Applying for a US Visa...?

billy few mates

I travel to the US quite a bit for business and pleasure and always on an ESTA, I've just discovered that I can no longer travel on an ESTA because I've been in Libya since 2011 and they've now imposed a restriction on that...
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/02/18/dhs-announces-further-travel-restrictions-visa-waiver-program

I don't have any concrete plans to travel there anytime soon but that could change and I could have to go at short notice.
Can I apply for a visa without having a firm travel plan just to have one in place in case I need to go there at short notice.....?

Has anyone done this and if so is there much involved in getting a visa...?

BuffyBot

billy few mates wrote: »

I travel to the US quite a bit for business and pleasure and always on an ESTA, I've just discovered that I can no longer travel on an ESTA because I've been in Libya since 2011 and they've now imposed a restriction on that...
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/02/18/dhs-announces-further-travel-restrictions-visa-waiver-program

I don't have any concrete plans to travel there anytime soon but that could change and I could have to go at short notice.
Can I apply for a visa without having a firm travel plan just to have one in place in case I need to go there at short notice.....?

Has anyone done this and if so is there much involved in getting a visa...?

You can apply without firm plans.

There is a bit of a kerfuffle involved, but of you're organised it's generally not too complex (certainly compared to immigrant visas )


https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/visit/visitor.html gives a lot of info.

billy few mates

Thanks for that, I can't see it on there but how long does a visa remain valid for...?
Did I see that right that they cost $160 to apply for...?

BuffyBot

billy few mates wrote: »

Thanks for that, I can't see it on there but how long does a visa remain valid for...?
Did I see that right that they cost $160 to apply for...?

Generally they are issued for 10 years. And yes, they cost that much.

billy few mates

Thanks Buffybot, that only works out at $16 a year then so no biggie, just a pain in the arse having to apply for it and trying to schedule an interview.
Anyone know what the interview involves...? Presumably they'll want to know what I was doing in that part of the world...?

BuffyBot

billy few mates wrote: »

Thanks Buffybot, that only works out at $16 a year then so no biggie, just a pain in the arse having to apply for it and trying to schedule an interview.
Anyone know what the interview involves...? Presumably they'll want to know what I was doing in that part of the world...?

Count on it Though it does at least give you a ready made answer to the "why are you applying for this visa" question

From what I recall the questions were pretty perfunctory (what do you do, travel plans etc) but I'd also expect a little grilling about Libya in your case.

billy few mates

BuffyBot wrote: »

Count on it Though it does at least give you a ready made answer to the "why are you applying for this visa" question

From what I recall the questions were pretty perfunctory (what do you do, travel plans etc) but I'd also expect a little grilling about Libya in your case.

Fair enough, I've been to the US several times since I've been to Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and a number of other hotbed countries in the ME, I spent almost six months there at one point and no one ever queried it despite the fact that my passport looks like a first edition of the Koran with the amount of stamps and visas on it....

BuffyBot

billy few mates wrote: »

Fair enough, I've been to the US several times since I've been to Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and a number of other hotbed countries in the ME, I spent almost six months there at one point and no one ever queried it despite the fact that my passport looks like a first edition of the Koran with the amount of stamps and visas on it....

Those were the old rules, now they have new ones. C'est la vie..

billy few mates

Just going through the application process now, it's really long winded.
I don't have firm travel plans but it's asking me for contact details and addresses of the place I'm visiting....

Berserker

On the topic of visas, can someone confirm that the correct site for green card applications is https://www.usgreencardoffice.com. Submitted a query regarding the application process and got a very sales pitch style response to my query. It seemed quite odd.

BuffyBot

Berserker wrote: »

On the topic of visas, can someone confirm that the correct site for green card applications is https://www.usgreencardoffice.com. Submitted a query regarding the application process and got a very sales pitch style response to my query. It seemed quite odd.

No, the only official site is dvlottery.state.gov

BuffyBot

billy few mates wrote: »

Just going through the application process now, it's really long winded.
I don't have firm travel plans but it's asking me for contact details and addresses of the place I'm visiting....

You could just put "None at this time" or "Does not apply" etc. Might as well be upfront with it.

Berserker

BuffyBot wrote: »

No, the only official site is dvlottery.state.gov

Thanks. Didn't part with any money, luckily. Will wait for the official lottery to opens up again.

InTheTrees

Berserker wrote: »

On the topic of visas, can someone confirm that the correct site for green card applications is https://www.usgreencardoffice.com. Submitted a query regarding the application process and got a very sales pitch style response to my query. It seemed quite odd.

Good job asking whether its legit before you parted with any money.

Any official US Government site is going to be .gov

(As far as I know the "com" in .com is short for "Commercial".)

billy few mates

What's parking like near the embassy at 08:00 in the mornings if I schedule my interview for then...?

Berserker

billy few mates wrote: »

What's parking like near the embassy at 08:00 in the mornings if I schedule my interview for then...?

You should be able to get a space on Clyde road or one of the streets off Baggot Street. Ballsbridge direction will be busy.