Getting a US Visa – Embassy & Consulate Reviews 2021

Only use this location of you are informed on the Visa process. I took all the correct information with us eg LCA and Passport photos but because they didn't know the Visa type the missed asking for the information. Then even though we have them a US contact number they couldn't call it and an email only was sent requesting more info. This wasn't seen until a day or two later so all up took 5 days to receive visa back. Lead the process yourself and give them all the information they need even if they don't ask for it.
- Sarah (about 2 years ago)

Has the same booking system as London- very easy and quick.
- DC (about 3 years ago)

Appointment was on Monday at 2:15. I received an email on Tuesday stating my passport has been picked up by the courier and on Wednesday I received and email stating that it was ready to pick up. Staff were all very nice. The intake lady did make a comment like “oh we have had a lot of e3 visa recently. I wonder if it’s a coincidence” not sure if that was a good or bad thing. The interviewer though was super friendly and he approved my visa is about 3 mins. Overall it was a seamless process. This was my 4th (first down outside of Australia) e3 visa but this one was with a new company so essentially it was a new visa. Hope this helps.
- Becky (about 2 years ago)

Easy spot to get to from metro. People hang out and wait for names to be called from the list before you get inside and there isn’t much shade - bring sunnies/hat. They have a small brown box for laptops if it doesn’t fit you need to find someone to mind it for you. No communication for 24+ hrs until passport was given to DHL. But was ready a business day later.
- Luke (about 1 year ago)

Highly recommend the Athens US Embassy for E3s! This is my second E3. Booked an appointment for 2pm on a Thursday, got an email that my passport was ready for collection by 10:24am the next day. Less than 24 hours turnover time and the embassy staff were super friendly.
- JS (about 1 year ago)

My partner and I both flew over to the US on tourist visa's then applied for the E3 when we received job offers. The process was a little tricky because we were trying to time everything so we could do our visa interviews at the same time. We were getting really tight on time so once both our LCA's were approved we decided to just book the next available interview spot anywhere we could (while trying to avoid flying all the way back to Perth) and ended up with Athens in 6 days time. One tip is that some embassy's (e.g. London, Paris, Athens, Amsterdam) will show you the next available appointment before you pay. Unfortunately before we knew this, we were relying on the "appointment wait times" from the government website and paid to see appointments in Bahamas - only to go through and find the wait was not 1 day but 6 weeks, so DON'T rely on that site. We flew into Athens and had our interviews on Thursday at 2pm. There were people milling outside but no clear directions on what to do, so we checked with security and he told us to wait. Around 1.30 he called our names and we went through to the embassy. They keep your electronics in a little locker. We took a tonne of paperwork but in the end they only asked to see our LCA, DS-160 and our photos. I ended up giving him my academic degree/transcript when he asked about our educational background but I'm not sure he would have even checked it if I hadn't offered. After about a 5 minute interview he told us we were both approved and we exited the embassy. We got notification that our passports had been given to the courier at 8.30pm Monday night (2 business days later) and picked them up at 11.15am the next morning (3rd business day) - luckily just in time for the flight we had booked. All in all a very easy process.
- Imogen (about 1 year ago)

Smooth and easy experience. Only reason it didn’t get a 5 was because although I booked a 9am appointment, they were running behind so I waited 1 hour. It was all a quick process after that though.
- Kate (about 2 years ago)

In my DS-160 form I listed London for my interview but Belfast had interviews much sooner and it was really easy to transfer my form to Belfast - you are sent an email a few days before the interview asking you to email your paperwork for transfer. Collected my passport in London but if I had stayed in Belfast my passport would have been ready for collection in 2 days.
- Suzie (about 2 years ago)

Friendly and helpful consultant staff. Quick processing.
- Craig (about 2 years ago)

Interview in the morning and passport back in the afternoon. If you can time well you can spend a few days on the islands. Idea you need in one day you have to at least stay a night in Belize City which isn’t the safest place to be
- Jordan (about 3 years ago)

Did Berlin last year (September) and it was totally fine. one week turnround
- Jessica (about 4 years ago)

Great quiet suburban location near S-Bahn station
- B (about 4 years ago)

