Harry's Blog

Friday saw me walk on US territory for the first time in my life, though I hadn’t left the UK. I visited the US Embassy in London to arrange a visa for travel to the USA. I’m off to the E3 Expo next month with the Boomtown lads and because I’m a journalist I need an I-class visa.

I’m sure you can see the irony in that to enter the land of the free to go on vacation or business for that matter I don’t need a visa, but because my job involves the expression of free speech I had to get a visa.

The actual process of getting a visa was remarkably smooth. There had been worries initially. Phoning the very expensive information phone-line I had been told to email the embassy to find out what type of visa I would need. After several weeks I’d heard nothing and had to phone the advice line again, then send another email, then wait.

Finally I received a reply, yes as a journalist I would require an I-visa. This was rather fortunate as I discovered when I called once again (£1.20 a minute mark you) to arrange my visa interview. The next regular visa interview appointment would have been May 16th, after I was due to return from the USA. But I-visa applications are arranged more quickly and two days later I found myself outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square in London.

Not even the most charitable person could suggest the embassy is an attractive building. Completed in 1960 the embassy is typical of public buildings of the period. While the rest of the square displays the tasteful facades of Georgian stonework the US embassy looks like a concrete local council office, it’s a real eyesore. This is made worse by the layers of concrete blocks and fencing surrounding the building for perfectly understandable security reasons.

My appointment was at 8am and I’d spent a lot of time the day before filling in the various forms I needed. One form asked me if I was a terrorist, who on earth would answer yes to that? I bet even Gerry Adams would tick the “no” box, the lying git. Anyway I’m digressing.

After a short wait I was allowed into the security hut where I had to empty my pockets and walk through a metal detector. I was allowed on my way into the building only after giving up my keys as they’ve a small pocket knife attached.

The inside of the embassy, at least the section you’ll see if wanting a visa is like a large post office crossed with an airport departure lounge. There’s seating for several hundred and screens to show progress. You are given a number on arrival and will eventually be called to a window to hand over the forms, prove you’ve paid and have your index fingers scanned.

Before I could do this I had to pay. Having seen all the admin work going on there I was less bothered about having to cough up £65 for the privilege of getting a visa, especially when I only had to pay ten quid less. The actual admin fee is $100, so the dollar being what it is, a visa becomes a bargain.

So I paid then waited for my turn at one of the windows. I wasn’t waiting long. I spent a couple of minutes at the window then had to wait to be called again. This took about 20 minutes and then I was called into another area of the embassy. This is the process that takes longer and the point where I imagine some people are interviewed for quite some time.

Not me though, the embassy officer behind this window, the first American I’d spoken to so far that day, informed me my Visa application had been accepted. I thanked him, paid the courier charge and was on my way home. The actual process went pretty well in the end and I was pleasantly surprised to receive my passport back the next day including my new US visa.