?

B x