I went to get my visa at the US Embassy yesterday. I had heard very mixed stories about applying for a US visa. Some people had told me that it was all plain sailing and others spoke of consular officials sending you away on minor technicalities seemingly taking sadistic pleasure in making you return another day.
I first had to clear security. Thankfully they seem to be removing all of the unsightly concrete bollards that have been blocking Grovesnor Square for the past six years and replacing them with some more attractive protective landscaping. The British policeman were all quite jovial and I think find all of the security measures a bit ridiculous. While the private security firm, who were providing the airport style security, were even more lax. The placed my bag in the x-ray machine, laughed and joked between themselves, and passed it to me as it came out without looking at the monitor once. I could have had anything in there!
Inside the Embassy it was all very painless, if a bit slow. I had to wait for 1hr 3omins to see an administrative clerk who checked all my documentation and took my finger prints. Then it was another hours wait before I got to see the Consular Official. My interview lasted all of three minutes (meticulous documentation!), paid my fee and I was on my way!
While I was at the Embassy I met a British girl who lives in New York and was back in the UK for three weeks to renew her visa. She is an alien with extraordinary abilities. I have a much more boring sounding E-2 visa.
I first had to clear security. Thankfully they seem to be removing all of the unsightly concrete bollards that have been blocking Grovesnor Square for the past six years and replacing them with some more attractive protective landscaping. The British policeman were all quite jovial and I think find all of the security measures a bit ridiculous. While the private security firm, who were providing the airport style security, were even more lax. The placed my bag in the x-ray machine, laughed and joked between themselves, and passed it to me as it came out without looking at the monitor once. I could have had anything in there!
Inside the Embassy it was all very painless, if a bit slow. I had to wait for 1hr 3omins to see an administrative clerk who checked all my documentation and took my finger prints. Then it was another hours wait before I got to see the Consular Official. My interview lasted all of three minutes (meticulous documentation!), paid my fee and I was on my way!
While I was at the Embassy I met a British girl who lives in New York and was back in the UK for three weeks to renew her visa. She is an alien with extraordinary abilities. I have a much more boring sounding E-2 visa.
It sounds to me like you were a victim of racial profiling Richard.
ReplyDeleteI had a J1 which sounds much more exciting than an E2 but your new friend wins hands down. When are you buying her dinner?