Who Can Attend
Please note, only those with an appointment will be admitted to the Embassy. Young children accompanying the person with an appointment can also enter, as can the parents or guardian of a minor who has an appointment.
Disabled Access
Our building is accessible. If you wish to be accompanied by an assistant or carer, please contact us through our contact page and provide the following information:
- Your full name
- The date and time of your appointment
- The name of the individual that wishes to accompany you, their relationship to you, their date of birth, and their nationality.
Arrival
When you arrive, you will go through airport-style security screening. You must not bring large bags or luggage to your appointment as they are not permitted into the building and there are no storage facilities available. To save time, we recommend that you keep the number of small bags and belongings that you bring with you to an absolute minimum. You may bring a cell phone or tablet, but leave laptops at home as they are not permitted.
You should have your printed DS-160 confirmation page ready for the greeters to review. Once inside you will be handed a ticket number beginning with the letter N, V, E, D, or L. You should then proceed to the elevators and review the signs to determine which floor you should proceed to.
For security purposes, the U.S Embassy, London strictly prohibits the attachment of tracking devices to passports and accompanying documentation for visa applications. If any passport or documentation is found to have a tracker attached, it will be removed, and the device will not be returned. Your cooperation on this matter is greatly appreciated.
Waiting Room
Once you arrive in the waiting room, please take a seat and wait for your number to appear on the screen. It is imperative that you watch the screen closely for your number to be called as missing your number can lead to significant delays.
Intake and Interview
First you will be called to an intake window, here you will provide your passport and DS-160 confirmation page. You will also be asked to submit your fingerprints. From here, you will be directed to the join a queue on the opposite side of the waiting area.
You will then have your interview with an American consular officer. Please present your passport to the officer, and if the officer requires additional documentation, they will notify you. The interview is usually short, and at the end the officer will give you a decision on your visa application.
Processing Times
If your visa application was approved during your visa interview, the average processing time from that point is 5-7 working days. A further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for delivery. You will be notified by email when your passport is available for pickup or sent out for delivery. Further instructions on how to pick up your passport will be sent to you by email by the courier service.
If your application has been refused under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for administrative processing, the Consular Section will notify you when it is complete or if additional information is required from you. Please be advised that we cannot tell you how long the administrative processing will take.
If you were advised at the interview that a waiver of ineligibility is required before the visa can be issued, you can expect your application to take several months to process from the date of the interview.
We cannot guarantee visa issuance or visa processing times in advance. All processing periods quoted are estimates only. We caution all visa applicants against booking tickets or making irrevocable travel plans until they have received their passport containing a valid U.S. visa appropriate for their purpose of travel.
If you require your passport for other travel during this time, please notify the officer at the interview, as we will be unable to return your passport once processing has begun.
Delivery/Collection
Delivery/Collection of your passport, visas, and/or other item(s) is arranged through your Visa Appointment Service account. Embassy staff cannot provide additional information about delivery/collection and cannot modify your account information, such as address or delivery preference. If you have questions after reviewing the information on the Visa Appointment Service website, you can contact the Visa Appointment Service directly. Their contact details can be found here: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/niv/information/contact_us
