US Embassy in London

Both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are available to qualified applicants at the US Embassy in London. The Consulate General in Belfast, Northern Ireland issues nonimmigrant visas only. Neither the US Consulate General in Edinburgh, Scotland nor the Welsh Affairs Office in Cardiff, Wales processes any types of visas, immigrant or nonimmigrant.

Anyone physically present in the United Kingdom may apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the US Embassy, London. A person in the US may not apply for a nonimmigrant visa in London. A person residing in the UK may apply for an immigrant visa at the US Embassy, London, and as is set out in more detail below, in some cases persons who do not reside in the UK may also apply for an immigrant visa in London.

To go directly to the section on processing immigrant visa applications at the US Embassy in London, click here.

Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa

The following is a summary of the processing procedures and fees for a nonimmigrant visa application filed with the US Embassy in London. Anyone who is physically present in the UK may submit an application for a nonimmigrant visa.

Interviews and Waivers of Interviews

Most applicants must appear for an interview with a US consular officer in connection with their applications, due in part to the requirement, introduced in London on August 11, 2004, that most nonimmigrant visa applicants aged 14 to 79 must give fingerscans (inkless digital prints of all fingers).

Some applicants may be granted waivers of personal appearance in the national interest or because of unusual circumstances, including but not limited to emergency or unusual hardship, as determined by a consular officer.

Interviews are by appointment only and are scheduled by calling the Embassy's Operator Assisted Information Service on 09042 450 100. Calls cost £1.20 per minute. An individual appointment must be scheduled for each applicant, including the principal applicant, spouse, and any unmarried child under the age of 21 applying for a derivative family member visa to accompany or to follow to join the principal applicant. A child under the age of 14 is not required to attend an interview and the parent(s) of the child may submit the child's passport and completed visa application at their own interview.

Applications Without an Interview

The following persons may apply for visas without an interview:

Persons who need not appear for an interview, or who have been notified that they must submit additional documents in order for their applications to be processed, must use the services of the private courier agency under contract to the Embassy for both the delivery of their documents to the Embassy and the return of their documents and passports. The contractor, Secure Mail Services (SMS), may be contacted on 0870 389 1000 to arrange collection and delivery.

Forms and Fees

The passport of the applicant(s) together with a completed and signed visa application form DS-156 with all supporting documents must be submitted for each applicant regardless of age. Form DS-157 must also be completed by all male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45, and all male and female applicants aged 16 and over who were born in or hold a passport from North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Libya, China, Russia, Vietnam and Somalia. A recent full face color or black and white photo 2 inches by 2 inches square must be stapled to form DS-156. All applicants for J-1, J-2, F-1, F-2, and M-1, M-2 visas, regardless of age, must also complete form DS-158. Links to these forms and to the Department of State’s photograph specifications may be found on our Useful Links web page.

Every visa applicant must pay a Machine Readable Visa application fee of US$131.00 before submitting an application. Payment must be made by credit or debit card when the appointment is scheduled with the Embassy’s Operator Assisted Information Service. The MRV fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. The Embassy accepts Visa, MasterCard or American Express only. A receipt for the payment of the visa application fee and instruction for completing the online electronic visa application form will be provided by the Embassy’s Operator Assisted Information Service when a visa appointment is scheduled by calling 09042 450 100.

Nationals of certain countries are required to pay an issuance fee in order for an approved visa to be issued. Fees are based on reciprocity and reflect the charges levied by the applicant's government to a US citizen for a similar service. If an issuance fee is required, the applicant will be advised and payment must be made to the Embassy cashier in cash (sterling or dollar equivalent) or by credit card (VISA, MasterCard or American Express). The Embassy does not accept any other credit or debit cards, or personal cheques.

Applicants for J-1, F-1 and M-1 visas who apply based on I-20’s or DS-2019’s initially issued on or after September 1, 2004 must pay a $100.00 fee to the Department of Homeland Security in the United States before appearing at the Embassy for their visa interview. Instructions as to how to pay the fee can be found on our ‘Useful Links’ page.

Additional Forms and Processing for Nationals of Certain Countries

Chinese, Russian, Somali and Vietnamese nationals aged 16 and over are required to complete not only the DS-156 form but also the DS-157 supplemental nonimmigrant visa application form.

Visa applicants aged 16 or over who were born in, or hold a passport from any of the following six countries must complete not only the DS-156 form but also the DS-157 supplemental nonimmigrant visa application form: North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, Iran and Libya.

Nationals of Cuba, of any age, must complete two DS-156 visa application forms and furnish two color photographs; only one visa application fee per person is required.

Nationals of Northern Cyprus must complete one DS-156 nonimmigrant visa application form and supply four color photographs.

