Before You Arrive

After you have filled out the required forms and scheduled an interview, you should begin to collect the necessary supporting documents to bring to your interview.

Please note, you will not be permitted to attend the interview unless you have completed the DS-160 application form and paid the applicable application fee.

Arriving at the Consulate

Plan to arrive at the Consulate in your district no earlier than 20 minutes before your interview is scheduled.

When you first arrive at the Consulate, you will be required to go through security before you can enter the consular section.  Only the person applying for the visa will be admitted to the Consulate. If a translator is required, that person must also be registered for the appointment. Under no circumstances will family members and friends who accompany the applicant without an appointment be admitted to the Consulate, unless they are a parent accompanying a child under age 18. Children under 14 applying for a visa may not need to attend the interview at the Consulate. 

SECURITY NOTICE:

Applicants are requested to bring as few personal items as possible with them to the interview, including large bags or backpacks. This ensures that the security screening process is an efficient one, and assists in preventing delays.

Certain items may not be brought into the Consulate, but may be left with security:

• Briefcases
• Small backpacks or large purses
• Electronic equipment, including mobile phones, ipods, smart phones, tablets or e-readers (please ensure these items are turned off before screening)
• Liquids, sprays, or powders
• Fire-lighting equipment (e.g. matches, lighters)

Once screened through security, the following items may be brought into the Consulate:

• Document pouch to carry necessary papers Passport and relevant documents
• Wallet/small purse (you may be required to pay an issuance fee to our cashier)
• Newspaper/books in printed form only (e.g. no electronic books)
• Writing materials
• Car, house keys

Please note: If you need to bring a baby or toddler with you we may not have sufficient space to store a pram/stroller at security. If at all possible, please bring a smaller carrier or capsule.

Once you pass through the security checks, you will be directed to the Consulate office.  

Consular Processes

When entering the Consular Section, you will be advised to take a ticket from a ticket machine if applying in Sydney or Perth. In Melbourne, a ticket will be provided to you. From here you will be directed to a window to have your application entered, and your fingerprints recorded. According to U.S. law, all visa applicants from ages 14 to 79 need to provide digital scans of 10 fingerprints. 

The Consulate staff will keep your documentation, and direct you to take a seat.

The Interview

The next stage of the process is the interview with an American consular officer.  The officer will call you by your number, and the interview typically lasts a few minutes.

The consular officer will ask you questions to determine your reasons for traveling to the United States.  You should answer these questions truthfully and thoroughly.  In most cases, the consular officer will tell you at this time if your visa application is approved.  If your visa application is approved, the consular officer will keep your application and passport so that we can issue the visa.

If there is an issuance fee associated with the visa, approved applicants will then be directed to the Consulate cashier to pay this fee. For more information regarding who is required to pay the issuance fee, please visit our non-immigrant fees page: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/niv_fees.html
 
The consular officer may request that you provide additional documentation in order to make a decision about your qualifications for a visa.  The officer will advise what documents you need to collect and how they should be sent to our office. In this case, the officer may return your passport to you until we are able to issue the visa.  Some applicants, including those with previous visa refusals or arrests may require additional administrative processing before an outcome can be reached.  The consular officer will inform you of the procedures in these cases.  

Processing Times

The processing times quoted below are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. 

If your visa application is approved, you will need to leave your passport at the Consulate in order to process your visa. Please plan your international travel accordingly. Passports with visas are normally returned to applicants via Australia Post within 3-5 business days after the interview appointment.  

Applicants whose visa applications require additional processing should allow up to 60 days for their visas to be processed.

Applicants who have previously been arrested or convicted in the past will likely require additional processing.  To facilitate this process, we recommend that you bring any documents related to the arrest or immigration violation with you to the interview.  We need as much information as possible in order to determine your eligibility for a visa and it is your responsibility to provide us with the relevant documents.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for visas well in advance of their proposed journey, and to always refrain from buying tickets until the visa has been issued and they have received the passport with the visa.  

Refusals  

In some cases your visa application may be refused.  Please see our ‘Refusals and Administrative Processing’ page for more information on the different types of refusals and when you may be able to reapply.  If your application is denied, the officer will return your passport to you, but will retain the application.  

If your application is refused, the MRV processing fee will not be refunded.