Don’t go too late, they stop letting people in shortly after midday or so. But otherwise it is a breeze. One hour turnaround time from when you start in the line to when you leave
- Hersh (about 2 years ago)

Very friendly staff, they made jokes to lighten the mood (we must have looked terrified!). The whole process took less than 45 minutes including the time it took to go through security. NOTE: You cannot enter the building with any electronics, this includes phones, smartwatches, charges etc. Make other arrangements if you were planning to Uber there. Unbelievably the turnaround was only one day for our E3 and E3D visas. At the time of booking, a visa appointment wait time was 2 days; we booked our appointment on a Monday for the Wednesday, received an email on Thursday to say our visa was ready for collection. During the D160 application, we chose to collect from one of the Mail Boxes which was very easy, the location was open from M-F 8:30am - 7:00pm.
- Annie (about 1 year ago)

Overall a decent experience. The embassy was packed - but I still got my visa back in 6 days (it was 4 business days). When arriving get the taxi/uber to drop you off on the corner of Avenida Carrera 50 and Calle 24 Bis. Google maps for the US Embassy sent me to the wrong entrance. The interview was super short - under 3 minutes. It just took a while to get to the window, you have to pass through a series of lines. Before the interview, I had to have an appointment with the Centro de Atencion al Solicitante (CAS) to get my photos and fingerprints taken. If you do this, you won't need to bring a physical copy of your photo to the embassy.
- Adam (about 1 year ago)

Got an E3 in Barbados in August also no issues, very straightforward 3 day turn around
- Sarah (about 3 years ago)

I had my first E3 interview in Barbados mid feb and got my passport back the next day.
- Paul (about 3 years ago)

Just did my renewal last week in Barbados. Took 3 minutes at the counter, got asked 4 questions. Visa was ready the next day.
- Greg (about 3 years ago)

E3 renewal in Barbados 6 weeks ago. No problems at all, easy interview and passport was ready in 3 or 4 days.
- Cat (about 3 years ago)

My visa was denied for an outrageous reason, along with other Aussies. I resubmitted the same paperwork in Perth less than two weeks later and it was approved. Do not recommend
- Ed (about 5 years ago)

This was my third renewal, I got it done in May this year (I forgot the actual date at this point) but it was quick and easy. Allow 3 business days eg if you do it on a Wednesday be prepared for a Monday return. Sometimes it will only take 2 but don’t count on it
- Jen (about 3 years ago)

Easiest experience of my life. Received LCA back on the Thursday, booked the appointment for the following Wednesday (there was also a availability on the Tuesday) received an email indicating passport was ready to be collected on the Friday. In the interview I was asked what I did it Australia and what will I be doing in New York. Was not asked for any of my supporting documentation. Highly recommend.
- Luisa (about 3 years ago)

Fast turnaround - Monday appointment with passport pickup on Wednesday at 12 noon. Embassy notification email was sent regarding release of passport and the passport was already waiting for collection at the DHL courier office. There was no lag time between embassy notification email and shipment time to courier office. Hence notification email from Embassy seems to indicate passport is ready for pickup (in my experience).
- Ed (about 2 years ago)

Booked on a Wednesday for the following Monday (could’ve got an even sooner interview on the Friday had I wanted to). Only things required at interview were passport, LCA, passport photo and DS160 confirmation page. Was asked three questions. What did I study, where was I working and how did I find out about the job. Told on the spot that the visa had been approved and would be ready in 3-5 days. Received email first thing Thursday saying it was ready to be picked up at DHL.
- Ben (about 2 years ago)

Arrive as early as possible. I had a 10am appointment but arrived at 7:50. Was finished by 9:30am. Very minimal questions from the interviewer.
- Rachael (about 2 years ago)

Family of 5 - even though appointments were available for the next week when I booked, getting 5 appointments was much trickier. No one seems to mention that. Actual interview - barely any questions. Very easy.
- TS (about 2 years ago)

Really quick and easy process!
- Josh (about 2 years ago)

The interview was very basic. However it took a bit longer than expected to get passaporte back, and we started to worry because when we checked online it said: Administrative Processing. We started to wonder if something went wrong because we are Brazilian and Australian citizen. So on the fifth business day my husband decided to go to Embassy personally and ask about it. It took a few minutes and they came back with the passaport and visa printed!!! Praise the Lord!!!!
- Alice (about 2 years ago)

easy, plus you get to lie on a beach while you wait :). maybe bring a book to the embassy, it was pretty busy, lots of waiting. stay at the south beach hotels (st lawernce area. Hire a car for a day to go exploring.
- dave (about 2 years ago)

