I am from the UK and need a visa for my longer visit to USA
Does anyone know how long the lines are outside the Embassy, we are seniors and some one told me that the lines are very very long before you even get in for the interview
We are thinking Belfast American Embassy may be a shorter wait
Thanks for your help

Belfast? There is a consulate there, I'm sure. But since it is part of the UK, there would not be another embassy other than the one in London. . . .

Just googled - yes, there is a consulate -- and the website states that interviews are by appointment only - no walk-in's.

Didn't you post somewhere that you live in the north? There is also a consulate in Edinburgh.

Why not call the place closest to you and ask how long the lines generally are and if you can make an appointment?

<<< Why not call the place closest to you and ask how long the lines generally are and if you can make an appointment? >>>

It's £1.20 per minute, that's why.

Someone can afford a lengthy trip to the US but can;t afford a phone call? Madness!

Use skype or Google voice. Spend the $10 to call quickly and not wait in line. Email to ask the question.

Anyway, why would it be £1.20 per minute to call somewhere in the same country?? They're in the UK, call the embassy in the UK. Yeah it's technically US property but I doubt they charge international calling rates.

Maybe try the Edinburgh Embassy?

Iowa_Redhead, there are indeed charges per minute to make enquiries regarding visas (and other) questions in the UK. It's not a long distance charge - it's a fee charged to make enquiries. And in my experience there was no way to make the enquiries by email. Not sure if that has changed.

But you're right, there are other ways to call. In this case, if it involved travelling to another city to go to an embassy, I would bite the bullet and make the call.

Iowaredhead: "<i>Use skype or Google voice. Spend the $10 to call quickly and not wait in line. Email to ask the question.

Anyway, why would it be £1.20 per minute to call somewhere in the same country?? They're in the UK, call the embassy in the UK. Yeah it's technically US property but I doubt they charge international calling rates.</i>"

It has nothing at all to do w/ long distance charges - or telephone rates for that matter. Like for example when you phone some computer company for tech support -- even if the call center is in your same town - you have to pay for them to answer your questions.

Skype won't help . . . .

There's no embassy of any country in Edinburgh.
The US consulate in Edinburgh doesn't do visa interviews: it requires people in Scotland to go to their national capital (which is London) if they need an interview.

You don't say how senior you are. The US embassy exempts most British over-80s from attending for interview and has a mail/courier system for giving them visas

<<< Anyway, why would it be £1.20 per minute to call somewhere in the same country?? They're in the UK, call the embassy in the UK. Yeah it's technically US property but I doubt they charge international calling rates. >>>

That is the UK phone for the US embassy - the theory is that people wanting embassy services should pay through the nose for it. And it's unlikely to be a 5 minute call - based on experience of similar lines it can be 30 minutes or more before you get through to speak to a real person.

For people needing a visa for the US there's no option but to attend for a personal interview at the London embassy - which means standing in a queue to prove you aren't an Evul Turrist before getting into the building. You aren't allowed to take electronics into the embassy either so your mobile, MP3 player and laptop have to be left at home or in a hotel

Thank you for all your help
It seems like a long queue and a lot of waiting around.
As we are 75 and 65 we do not come into the 80 year old, no waiting around outside.
I did look on there website and it seems it is one pound 20 per minute. We do not mind that so much as a wait outside in the weather.
Afer looking at the website we can go to Belfast, maybe that would be better.
If there is anyone out there who has been to Belfast American Embassy let me know
Thank you all for your kind help

They make you pay 1.20 /minute to ask any question? I guess I can understand that otherwise they'd be swamped in questions but it still seems ridiculously high.

I've simply never run into it before where you have to pay to ask a question. Ya learn something new every day!

I assumed the rate was from the phone company. Have never heard of anyone with whom you're doing business charging you to call them - usually they have a toll-free number (although understand why an embassy wouldn;t do that).

Strange as it may seem to some of the US posters here, your government is not in the business of making it easy to visit the US. On a recent visit to NYC, we had to submit our personal details THREE times: once to the airline, once to the ESTA people and a third time on the plane. But we were at least fortunate we didn't have to incur the cost and inconvenience of going to London for a face-to-face visa interview. Charging for information over the phone (and yes it is the embassy that levies these charges, NOT the phone company) is all part and parcel of the same "jumping through hoops" policy.

"Charging for information over the phone (and yes it is the embassy that levies these charges, NOT the phone company) is all part and parcel of the same "jumping through hoops" policy."

The procedure - and premium rate phone tariff - for obtaining visa information by phone from the US embassy in London is virtually identical to that adopted by the UK embassy in Washington.

It's also identical to that adopted by almost all embassies in London, and by almost all UK embassies around the world.

<<< I assumed the rate was from the phone company. Have never heard of anyone with whom you're doing business charging you to call them - usually they have a toll-free number (although understand why an embassy wouldn;t do that). >>>

You better not book Ryanair and then have to phone them. Charges for contacting customer "services" are the norm in the UK and are normally associated with a phrase like "we are sorry but all our agents are busy" and some really dire muzak for the next 45 minutes