Some nonimmigrant visa applicants will be advised at the time of their interview or by letter shortly thereafter that additional administrative processing of their applications will be required. In some circumstances processing can take 12 weeks or longer and cannot be expedited.

Persons Ineligible for Nonimmigrant Visas; Waivers of Ineligibility

US immigration law renders persons, with some exceptions, ineligible for nonimmigrant visas under a variety of circumstances—for example, if they have been convicted of certain crimes such as serious offenses or offenses involving controlled substances, if they have intentionally misrepresented an important fact to procure or to attempt to procure a visa, entry to the United States, or any other immigration benefit, or have any one of a number of disqualifying medical conditions.

Waivers of ineligibility for visas and inadmissibility to the US may be requested in connection with almost all nonimmigrant visa applications. Waivers of ineligibility for nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applicants are determined exclusively by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and for nonimmigrant visa applications only if recommended by a consular officer (or the Secretary of State). The DHS is not bound to follow that recommendation. Visas will be issued only if the waiver is granted by the DHS. Processing of applications for waivers usually takes a minimum of 8 to 16 weeks. If a waiver is granted the visa may be limited to a maximum validity period of one year or less, although longer periods may be allowed in certain circumstances.  For additional information regarding ineligibility for visas, and waivers of those ineligibilities, click here.

Immigrant Visa Processing

Applying for an Immigrant Visa

Before a person may file an immigrant visa application at the US Embassy in London, a petition for immigrant visa classification on behalf of that person must have been filed by a close relative who is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, or by a sponsoring employer or, in certain circumstances, by the applicant. Once the Department of Homeland Security has approved the petition, and the US Embassy, London has received notice of the approval, an immigrant visa application may be processed. When the application is approved, the applicant is issued an immigrant visa, which is placed in the passport. After the applicant enters the US as an immigrant, a Permanent Resident Card (commonly referred to as a 'green card') will be mailed to the immigrant as evidence of lawful permanent resident status.

Who May Apply

Any person who is a resident of the UK, or who is in the US and whose last residence was in the UK immediately prior to entering the US, may apply for an immigrant visa at the US Embassy in London. In addition, any person physically present in the UK but having no residence in the UK, may apply for an immigrant visa in London if the person has permission to remain for the period required to process the application. Finally, immigrant visa applications may be accepted from persons neither residing in the UK nor physically present in the UK, at the discretion of a consular officer or at the direction of the Department of State.

Immigrant Visa Application Procedure

If the immigrant visa petition has been filed with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the US, the USCIS upon approval of the petition will forward it to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC then sends the applicant (or his or her designated representative) instructions as to how to pay the required fees. Once the fees have been paid the NVC will send the applicant or representative an ‘Instruction Package For Immigrant Visa Applicants’ with forms that must be completed and returned to the NVC, along with certain civil documents.  Upon receipt of the required forms, the NVC completes its processing and forwards the applicant’s file to the Immigrant Visa Branch at the US Embassy, London.

If a Petition for Alien Relative (form I-130 for immediate relative classification only) is filed with the USCIS Sub Office at the US Embassy, London, the approved petition is forwarded to the Immigrant Visa Branch at the Embassy without the need for involvement by either the USCIS or the NVC in the US. The Immigrant Visa Branch then sends the applicant forms to be completed and returned. In those forms applicants provide biographic information and indicate that they possess all documents that will be required at the time of the immigrant visa interview.

Regardless of whether the petition was originally filed in the US or in London, once the Immigrant Visa Branch completes its administrative processing, it will send an appointment package to the applicant or his or her representative. The package includes an appointment letter giving the date for the immigrant visa interview. It also contains forms for completion and instructions as to how to book the required medical examination. Applicants must ensure that the results of the required medical tests are available by the time of their immigrant visa interview. The Embassy’s appointed medical practitioner advises applicants to allow four working days for the test results to be sent to the Embassy.

On the day of the interview the applicant, and any family members applying together, submit the final part of the immigrant visa application with required documents and are interviewed by a US consular officer. If the applicant is determined to be eligible for an immigrant visa, the visa is typically issued within 48 hours and the applicant’s passport, with the immigrant visa, is returned to the applicant by the Embassy’s designated courier service, 'Secure Mail Services'.

Filing an Immigrant Visa Petition in London

Generally, a US citizen resident in the UK may file an immigrant visa petition with the USCIS Sub Office at the US Embassy on behalf of a spouse, parent or unmarried child under the age of 21. For additional information about how to file such a petition and supporting materials, click here. In exceptional circumstances, the DHS officer in London will accept an immigrant visa petition from a US citizen who is not resident in the UK as long as the sponsored spouse, parent or child is a UK resident. If the US citizen resides in the US, the citizen should file the petition in the United States with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. USCIS filing instructions may be found here.