美国签证¶
How to apply for a U.S. visa and EVUS in the UK?
Flying from London to New York takes approximately 8 hours. The requirements for the U.S. tourist visa do change frequently.
Reminder: Since the 2014 APEC Summit, the U.S. tourist visa is typically issued for a duration of 10 years.
Starting from November 29, 2016, individuals holding a passport from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and also holding a 10-year B1/B2, B1, or B2 visa must have a valid EVUS registration to travel to the United States. This means that if you want to visit the U.S. for tourism or business purposes, and you obtained a 10-year U.S. visa before November 29, 2016, you can enter the U.S. at any time without restrictions. However, if you hold a PRC passport and obtained a U.S. visa after November 29, 2016, you must register with EVUS before your first trip to the U.S. Each EVUS registration is valid for 2 years, meaning that within a 2-year period, you do not need to register again and can enter the U.S. directly. After 2 years, if you wish to enter the U.S. again, you will need to register with EVUS once more by visiting the official EVUS website.
Now, you must be wondering, what exactly is EVUS? Why do individuals with a PRC passport need to register, and does it apply to holders of other passports?
Well, you're right. Currently, only individuals holding a passport from the People's Republic of China need to adhere to EVUS. Holders of other passports, including those from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan, are not subject to these restrictions and do not need to comply with EVUS.
What exactly is EVUS?
What is the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS)?
Answer: EVUS is an online system for regularly updating personal information. It stands for Electronic Visa Update System. Starting from November 29, 2016, individuals are required to fill out their information in EVUS in order to travel to the United States. The process is simple and involves providing basic details such as name, date of birth, passport information, personal information, and employment details. Each registration is valid for two years, and after the expiration of the two-year period, you need to register again if you plan to reenter the United States. Registering with EVUS is mandatory in order to enter the United States.
The EVUS registration system is available in both Chinese and English. However, holders of B1/B2, B1, or B2 visas with a validity period of ten years must fill out the EVUS questions in English.
Who needs to register with EVUS?
Answer: All individuals holding a passport from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and simultaneously holding a B1/B2, B1, or B2 visa with the longest validity period (10 years) are required to register. However, travelers with passports from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region, and Taiwan are not subject to this requirement and do not need to comply with EVUS.
Is there a fee for EVUS registration?
Answer: Whether there is a fee and how much it is will depend on the specific circumstances.
Starting from November 29th, all Chinese passport holders with B1/B2, B1, or B2 visas valid for up to 10 years must complete the EVUS registration before traveling to the United States. Generally, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not charge a fee for EVUS registration. CBP expects to implement EVUS enrollment fees in the future, but there is currently no specific timeline for when the fees will be charged.
Travelers can submit their EVUS registration at any time, and typically receive a response from the system within a few minutes after submitting their information. However, some responses may take up to 72 hours. CBP encourages travelers to apply for EVUS registration when they start planning their trip to the United States to avoid delays.
Where to register for EVUS?
Answer: https://www.evus.gov/
Reminder: Even if you choose the Chinese language, all information must be filled in using English, except when specifically prompted to write in Chinese.
Note from Ten Sheng Miao: Remember to use English letters for filling out the form. If there are sections that require Chinese, such as filling out the home address, the official website will notify you that Chinese can be used. If there is no such notification, all entries must be in English letters.
After completing the registration, you will typically receive a response within 72 hours informing you whether the registration was successful or unsuccessful. However, it is recommended to check the status yourself after one hour and continue to check periodically, as most "pending" responses will change to "enrolled" or "not enrolled" within an hour. If the registration is unsuccessful, the reasons will be listed.
A successful EVUS registration does not guarantee entry into the United States. It only confirms your eligibility to use your 10-year B1, B2, or B1/B2 U.S. visitor visa to travel to the United States. However, upon arrival in the United States, you will undergo inspection by Customs and Border Protection officials who may, for any reason under U.S. law, determine that you are not allowed to enter the country.
Precautions before registration:
Before clicking on the personal registration, first make sure of your identity and whether registration is required. All international travelers holding a 10-year visitor visa and wishing to travel to the United States must register.
To register for EVUS, your identity must meet the following criteria:
You are a Chinese citizen.
You hold a valid Chinese passport.
Your purpose of travel to the United States is for short-term business or tourism.
Okay, you must register for EVUS.
Precautions before registration:
Before registering, you need to prepare the following documents. If you have a good memory, you can fill in the information directly (using English letters):
Valid Chinese passport.
U.S. visa with a 10-year validity period.
Visa category falls under one of the following: B1, B2, or B1/B2.
Your contact information, including the address of your destination in the United States.
Does this affect current visa holders, new applicants, or both?
