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Clarity from the Consul
While none of these tips will ensure you get a visa, they do go a long way to helping your case.
Documents, Less is More
Only bring absolutely essential documentation with you to your interview. Prior to your interview you have already provided a mountain of information to the Consular officer via your online application. For most visa categories, that information, coupled with a few verification questions asked in person, is enough for the officer to make a decision. If they require further proof, they will ask for it. Resist the urge to bring bank statements, travel arrangements, business plans etc. Check the requirements for your visa category on www.travel.state.gov and bring only absolutely necessary documents: a copy of your appointment confirmation and the essential support documents such as I-20 for student visas or official letter/badge for crew visas.
Electronics, Even Less is More
It is wise to leave your laptop, tablet, backpack, suitcase, and everything else at home or in your car. Yes, you may be waiting a while for your interview to take place and will miss your electronic entertainment, but many Embassies and Consulates do not allow electronics or any sort of bulky bags in the waiting room. Most will keep a mobile phone at the check-in desk but will not keep anything larger and it is very hard to find a safe place nearby to deposit your personal items. Do yourself a favor, travel light.
Be Kind to Everyone You Meet
Going for a visa interview can be stressful, but remember, from the guard you meet on the street to the person emptying the trash cans, they are all part of the Consular team and should be treated with respect. If you are rude to anyone at any point, and word gets back to the staff behind the glass, you may find yourself at the bottom of the interview pile. Equally if you are kind, people remember and are more willing to move your application along quickly.
But I have an Appointment!
You will have an appointment time, however, that appointment time is not when you will be speaking to an officer and being approved for your visa. That appointment is the time when you can access the building. You will then have to go through check-in, which is an airport worth security check. Each Consulate has a slightly different process but in general you will check in at one window, have your fingerprints taken at another and then you will sit and wait for your actual visa interview. This can take as little as one hour or can last half a day. Best advice, take a full day off work to attend your interview so you don’t become stressed!