We made our appointment for Friday and we had it in our hands on Tuesday lunchtime before flying out that afternoon. I would highly recommend this as we got to enjoy Barbados as a family (2 kiddos) after the appointment was out of the way! The staff were also helpful- my daughter and I hadn’t to get our photos retaken because their regulation is that hair is behind your ears, and she’s sent us to a place that took 5 mins (clearly they do this a lot as the cab driver knew where’s to take us, waited for us to be done and we went straight back to finish the appointment). So easy and would definitely do it again if we need to!!
- Lyndsay (about 2 years ago)

3 times in Bridgetown no problems so far.
- BK (about 3 years ago)

Great place to have a short sunny break in winter to get your E3
- Samuel (about 2 years ago)

The folks at the US Embassy have got it down pat. Right from arrival at the embassy to getting my visa approved took just an hour. The entire experience was seamless, and the staff were very friendly and organized. The actual visa interview literally took 3 minutes. The officer asked what I would be doing, and did not ask for any supporting documentation. All that is required for the interview is the DS-160 form, passport photo and LCA (although I had every document under the sun with me just in case - you can never be too prepared for these things!) I had my interview first thing Monday morning and got an email from DHL Thursday afternoon saying it was ready for collection. Highly recommend this location!
- Preetha (about 2 years ago)

You can use US currency. It does get humid and not much to do while waiting. Pretty much have to get a taxi everywhere as public transport is almost non-existent. I got to the consulate at 8am and was out about an hour and a half later
- Michael (about 2 years ago)

A quick and easy process. I had my appointment at 815 Monday morning and they get you to wait in this under cover area away from the embassy. My group which was based on what time your appointment was (they don’t assign or anything) got called about 10 mins after my appointment was scheduled. There’s plenty of people within the embassy that guide you onto the next step. The interview itself took about 5 mins. She didn’t ask me for any extra documentation just a few questions. After it had been “accepted” I also didn’t get my confirmation email to pick up my passport from DHL. After some advice from the Facebook group I decided to go Thursday afternoon around lunch time. There was a very big line and I had to wait about 2 hours for my passport which had only arrived to DHL that Thursday morning.
- Lin (about 2 years ago)

Long queues at the visa appointment but interview was quick. Had my interview on Monday and passport back on Wednesday. Beautiful vacation place
- Nipun (about 2 years ago)

The embassy is well set up and streamlined with lockers and a taxi rank. Dress appropriately as it is a conservative country. Got DHL email Wednesday morning after Friday appointment. Be aware that hurricane/storm season can impact on flights and embassy closures (but not by much!) Dorian passed over while I was there and embassy was closed for one full day. Still got passport back within three business days but weather can mess with flights. Leave an extra day to fly in and also to collect passport and fly out.
- Gina (about 2 years ago)

I had my appointment at 10am Thursday and received my tracking email Wednesday at Midday. Note that Labor Day fell during that time period and it most definitely adds an extra day to the process (Consular official said it wouldn’t affect the timeline at the interview). Tracking number email means that your passport is at DHL. Any attempts to discuss where my passport was with both the visa helpline and dhl were not helpful and almost had me in tears with frustration but we got there in the end. I would recommend leaving a full week from the day of your appointment.
- T (about 2 years ago)

The interview itself was nice and easy. There is an undercover shelter you can wait under. When your time is called they take you to some lockers and pre-screening to make sure you have your DS160. Interview for me for pretty quick. 3 questions about my job, what I did and if I was bringing any family. They will give you a blue piece of paper which will contain information to track your passport and that you would receive an email when my passport was ready to be picked up. This is where my issues began. The website was not helpful. The only option it had for me was to start a new application. There was no tracking number. After the 3rd day I was calling the embassy for more information but they kept telling me to use the URL provided. Finally on the 5th (Business) day she told me it had been delivered and gave me my tracking number. In short. The interview process is very good. There is zero communication for when your passport is ready.
- Kevin (about 2 years ago)

