London Consulate Changes Visa Processing Procedures
Posted Jan 24, 2003

The U.S. Consulate in London recently changed their procedures with respect to most nonimmigrant visa applications. As of January 9, 2003, most of these applicants have to appear at the consulate for an in-person interview with a consular officer. The interviews will require an appointment. The consulate has been rejecting applications filed by mail or through authorized travel agents since December 31, 2002.

Detailed instructions for those applying for H-1 visas needing an interview, and the required steps for that interview are available on the website for the U.S. Consulate in London. Others can find information by following links to "Read More."  For the many MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers applying for H1B visas, according to the Consulate's website, those between the ages of 16-59 must call for an interview. The interviews are scheduled by telephone but the telephone number is only accessible from within the U.K. It is suggested that persons outside the U.K. have a relative, friend, or colleague call and set the appointment. No other alternatives are offered.

Mail application processing for other nonimmigrant visas remains available for persons who are under 16. It is also available for persons 60 and over, other than nationals or citizens of the seven countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism. These seven countries are North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Cuba, and Sudan. There is also an exemption for applicants for O, P, or I visas, as well as airline crew applying for C/D visas.

For the majority of individuals who require an interview, the consulate states that the turnaround time for mailing back an applicant's passport with the visa stamp is two workdays. The visa processing will not be completed on a same-day basis. According to the Consulate, individuals who answer "yes" to any of the questions contained in item 33 on Form DS-156, pertaining to possible grounds of inadmissibility to the U.S., will require up to eight weeks of processing. Item 33 contains questions that address such issues as prior arrests and convictions, prior refusals of admission to the U.S., prior immigration violations, and communicable diseases of public health significance. The DS-156 form is available through the consular website. Accordingly, anyone planning to process a nonimmigrant visa through the U.S. Consulate in London should review the instructions carefully to allow sufficient time to arrange for the appointment and await the return of the passport, hopefully containing a visa stamp.