Visiting U.S. Consulates: Practical and Safety Concerns

If you are planning to apply for a visa or a green card at a U.S. consulate, realize that you are probably one of many people with the same goal. The sheer numbers of applicants who will be lined up and seen at your local consulate on any given day can be in the thousands, meaning you should plan ahead. Although the interview itself will probably not last more than a few minutes, the whole process of waiting in line, getting through security, and so on, can be an all-day process.

Arrive early, even if you already have an appointment, in case there’s a line. There have even been reports of shoving matches between frustrated people trying to improve their place in line. Before taking a position at the end of the line, check in with the guard at the door, who should be able to tell you whether you need to wait and if so, whether there is more than one line, or where to begin.

If you don’t have an appointment, look into whether you can obtain one or can submit some of your documents in advance, in order to reduce your wait. Information on your local consulate’s application procedures can be found on the “Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions” page of the U.S. State Department’s website.

Also check the consulate’s rules for what you can bring into the building. You will be asked to undergo a security check once you’re inside, and you don’t want to lose your cell phone, cigarette lighter, food, or other items simply because you didn’t read the directions forbidding you from bringing those items inside. Some consulates are especially strict (in order to reduce wait times at the security checkpoint), forbidding virtually everything except your paperwork and cash or credit card. You may not even be allowed to bring in a wallet or other container for these things.

If you do have an appointment, don’t be surprised if you have to wait beyond your scheduled time. The consulates often schedule applicants in large groups, telling all the members of each group to show up at the same time.

If you find yourself waiting in line outside the consulate, watch out for con artists who hang around trying to convince people that they won’t get through the front door unless they hand over some money first.

Also beware of petty crime around U.S. consulates. Thieves and pickpockets know where the U.S. consulates are and they know that many people going for interviews are carrying large sums of money for visa fees. Take whatever precautions are appropriate in your country, such as withdrawing your money from the nearest bank, concealing your money in an internal pocket or in a hidden purse, and , having a friend walk you via the most direct, well-traveled route to the consulate. Also keep your visa application documents close to you, so that someone doesn’t have a chance to grab them in order to distract you.

Not all visa decisions are made on the same day, so you may want to make a hotel reservation ahead of time for that night, in case you need to stay over.