For the vast majority of travellers, the following will never apply. Travelling to the United States as a citizen of 42 (mostly) western nations can simply apply for an ESTA visa waiver, allowing them unlimited access to the United States for 2 years, for up to 90 days at a time. However, there are some exceptions and if you have travelled to one of nine "black-list" countries since 2011, you become ineligible for the ESTA. Having visited Iraq and Syria in 2023, I was officially designated by the United States government as a certified bad boy. As a result, I had to go through the full visa process, and let me tell you - it certainly was a process. So grab a cup of tea, have a seat, and get yourself strapped in because it's going to be a hell of a ride.
Step 1: Fill in the DS-160 Online
For me, this was the most painstaking part of the process. I don't understand how it is nearly 2026 and a website run by the United States government can be so infuriatingly bad. The DS-160 website is like going back to the year 2003 and if you spend too long on it, you begin to hear the sound of dial-up internet loading (I'm getting old) and Clippy the animated assistant paperclip popping up in the bottom right-hand corner saying "It looks like you're applying for a US visa - would you like to gouge your eyeballs out?"
I wouldn't mind the aesthetics of the site so much if it was somewhat useable, but the fact is it's not. As you fill out the form, some of it requiring quite specific information, such as the criminal record of your second cousin twice-removed's best friend's dog, meaning you have to spend some time getting the sufficient answers. However, the site seems to timeout every seven seconds and if you haven't saved your progress fast enough, it will kick you out and all your previous answers (up to your last save) will be deleted. Logging back in requires you to enter your personalised application ID as well as the first five letters of your surname, your year of birth, as well as answering your security question... every time. Save frequently, better yet - save after every question so you don't have to duplicate the "easy" questions repeatedly when you inevitably timeout.
Step 2: Book your appointment
Once the DS-160 is done, you will be redirected to another site, the U.S. Department of State Visa Appointment Service (this link directs you to the UK site). You will be pleased to know that this website has been updated far more recently and is a lot more user friendly, but keep your DS-160 login details safe as you will still need it when you get your interview.
On this new site, the process is relatively simple - you will be asked to submit details about your DS-160 then pay the application fee, for me that was £155.40 (the equivalent of $185 at the time). While it is expensive, the ESTA fee has recently raised to $40USD which is only valid for two years meanwhile the B-2 visa is valid for ten years. So if you renewed it every 2 years for 10 years you would actually spend $15 more just using the ESTA. Handy to know, but if you're travelling to America that often, you can probably afford it!
Once the fee is paid, you can then proceed to booking your appointment. When I did this for the US Embassy in London back in January, the next available appointment was in July. Go ahead and book a date and time convenient to you, and then wait... In my case, a few weeks before my appointment, it got cancelled and they rebooked me to an interview in September. This new date wasn't suitable to me so when I went to change it, the next available slot wasn't until March 2026. Luckily, I kept checking the booking page and eventually I was able to get a slot in January, and then December.
This is really important to bear in mind - this is a long process and even if you do manage to get an appointment, it can be cancelled at late notice without reason. I would highly recommend not booking your trip until after the process is complete. In a best case scenario for me, from application to interview was seven months, which then got rescheduled to nine months, but ultimately a full calendar year nearly went by before I got my interview. The time between application and interview is long, so if you know you want/need to go to the USA, get the process started now.
Step 3: Attending the interview
After months of waiting, the day comes around and it can be incredibly daunting especially if you really want/need to go to the USA. For me, it wouldn't have been the end of the world if I couldn't go so I went in quite relaxed, which is probably the best thing you can do. While my interview day went by relatively quickly, I have read that some people spent hours waiting in queues for the most of the day, so make sure you are free for most of the day.
Step 3a: Check-in
Upon arrival at the embassy, you will likely see a very long queue. This is your queue. In the case of the US Embassy in London, they had two marquees at the entrance, one for American citizens and one for all us mere mortals of other creed. However, don't be daunted by the long line, in my case it was full of people who had arrived hours in advance of their scheduled time and were asked to wait at the side until half an hour before their scheduled time. Once it got too long, they also opened up another check-in counter which sped up the process. Here, they checked your DS-160 confirmation and appointment time as well as your passport.
