If you wish to travel to the United States for a visit and travel authorization under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) has been denied or revoked, you are required to apply for a visa and attend a visa interview in person regardless of your age. ESTA is administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. More information about the program is available on their website. There is also information in our FAQs that may be useful.

Step-by-step information about the B-2 (tourist/visitor) visa application process in the United Kingdom, including how to book a visa interview appointment, a list of required documents, and approximate processing times, is provided on our website.

As outlined on the above website, complete an online application form (DS-160) on the Consular Electronic Application Center website and pay the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee on the Visa Appointment Service website. Once you have completed the registration process on the Visa Appointment Service website, you may request an earlier appointment by selecting the ‘Request Expedite’ option after booking the first available interview date*. You can find more information about how to submit a request for an earlier appointment here. Once you are on the FAQ page, please go to the ‘Visa Appointment Questions’ section and see Question 1. I need an earlier appointment and there are no available appointments, what should I do?

*If you were recently denied ESTA for a trip that is earlier than the first available visa appointment, please clearly state that in your request for an earlier appointment.

Please note, appointments are booked and managed through the Visa Appointment Service website. As the Visa Appointment Service account website is not administered by the U.S. Embassy London, if you have any questions about your Visa Appointment Service account, please contact the service provider via one of the methods listed here. 

The final determination on each individual’s eligibility for a visa is a matter for the interviewing consular officer on the day of the interview and no assurances regarding visa issuance can be given in advance. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee an outcome on or before any given date. This is one reason why we advise all applicants against making final travel plans unless they have received their passport containing a valid U.S. visa appropriate for their purpose of travel.