Visa USA

[abyss43]

My passport has not got a digital photo and I am flying to the USA from the UK next wednesday morning. It has been confirmed that I require a Visa. Is there anyway I can get a rush visa ?

[R1Geezer]

yes, go to the embassy.

[bednobs]

can i just ask you for what purposes you require a visa for?

[spudqueen]

I presume that you've applied for an ESTA over the internet https://esta.cbp.dhs....3F9-1F17-1570B89C77AD and been unsuccessful. If so then you need to make an appointment at the US Embassy in London, and I think there's something like a three month waiting list. I doubt very much you can get a 'rush' visa, and they certainly do not allow you just to walk into the Embassy for a visa without having an appointment.

[Buenchico]

(2 part post):

I'm confused. An adult British passport normally remains valid for 10 years. Since British passports have had digital photographs since 1998, all valid UK passports should now have a digital photograph.

Further, if your passport was issued prior to 26th October 2005 you're not required to have a digital photograph for travel under the Visa Waiver Program anyway:
http://london.usembas...visa/niv/mrp_bio.html

If you've now decided that you're eligible for visa-free travel, apply online for your ESTA immediately:
https://esta.cbp.dhs....B25-6FDC-C783CAEDE847

[Buenchico]

If you still require a visa, you'll have to see if you can get an urgent appointment at the US embassy. You should note the following two quotes from the embassy website:
1. "The Embassy does not accept walk-in applications".
Source: http://london.usembas...w/visa/niv/apply.html
2. "Appointments are allocated on a first-call, first-serve basis. The Visa Unit receives many hundreds of requests for emergency appointments, as well as requests to expedite visa applications for business and personal reasons. Therefore we have set up and enforce criteria for what constitutes a genuine emergency or legitimate reason to expedite an application. We accommodate a large number of them. However, we can't accommodate all of them"
Source: http://london.usembas..._visa_niv.html#niv200

You'll need to complete the visa application form:
https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/
and take a photograph meeting the relevant requirements:
http://travel.state.g...guide/guide_3888.html

See here for the phone number, etc:
http://london.usembas...sa/niv/interview.html

Chris

[ganesh]

Bednobs-you need a visa now to go to US,you even need one if you're stopping on US soil en route to new Zealand for instance. An Esta is a kind of visa ? that you can get over the internet quickly,I think.

[jno]

ganesh, the Esta is an online version of the visa waiver scheme - that is, it will let you in without a visa (but in return you give up some rights - for instance, I think you can be turned back at the border, which you can't if you have a visa - but I'm not certain about that). You're right, you even need one if just in transit.

abyss, are you in the UK? And have you got a UK passport?

[munchie63]

jno - even with a visa you can be refused entry by border control / homeland security.
I've a 10 year visa, but if they decide for whatever reason they don't want to let me in, they can refuse me. the visa just means I've applied for entry, same as the esta.