London US Embassy Info Revealed Help

So, I am witting this because I noticed that there is not really a lot of information on these forms about the London visa interview so hope this helps people in the future.
The first thing that you will notice is that on the embassy website they have a page that is used to find the embassy, this contains a street map and a street address and can be located at http://london.usembassy.gov/ukembmap.html now the first problem that I cam across is that the street address, when put into a map software program for example “google maps†does not correspond to the location portrait on the map.
First piece of advice THE MAP IS CORRECT

OK so next you are wondering which stations are within a reasonable walking distance from the embassy
Marble Arch
Bond Street
Green Park
Oxford Circus
Hyde Park Corner
Marylebone
Baker Street

How early should I arrive?
Well I arrived two hours before my scheduled interview time into Marlyebone station,, this gave me thirty minutes to walk to the embassy and find out where to go, and thirty minutes to stand in the queue before my interview time, and one hour to just relax and chill out.
Tip: I went into Selfridges’s hotel on the corner of Baker Street and Edwards Mews stayed there for the hour in comfort on their sofas upstairs at the bar without buying a drink. Go in through the front door, and immediately turn right, up the stairs and down the corridor to your right. The seats were so comfortable and relaxing and the toilets were immaculate too.

Getting into the embassy.
The entrance to the queue for the embassy is due south of the building (as you stood facing it from Grosvenor square it is to the left)
You will notice two people checking people as you go through. The first time you will be stopped and asked to produce your passport and visa appointment letter. The next person will ask you to put everything in your pockets into a transparent plastic bag where it must remain until after security, this person will then direct you which line to stand in based on the scheduled time of your appointment.
The employee at the front of the queue just before security will check your passport again and ask you to remove your belt and place any electrical items into a safe deposit box where you will be given a key to collect such items after your “interviewâ€
Once through security proceed around the front of the building to the opposite side, up the steps and through the glass doors.

Once Inside.
There will be a receptionist who will scan your visa appointment letter, machine readable receipt and ask to see your passport. You will then be given a sticker with a number on it. DON NOT PEEL OF THE STICKER and proceed up the stairs to your left into an airport style waiting room. Don’t worry yes everyone has a reason to look miserable.

Numbers!!!!
At first when you see the numbers counting down on the screen and the audio and visual announcements of numbers to proceed to the kiosks you think that you will net be here much over two hours, WRONG!
When you finally get your number called and have made your way to the kiosk the attendant will have your finger prints scanned, take your documentation from you, including your passport and replace it with a blue courier form which you will have to fill in BRING A PEN, then ask you to sit back down and wait for your number to be called out again.(this is why everyone looks miserable) Numbers are called out randomly and your further waiting time can be anything between one and four hours. MAKE FLEXIBLE TRAVELL ARRANGEMENTS.

The “Interviewâ€
After anxiously waiting for your number to be called out again you hear it, and proceed directly to that kiosk where the attendant asks you a couple of trivial questions then tells you whether your visa application has been accepted or not. If it has you will need to stand in a line at the courier desk, pay them £14 BRING SOME MONEY then you are free to make your way home three to five hours after your scheduled appointment time, but at least it is over.

My Tips
FOLLOW THE MAP
ARRIVE EARLY AND RELAX IN COMFORT
THE POLICEMAN MAY SHOOT YOU :$
DON’T PEEL OFF THE STICKERS
BRING A PEN
MAKE FLEXIBLE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
BRING £14 FOR THE COURIER
HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY HOME

Hope this has help people in their worries or questions about the London US Embassy.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions on this form

JON1X303

 

i bloody hated that interview!i was sooooo bored!

and i found out that if u get the last interview time, you finish really quicky!

the other year, i was there at 9am didnt come out till 5:30pm!

 

I know, as i said wrote it to inform people of the stupidness and hardship of the Interview

JON1X303

 

What kind of questions are asked?

 

I appreicate the tips, just the whole policeman may shoot you point kinda worried me lol.

 

hey JON thank you so much for all that! i had no idea it was so a process!! are u allowed to bring an ipod or some sort of entertainment system?! what questions do they ask? x

 

Thanks for the tips... sounds loooooooong. Not looking forward to it.

 

Questions you should be asked are this kind: " Do you have relatives in US ? " ; " How did you hear about this job ? " etc
You shouldn't worry, it's really no big deal =)

 

I was there 4 5 hours n a bit! i wasnt impressed at all i fell asleep n a woman woke me up 2 say my number had been called! i h8ed bein in there! xx :-\

 

Can you take a book or a magazine with you or anything?

 

Sam you havent been lucky ! 4 hours would have driven me crazy... I had to wait for an hour and still found it too long lol

You can take a book of course

 

how many months in advance should you go to the embassy? how long does it take to go through or do u get your visa on the day? i just think im gnna run out of time! x

 

Yeah same here, im gonna ring Michele today i think and ask her the 6 million questions i have

 

The visa appointment is no more than a month in advance. I got mine a week and a half ahead of departure, and received my visa at home 2 days later..
Don't worry, you'll receive all papers you need in time.. I know you want everything to be done right now, I was the same, but you'll have to be patient héhé

 

The embassy apointment is not as serious as they make out 2 be, its not intimidating as i thought it would be, the worst thing about it is the amount of people there and how long you have to wait, and you have to q to pay 4 ur passport to be sent back! Its a joke. Apperently the embassy in Belfast is better

 

can any one help me???!!! i cant remember when i was on the phone to the embassy if they said that i would receive through the post a confermation letter or not i have the email that they sent to me whilst we were on the phone printed out but i was just unsure if i need an original letter. if some one can help me with this that would be great as i dont want to get down there for them too say that i needed the letter and i dont want to call them again as its like £1.50 a min. thanks Sean

 

I think it is just the one that you print off that you need. That is all I brought and that was fine.

 

wooo thanks so much i was wondering what happens in the embassy..... hope i get to that stage!



xxx

 

Would it be worth travelling to Belfast? Or would the extra travel time needed to get there make the whole process just as long as waiting in lines at the London embassy? I'm not adverse to a bit of waiting but I think i'd like to get this particular wait over with as quickly as possible!
I know it's highly unlikely that i'll be turned down a visa at that point, but as it's really the last hurdle of getting out to Florida i'm going to be completely irrationally nervous!

 

I went to the embassy in Belfast last summer for a visa to do summer camp - the whole process took half an hour max. and everyone else i know that has gone to Belfast has had a similar experience