Arrived at 9.30 for a 10am appointment (Tuesday). Wasn’t let in to the embassy until about 11. They then take your bag/phone etc and had to sit in another waiting room (without anything to occupy me) until about 2/2.30pm to actually be seen. The interview itself was relatively straightforward. Passport didn’t come back til the following Monday in the afternoon so definitely allow a full week of travel. Also the slip of paper they give you to track the passport is useless - the website doesn’t work so use CEAC instead and don’t bother calling the phone number to check status, you’ll get a generic response such as “it can take five business days to process and then a further five days to print the visa so we can’t give you any further information until this amount of time has passed”. I’ve had much smoother experiences in Sydney, Bahamas and London. Wouldn’t recommend.
- Genevieve (about 2 years ago)

Had appointment on a Wednesday at 10.00 but got there at 9.00. You wait in a covered area outside (bring water to drink) which was hot. Didn't need to wait long and they put me in the 9.15 slot.Super fast and easy. Asked three questions, what are you going to be doing, why did you leave your last job and are you on your own.Only asked for passport and LCA, nothing else.Collected my passport on Friday from DHL.
- (about 1 year ago)

This is my 6th E3, a new employer, a promotion but same industry and profession and I have never experienced such a long processing time. The interview was Monday at 9am, the whole embassy set up is seamless, I can't fault it. It was approved on the spot. I only needed to provide my LCA & Passport and was asked what my previous role was and what my new role was. But then my visa sat in the dreaded 'administrative processing' status for 7 whole business days (not counting the weekend). there was no update to the status the whole time. I wasn't too worried as it was approved and I know unless you are given a 221g slip for more documentation, my visa was simply in a long processing phase. but its hard not to freak out when you're in a foreign country.Of course the slip they give you at the interview is useless so I continued checking the CEAC website until it was finally changed to 'issued' on the 7th business day at midday. however I was not able to collect it from DHL until the following day. I didn't wait to receive the tracking number, I simply went down the next morning and it was there at DHL. I think this was an anomaly to everyone else experiences, maybe they're starting to do more comprehensive checks on random applicants, I dont know. No one was able to give me any information as to what the hold up was, this included emailing the embassy, calling the embassy and calling DHL. Luckily work was funding the trip and I just had to try and enjoy the sunshine. Would recommend for the seamless process but just had bad luck on timing of getting it back so something to think about. I would highly recommend booking flexible flights. Have done visas previously in Toronto, Mexico City, Panama and Perth twice with no issues.
- Jana (about 2 years ago)

Online wait time for an appointment was listed as 3 days but was actually 3 weeks. Appointment Friday, got an email with my DHL tracking lunchtime Tuesday, checked the tracking hours 2hrs later and it was ready for collection.
- Ailee (about 1 year ago)

As other reviews have stated. Super efficient Embassy. This was my first E-3 Visa application, I was in the US on a tourist visa and got a job offer and booked the soonest appointment I could get (3weeks). Turned up on the day and they call you in groups according to your appointment time. Wait in line for probably 30 minutes. I had ALL the documents but they only asked for my passport and certified LCA. Questioned if it was my first e3 or renewal, what the company does and what my role is, asked where I had gone to school and what my work experience was. I got questioned about my trip to Iran in 2017 but explained it was part of a year long backpacking trip and it was before tensions were so high. Got approved there and 48hrs later it was ready for pickup at the DHL. Thank you Barbados!
- Jake (about 1 year ago)

Whole thing was very cruisy. I had originally booked for Canada on my DS-160 and didn’t change it for Barbados. The lady fixed it for me but it added 15-30 minutes to the process and she wasn’t very impressed. Actual interview was very quick, they asked me 2 questions, 3 max. DHL pick up is on the way to the airport.
- Joey (about 2 years ago)

The US embassy in Barbados is very familiar with the E3 so just follow the staffs directions. The only issue I had was with my passport photo - they didn't accept it because my head was tilted slightly so my right ear wasn't fully visible. They told me where to get a cab and to make my way to Sheraton Mall and have new photos taken. The taxis are parked at the embassy (this happens very often). I returned with my new photos and didn't have to wait in line again...they asked me to head straight to the window and submit my docs. Oddly enough, in spite of leaving the embassy for around 30-45 minutes (for the photos); I didn't lose my place in line. Think I arrived at 9am for a 10:00am appointment and I was out by 11:30am. Had my visa appointment on a Friday and got passport back on the following Weds afternoon.
- Mikta (about 1 year ago)

