It took me a full year to recover from the Schengen visa application, before I could muster up the courage to apply for a complex visa again. And this time I was aiming for a double whammy - US and UK visas, although the US visa was only for my children.
Why on earth would I want to go on holiday to the US at a time when the rand / dollar exchange rate was at an all-time low? Well, my husband and I both had 10-year US visas from our Caribbean cruise trip. They were going to expire in the next 2 years. To avoid having to apply for 4 visas at a later stage, we decided to use them while they were still valid and take the kids to Disney World Orlando.
Why go to the UK as well? I’ll save that for another post.
I completed the extremely comprehensive online application forms for US visas and had to pay a whopping R2488 for 2 kids. Then I was asked to courier the required documents through to the US Embassy via my selected branch of their preferred courier, DHL, instead of submitting them electronically. From all my research and Google searches, I had never come across this process before and thought that everyone had to go in for interviews after submitting their documents electronically. However, most people probably applied for themselves as well as their children at the same time.
Anyway, we handed the documents to DHL Rivonia Road on a Tuesday morning. I tracked the applications online with anxious regularity and on the following Monday (a week later), I received a notification that the documents were ready for collection from DHL - with the official visas within. Shew, no interview was required - what a relief - although if there was one it would have probably gone like this
Interviewer to kids “ Why do you want to go to the USA?”
Kids “ We want to go to Disney World.”
Interviewer: “ Why?”
Kids: “It looks like fun.”
US Visa
For more information on how to apply, go to:
https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-za/niv/information/niv
https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-za/niv/information/required_docs
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Hi how to I go about extending my us visa. I had a 10 year one which will expiry on 04/17?
Shamima, as far as I am aware, you cannot renew it. You will have to go through the entire visa application process each time you apply for a visa, even if your visa is still valid. I have checked their website and it says the same thing there. https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-za/niv/information/faqs#expiring_visa
Interesting my hubby and I we were planning to go to the US this December but I just gave up it was just too much process for me
Don't give up Moipone. Although it's a major burden to apply for the visa, once you get it, it's worth it.