Right. Let’s sort something out once and for all! The visa application process does not bite!! There’s no need to stress about it and it’s quite straight forward if you just sit down and take the time to read through what help has already been given to us.
There are lots of questions being asked on the Facebook groups about the visa process; some obvious questions and some not so. I completely understand this; applying for the visa is serious business and we all want to get it right to ensure that we can get on our way to Walt Disney World. But with this post, in conjunction with Suzie’s FAQ post and video, I just want to assure you that it can be done!
Suzie’s Goofy’s Guide and vlog #21 are BRILLIANT. Check them out!! She’s covered all the important stuff and has answered the questions that are being asked most often. So I reckon it would be your best bet if you started off with those first.
My post is just simply serving alongside Suzie’s guide and as she puts it, will answer some of the more “complicated” questions. So, I’ve just trawled through the two facebook groups, to find any additional questions and queries. Without further ado...
What do I print out?
There are a number of things that you’ll need to print out, and I think Suzie has already mentioned them, but I’ll make no apologies for mentioning it again.
SEVIS – print out your SEVIS receipt/confirmation IMMEDIATELY! It will NOT get emailed to you. You will receive a paper copy of the receipt, but this will take a couple of weeks to arrive and more than likely will not arrive in time for your embassy appointment. So the moral of this story? PRINT!
DS-160 – after completing and submitting the ds-160 form, you will arrive at a page informing you that you will need to print your ds-160 confirmation. On this page, you are given three options: “print confirmation”, “print application” and “email confirmation”. If you can, just click “print confirmation” to print out the confirmation required for the embassy appointment there and then. I personally printed out 3 copies. “Print application” isn’t compulsory – it’s not required for the visa interview. If you click this, you will be taken to a page containing all your replies and details of the ds-160. If you want to print this, you just press “print application” again. I chose to print this purely for the fun of it. Oh and for my records too. But like I said, this is NOT compulsory. Your final option is to “email the confirmation” and is for those who don’t have a printer and want to print at a later date. It will be sent to you in a PDF. After printing/emailing each time, you get taken through to a Thank You page – but it doesn’t have to end here. You can “do” all three options if you wish, by clicking “return to confirmation” and then selecting the next option. That’s for those of you as paranoid as me and who like to prepare for all eventualities...
Appointment letter – you will get sent this via email, as a PDF, after phoning the embassy to make your appointment and paying the MRV appointment fee ($140). Somebody on the facebook group quoted this: "EVERY INDIVIDUAL PERSON - INCLUDING CHILDREN - APPLYING FOR A VISAMUST PRESENT BOTH (1) AN APPOINTMENT LETTER AND (2) A MACHINE READABLE VISA RECEIPT IN ORDER TO BE ADMITTED TO THE U.S. EMBASSY". These 2 documents arrive at the same time and are in the same PDF that I just mentioned. The first page of the PDF is your appointment letter, while the second page is the machine readable receipt. Print this out and take it with you as with everything else!
If I think of anything else to print out, then I’ll be sure to let you know!
One of the questions on the ds-160 asks “have you had a visa before?” What do I put for this?
The chances are that if you’ve only visited the US for holidays then you won’t have had a US visa. When you enter the US as a tourist, you do so, on the “visa waiver program” which is in place to let us off applying for a visa just for a holiday. So if this is you, select NO. If however, you have done the program before (Disney or Universal), or have worked or studied in some other capacity in the USA, or have visited the embassy to get another type of visa, then it is more than likely that you have already applied for a visa....
The ds-160 is asking for my address while in the US...what do I put?
This is stated on the UK visa step by step Yummy Jobs document, AND on your I-94 card that you’ll find in your Disney pack. And if you can’t be bothered to find it, the address is: 8050 Gables Commons Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821, USA
The ds-160 is asking in what city my passport was issued in/city of issuance – help?!
The ds-160 FAQs on the embassy website and the YJ document also answer this one. Newer passports are not really issued from a specific city, so for this, you enter “UK Passport Agency”. It is not your city of birth!! Similar thing with the “Book number”. Owning a newer passport means you probably don’t have one, so please select “does not apply”.
What on earth is my SEVIS ID?
Again stated in the YJ document and also on the cover sheet of the ds-2019, your SEVIS ID is a number in the top right corner of the ds-2019 (that comes in the Disney pack) and starts N000... you’ll find it directly above the weird barcode thingy.
You’re all talking about uploading a photo for your visa form, but it hasn’t asked me to upload one. Why?
This means that you haven’t filled in the ds-160. FAIL! The form that you fill in to pay the SEVIS is just one of the two forms that you fill in. The photo specifications are listed on the embassy website: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/visaphotoreq/visaphotoreq_5334.html AND http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/visaphotoreq/digitalimagereq/digitalimagereq_5327.html
The embassy website also has a great “photo tool” that allows you to upload your photo, position it and then crop it to the exact requirements. You can find it at the bottom of this page: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/visaphotoreq/digitalimagereq/digitalimagereq_5327.html
Even though the ds-160 might have accepted your uploaded photo, you may still be told at your appointment that it is not suitable. But don’t panic! There are facilities there to allow you to get new photos taken. Just remember to take some dosh...
I’m struggling uploading a picture to the ds-160. It’s too big.
Use the photo tool!
I don’t have a printer. What shall I do?
Tough. Find a printer! If you don’t have a printer at that exact time though Jenny has pointed out on the facebook group that you can actually “print to document” and then save it to print at a later date. I have NOT tried this myself, and am simply just relaying what has been said on the group.
When I rang the embassy, they said i’d need to give all of the educational establishments I have studied at since the age of 11. But during my ds-160 I wasn’t asked it. Have I done it wrong?
NOT everyone will be asked this question. I don’t know who does and who doesn’t. I wasn’t asked it. But what they say on the phone is that IF you are asked it then you MUST answer it. Don’t sweat it if you weren’t asked it
Do I make an appointment first and then do ds-160 and pay the SEVIS? Or the other way around?
The order that YJ have suggested is 1) book appointment, 2) pay SEVIS, and 3) fill in ds-160. And that’s what I did. But I suppose it doesn’t matter what way round you do things though. As long as it’s all done before your appointment you have nothing to worry about.
I’ve paid the SEVIS and booked the appointment, but where do I find the actual visa form?
The “actual visa form” that you are referring to is the DS-160, and is answered online. This is the one where you upload your photo etc. It took me just over an hour to fill in. You can find it at: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/
I don’t want to ring the embassy from my mobile, but I won’t be at home to use a landline for a couple of weeks. What shall I do?
Somebody can make the appointment on your behalf. Just make sure that they have all your details such as passport number etc...
Aaaaaaand...FIN!
Wow!! That was mammoth!! Sorry if I bored you all to tears there, but i felt that this was something that had to be done. Please, if you’re stuck with the visa application check out the YJ documents, Suzie’s Goofy’s Guide to visa applications, Suzie’s video and this post. I’m sure you’ll be able to find the answer. Oh, and keep asking away on the groups too if you are unsure!
Hope this helps!
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