Book your visa interview

If you are applying to an embassy or consulate other than London or Belfast please read the information at the bottom of the page before beginning.

Please do this step on a laptop/computer and not your phone!

When you have completed your DS-160 form it is time to complete the second step in the visa application process. You will need the following to complete this step.

1. Your DS-160 confirmation
   
2. Your I-20
   
3. Your passport
   
4. A payment card

It is very important that you enter the correct information in this process, as the U.S. Embassy is very picky with visa applications. Throughout the entire visa application process, it is important to remember that a tourist visa, also called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), does not count as a visa in the USA. You should always answer no to questions on previous U.S. visas, even if you have previously travelled to the USA on an ESTA. Remember that the type of visa you need to apply for is a Non-immigrant visa.

Step 1 – Getting Started

Scroll down past the red on the webpage!

1. Click here to get started. Select (1) Apply.
   
2. You will need to start by applying. Once you start the application you will see a page with 5 options.
   
3. The option you chose is “I have completed the U.S. Non-immigrant Visa application (DS-160) form and I need to apply for a visa.”
   
4. You will be led to a sign-up page where you will create your account.
   

Step 2 – New Applicant Stage

1. In the New Applicant stage, you will enter personal information, your passport number and your DS-160 number. The DS-160 number is issued on the barcode that you received when you completed this stage. It will be a combination of 10 letters and numbers.
   
2. Your visa class is F-1.
   
3. Once complete, click create applicant.
   

Step 3 – Summary Page

1. The next page asks some very simple questions that you should be able to leave and just confirm to move forwards. 
   
2. It will ask you next to add another applicant, you select no even if you will be flying with a parent, they will not be part of this visa application.
   

Step 4 – Courier Details

1. You will move on to a Courier Details page. Here you must select a courier service who will deliver your passport.
   
2. At this point, you need to select the courier depot closest to your home. This is where your passport will be delivered to after your appointment. For now, you must choose the pickup location nearest your home.
   
1. As mentioned on the page, later in the process you can choose to pay a small fee to have it delivered directly to your home. Pay close attention for this step to come up as you cannot go back and pay for this once you have gone past it!

We recommend you pay the fee to have it delivered to your home, unless you live close to the depot you selected. You will have to travel to the delivery depot to collect your passport, there are not a lot of depots around the country and you may find yourself with a long drive if you do not pay attention during this step! Choosing to pick it up from the depot at the embassy does not mean it will be processed faster.

Step 5 – Payment

1. Here you need to pay your MRV fee. This is the fee paid to schedule an appointment at the embassy.
   
2. The GBP amount is based on the exchange rate determined by the U.S. Department of State. The visa fee is a non-refundable processing fee for a visa application that is necessary for your visa application to be handled by the Embassy, but this does not guarantee that the application will be granted!
   
3. There are three payment methods to choose from when paying the visa fee:
   
1. Cash payment through a bank office
   
2. Online payment by card
   
1. We recommend this method of payment as it is the easiest!
   
3. Payment through your internet bank
   
4. Any receipt you get must be saved and recorded/printed!
   

Step 6 - Booking your appointment

1. You will now need to book an appointment time that works for you. Bear in mind you will have to travel to the embassy to attend in person. 
   
2. Please also remember that the embassy will keep your passport after your appointment and you will receive it back 7-10 days after your appointment!
   
3. You must have paid SEVIS before you go to your appointment, see the red box at the end of this guide for a link to pay. 

What to do if there are only appointments very far in the future

1. Please don't panic! The embassy is very busy during the summer and this occurs every year, there are things you can do.
   
2. If you are unsure if you need to get an earlier appointment, please check with your consultant. 
1. Book the earliest appointment available. Log in a couple of times a day to this website (we find first thing in the morning is best) and see if more appointments have been released/cancellations have become available. This is the best way to get yourself an earlier appointment.
   
2. There is the option to apply for an expedited appointment. Please be aware that we don’t provide help and advice on applying for one of these and they are very rarely, if ever, granted. The above method is by far the most successful for getting an earlier appointment.
   

Step 7 - Social media requirements

Not doing this step could result in your visa being denied. We recommend you do it now so you don't forget!

Before attending your appointment, you must change all social media accounts, across all platforms, that you own to public. This is to comply with new vetting requirements in place by the US government. Any accounts they find which are not public could result in your visa being denied. 

We also recommend you remove any posts which could be seen as negative to the US government, these include but aren't limited to:

1. Any political posts
   
2. Anti-social behaviour
   
1. Under age drinking
   
2. Poses that could be interpreted as gang signs
   
3. Reckless behaviour
   
3. Anything negative about the US

You now need to pay the SEVIS fee if you haven't yet, you can do that here. Please make sure to keep the email receipt from this, you must take it to your appointment. Your school code is on your I-20.

Please do not book your flight yet!

Additional information for anyone applying to embassies OTHER than London or Belfast

1. Please click here to choose your countries embassy or consulate. If you cannot find your country on the first link, please check here. Use this link instead of the one listed at step 1. 
   
2. Some countries offer postal appointments in lieu of in person appointments, if your country offers this, it will not let you select an appointment date. At this point of the application process, it will likely ask you to "send documents" or something similar. You will therefore post the documents to the embassy instead of attending in person.
   
1. The embassy will send you an email with the address you need to post your documents to and a list of exactly what you need to send them. Please let us know if you receive one of these "postal appointments".
   
3. The rest of the information in this guide should be similar for your countries embassy appointment application process. 

 

• Related Articles

• Book your flight

  Do not book your flight until your visa has been approved. If it is close to the date you fly, do not book until you have received your passport back from the embassy! Remember that you cannot arrive into the US before the ”Earliest Admission Date” ...

• Visa appointment checklist

  Below is an overview of everything you need to take with you to your visa appointment and information on what to expect at it. What to take with you Please use this list as a checklist and ensure you have all documents with you. We have provided, ...

• Which visa should I request?

  You need an F-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa for students.

• How long is a visa valid?

  Your F1 visa is usually valid for 5 years. So make sure that your passport is also valid for that long.

• DS-160 application

  Do not complete this form on your phone! Use a laptop or computer and use the Chrome browser. The first step in your visa application is to fill out a form called the DS-160. It is difficult for us to help you fill out this form because of the time ...