Step 3b: Security
Following check-in, you will go through "airport-style" security including a metal detector and bag scanner. I kept my belt and watch on and went through fine. If you have water/liquid, they will ask you to take a sip before you can continue with it into the embassy. Be warned, laptops are not allowed and I saw a number of people directed to a local cafe which holds the laptop for you (for an exorbitant fee from what I've seen in my prior research).
Step 3c: Reception
Once through security you enter a small courtyard and directly in front of you is the main embassy building. You will enter the ground floor reception where you will once again wait in another short queue. Your DS-160 confirmation and passport will be checked again where they give you a bookmark that says "Stage 1" on it and point you to a lift. This is all very cordial however you are very aware that there are four huge pictures behind the receptionists of Donald Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and the Ambassador staring you down ominously.
My nerves began to increase here as, while waiting, I saw a man exit the lifts clearly very annoyed stating that he "brought everything they asked" so I can only assume his application was rejected.
Step 3d: Stage 1 - Photo Scan
So, after going through all that you are finally at... stage one! Once upstairs in the lift, you will follow the signs for Stage 1 and wait in a queue again. This will be your first experience with a Consular Officer (I think) whose job it is to scan your passport-style US visa photo. The lady who dealt with me was very friendly, approachable, and only asked why I was applying for the visa instead of the ESTA, although I'm not sure if this was general conversation or a formal question that everyone gets at this stage. If you don't have a recent US visa photo (there is a specific style and size - 5cmx5cm on a white background, which is slightly bigger and different to normal UK passport photos). Once this is done, the lady hands you another bookmark with "Stage 2" on and you are once again directed to another queue.
Stage 3e: Stage 2&3 - Fingerprints and Interview
Once again, the queue for stage two goes quickly and the fingerprint scans are quick and easy providing you follow the instructions. You are then sent to the queue for Stage 3, which is significantly longer.
This is the 'make or break' stage as it were and is where you get a decision on your visa application. You wait in the queue here for quite a while, although for the most part it kept moving and there wasn't too much standing around. Thankfully there are comfortable chairs placed all throughout the queue if it is busier or slower than when I was there.
As it is an interview and some visa applications are for entire families or people with complex backgrounds. Some people I saw were in for 30 seconds, perhaps renewing older or existing visas meanwhile others took longer. Just as I was about to enter the cubicle for the interview, I saw a lady get moved on who was sat on a stool visibly upset about the decision on her application. For me, it didn't matter too much. But for others, the decisions for their visas would change the outcome of their lives - perhaps if they could be reunited with long distance partners, families, or education.
Upon arrival in the booth, the officer took my documents and passport and quickly saw that I was applying for the visa because of my travel history. He pulled up my file on his computer, whether or not that was pre-existing or simply another copy of the DS-160 I don't know. He then went on to ask a number of questions:
- What's the reason for the trip?
- Where are you going?
- Why Mississippi?
- So you're travelling with her?
- Do you have any family in the USA?
- When did you go to Iraq and Syria?
- Where in those countries did you go?
- Who did you travel with?
- Did you meet or come across any ISIS or militant groups?
"Thank you for answering my questions satisfactorily, I have approved your visa application, sir. Have a great day."
Ok, that's a bit dramatised, but it went something like that. Just like that, the interview was over and the next time I saw my passport it would have a ten-year US tourist visa in it.
Step 4: Getting your passport back
Depending on how you chose to get your passport back, you will either get it delivered to a pre-determined pickup point set by the USA in London (the free option via a courier). Or, like me, you can pay the £32 to get Premium Home Delivery so you don't have to travel back to London if you don't live there.
Overall
The process is long and cumbersome. As a British national, it took 12 months. My case was probably slightly different to many others just because my original appointment was cancelled and then my rescheduled appointment was not suitable for me. Even then, in a best case scenario it would have taken seven months from start to finish.
My main pieces of advice would be to follow the instructions at every step carefully. One small mistake can knock back or reject your application. Furthermore, I am lucky in the sense that I am a British national whose country has relatively good relations with the USA. But international geopolitics is a fast and everchanging game and certain nationalities, religions, and groups can be banned without notice.
Good luck.