Answer: Both current visa holders and new applicants are affected by this new requirement. Applicants holding B1/B2, B1, or B2 visas issued before November 2016 must enroll in EVUS after the rule takes effect in order to use their visas. Applicants who obtained B1/B2, B1, or B2 visas with a 10-year validity period after November 2016 must register before their first trip to the United States. The registration is valid for two years for all applicants, and if either the visa or passport expires within that period, the EVUS registration becomes invalid. Visa holders must log in to EVUS again to update their personal information before traveling to the United States.
What are B1, B2, or B1/B2 visas? How can I confirm the type of visa I hold?
Answer: B visas are ordinary business and travel visas for visiting the United States. The visa category is indicated in the upper right corner of the visa."
Okay, let's proceed with the U.S. visa application.
Following the steps below, it only takes a week to successfully obtain the visa.
Ten Sheng Miao's reminder: For a tourist visa, select the B2 option. The visa interviewers are very approachable and won't ask any major questions. Later, we will discuss the process of the visa interview and the questions the interviewer may ask.
Once you have completed and submitted the forms, you cannot make any changes! If you make a mistake, it means the form is invalid, and you will have to fill out a new one. So be careful and take your time, don't rush to submit.
Ten Sheng Miao has another reminder: The official instructions say that no matter where you apply for a U.S. visa, the process is similar. When filling out the DS-160 form, please upload unedited photos. Do not change your skin color, slim your face, enlarge your eyes, or wear contact lenses, to prevent immigration officials from determining that you are prohibited from entering the United States due to being unrecognizable.
Phase One:
Open the website and enter the URL link
：https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/
The following page will appear
2. Click on the DS-160 Form, as shown in the image.
3. You will be directed to a page as shown in the image.
If you don't understand the meaning in English, don't worry. In the upper right corner of the image, there is a Chinese translation, which is very convenient. Just hover your mouse over the English sentence you don't understand, and the corresponding Chinese translation will appear. See the image below:
4.
Select the visa center, choose London
: England London
The address of the U.S. Embassy in London is:：
33 Nie Elms LANE, LONDON
SW11 7US
Ten Sheng Miao's reminder:
For the regions of England and Scotland, you need to choose London for applying for a U.S. visa. However, for Northern Ireland, choose Belfast for applying at the U.S. Visa Office.
After making the selection, double-click：START AN APPLICATION，such as：
6.
After double-clicking, the following image will appear. Your application account (Application ID) will be displayed on it. This is extremely important, so be sure to take a photo or write it down with a pen. Otherwise, you may forget this account. This account is used to resume filling out the application halfway through, or for making modifications if you made mistakes. It is also used for payment and application purposes.
7.Fill in your security question. You can choose one that you can easily remember and then take a picture of it for future password recovery, as shown in the image below.：
8.If you accidentally clicked the back button, closed the window, or lost the information on the visa application webpage, you can log in again following step 4 above, and then double-click on 'RETRIEVE AN APPLICATION,' as shown in the image：
9.If you filled out a handwritten application form, you can double-click on the fourth step page.
：UPLOAD AN APPLICATION
10. Go back to step 8 and continue filling out the numerous pages of required information after agreeing (AGREE) and make sure to provide truthful information for each item. Do not falsify any information.
Ten Sheng Miao's reminder:
If you have lost your passport before or have had it replaced, be sure to select the appropriate option regarding lost or replaced passports in the subsequent passport-related form. It is essential to provide accurate information because the authorities maintain records, and providing incorrect information may lead to rejection.
After completing all the forms and double-checking the information, click on 'Submit.' A completion page will appear, and you will be prompted to print a confirmation page. It is crucial to print only the DS-160 form confirmation page. Then, send a copy of this confirmation page to your email or save it in a cloud storage service as a backup.
Once you have printed the form, it is considered completed, and you can proceed to the next phase, which is scheduling an appointment.
Second Appointment Phase
Open the webpage and enter：ais.usvisa-info.com
First, select the country. Choose the United Kingdom within Europe as shown in the image：
1.
After clicking, you will be redirected to the following interface：
2.
Please click Continue, and the following will appear：
3. Click on 'Create New Account' on the right side and proceed with the appointment.
During the appointment, you will need to enter your previous DS-160 application number, which was obtained in the first phase, specifically in step 7. Enter your visa type.
Input whether you prefer to have your passport delivered by mail or choose to pick it up. It is recommended to select mail delivery, even though there may be a postage fee. Make sure to provide the necessary details such as postal code, address, phone number, and name for the mailing address.
Next, select online payment for the visa fee, which is around £100.
Choose an appointment time. Regarding the time selection, there will be multiple time slots available. However, it doesn't matter which time slot you choose. You just need to arrive early on the specified day at the U.S. Embassy in London. It is crucial to arrive early as you will witness a large number of people waiting in line for visa processing, and you will soon join them.
However, there is no need to worry about being late because the author has discovered a secret: whether you arrive early or late, as long as it is within working hours, you can join the queue upon arrival. For example, if you have an appointment at 11 a.m. and you arrive at 10 a.m., it's okay, just join the queue. Punctuality is still important since there are many people. If you are late, it may cause inconveniences such as not being accepted.
After completing the appointment, print the Visa Application Instruction page that appears and also send a copy to your email for safekeeping.
Reminder: If you have made the payment, remember to print the payment receipt.
Ten Sheng Miao's reminder: In this appointment process, one account can be used to help multiple people make appointments and payments. If several people are traveling together for tourism purposes, binding the appointments for face-to-face interviews together will have a 100% success rate. If you accidentally make the payment but then realize there was an issue with the application form you filled out earlier, and you need to submit a new application form, the previously paid visa fee will not be refunded. In this case, after successfully filling out the second application form, when making the payment again, click on 'Use Previously Paid Fee,' and there is no need to pay again.
Final Stage
On the day of the appointment, you need to bring the following documents to present to the visa officer:
Passport (including any previous passports, if applicable).
U.S. standard-sized, square-shaped passport photos with a white background. You can take these photos at supermarkets or self-service photo booths commonly found throughout the UK. Alternatively, there are also self-service photo booths available within the embassy premises, with the same pricing. Take around four photos, as you will submit one photo during the appointment. It is recommended to bring two extra photos as a backup. Prepare enough cash in advance. It is advisable not to wear earrings that are difficult to remove, avoid wearing pure white clothing, and avoid wearing heavy makeup.
Printed confirmation page of the DS-160 application form from the first phase.
Printed Visa Application Instruction page from the second appointment phase.
Valid UK visa and BRP (Biometric Residence Permit).
Student certification letter obtained from your university's student center within the past month. Many universities allow students to download and print their certification letters online, which is convenient.
Optionally, bring bank statements for the past month as proof of financial stability. (Although I wasn't asked to submit them, others have been asked, so I brought my bank statements just in case.)
For non-students holding other visas in the UK, bring employment certification within the past month and bank statements for the past three months.
If you have any scientific or technical research background, prepare a copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) and a detailed publication list.
If you are attending an academic conference, bring an invitation letter."
Please note that the translation provided is as accurate as possible, but it's always recommended to refer to official sources or consult with relevant authorities for specific visa application requirements and processes.
For the specific materials required, referring to the official documents usually is accurate. You can find the link below：
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html#documentation
After you have prepared everything, it is advisable to depart early and not be late.
Ten Sheng Miao's reminder: Embassy security checks are very strict. They will ask you to unlock your phone and inspect some social media apps, comparing them with your name. Additionally, large travel bags or similar items are not allowed, including liquids. During the security check, a staff member will provide you with a transparent plastic bag and ask you to place all metals (including watches, necklaces, earrings, belts with metal buckles, keys, etc.), phones, cameras, and other electronic devices into it. If you have a coat, you need to take it off for the security check. Once the security check is completed, they will immediately return the items to you. Photography is not allowed inside, and remember to put your phone on silent mode.
After the security check, queue up and present your passport to the reception. They will give you a printed queue number, and then you can go and sit down to wait. The entire process is very fast, usually around 30 minutes, and it should not exceed one hour. If there are many people, it may take a few hours.
Regarding the interview:
First, go to the window where your queue number is called. The officer will ask you to provide all the documents mentioned on the number card. Then, they will confirm basic information such as your name. After that, they will return your passport, but they will keep the confirmation form and the photos. They will give you another queue number and ask you to wait for the visa officer.
When you receive the second queue number and are called, go to the designated window and hand over the remaining documents, including your passport, to the visa officer. The officer will confirm your information again and ask a few questions:
For students, they may ask which school you attend, your major, and which province you come from. If you have a long remaining duration on your UK visa, these three questions are usually sufficient. Or if you are applying with a group of people.
If you are the only applicant, they may ask additional questions about your school, major, province, and other details. For example, they may inquire about your destination in the US, the purpose of your visit, whether you have friends there, and how long you plan to stay.
For non-students, they may ask about your job, where you work, how long you have been working there, how long you plan to stay in the US, the purpose of your visit, your destination, and your occupation in the UK, among other similar simple and normal questions. There's no need to be nervous.
After the interview:
The visa officer will inform you of the result on the spot. If your interview is successful, they will keep your passport. Once the visa officer takes your passport, you can go home, and in about seven working days, your passport with the 10-year tourist visa will be delivered to your home.
If your application is denied, the visa officer will inform you immediately, return your passport, and inform you of the rejection.