Getting an appointment and the process inside the embassy took a while (I brought a book to get around the no phones) but overall was very smooth and straight forward. I arrived Thursday at 9.30 for a 10am appointment and left the embassy around 11.30am. Picked up my passport Wednesday morning. There is a lag between the passport being sent to DHL and you getting notified. The slip I was given to check had the wrong web portal. Use the ceac.state.gov website to check visa status. Once it changes to “issued” the visa will be at DHL the following morning. I’m currently holding my passport and still yet to get an email or tracking number. Overall very straight forward and it includes a week on the sand. Would recommend.
- Elliot (about 1 year ago)

I had my appointment at 10.30am Monday morning and whilst there was around 3 hours total of waiting around the interview itself was only 5 mins and very straightforward. I checked ceac.state.gov daily and by Wednesday my application had changed to “issued”. 5pm Wednesday evening I received an email from DHL with tracking info and was notified that my passport was ready for collection the next morning (Thursday). I’ve now done Perth, London and Bridgetown and all in all it was a pretty easy place to do it.
- James B (about 1 year ago)

I did not have any issue with the pictures like other people said they did. The first officer that checked passport,LCA and pictures was rather accomodating instead and gave us the option of using the printed pictures we brought or the digital ones we uploaded on the DS-160. Interview was very quick as usual, probably as low as 5 minutes. Only a few questions regarding my new job and my marriage, since I interviewed together with my husband for his E3-D and my E3. A few questions were also asked about our previous stays in the U.S. but this is specific to our situation and history. Please note if you are changing employer like I did they will ask you if you are leaving your current job and subsequently void your old E3 with a stamp that says “cancelled without prejudice” so in the event they should not approve the new one you won’t be able to go back to the U.S. to collect your belongings and move back to Australia,unless you try and do so with an ESTA or other visitor visa. I still have to see in the flesh a solid E3 petition getting denied, but it’s worth mentioning. Anyway, my passport was ready to pick up by Friday at midday after a Tuesday morning interview. so turn around time was 3 days. Please note I did not receive the DHL e-mail but I just showed up at the facility the day after the status on the application on ceac.state.gov changed from “administrative processing” to “issued” 2 days after the interview. If the representatives at DHL ask you if you received the e-mail just say you did or they won’t eve look and you might lose precious time and have to rebook if you have a return flight to catch. I will probably not use this location again and stick to Paris like I did before because the wait time outside the Embassy in the scorching hot was a bit too much for me (bring water with you!) and it took me 3 hours to get in and out, more than twice as much as Paris. If you pick this location do not bring anything else than your cell phone and papers so you won’t have to wait for a locker to free up to put your bag or purse inside, and you’ll be able to get in right away.They have way too little lockers for the amount of interviews so you’ll have to wait for someone else to get out and free up a locker for you. That’s what screwed us over to begin with. Also the intake and wait rooms have a weird streamline so we were interviewed amongst the last of the day despite getting there one hour before our appointment time. The staff is very professional and nice and they have water bottle refill stations.
- Alex (about 1 year ago)

The Barbados embassy really have this process down! I arrived around 8:30am for my 9am appointment on Tuesday and walked straight through to security and the first window where my passport, LCA and photos were looked over and I completed finger print scanning. I then lined up in the second line for the interview - there was a little wait (maybe 20 minutes or so) but the interview itself took no longer than 3 minutes. I was asked if it was a renewal or new visa, why I was changing jobs, if it was a similar role and I wasn’t asked to provide any other supporting documents. He told me that the visa was approved and I could collect it from DHL in 5 days. I was in and out in less than an hour! On Wednesday morning I received and email with my tracking number and on Thursday at 7am I received an email stating that my passport was ready to be collected - 2 day turnaround! Highly recommend Barbados!
- Jess (about 1 year ago)

Third time in Barbados for E3, first time for this new employer. Was able to get an appointment a week out (phew!) but only on the Wednesday which meant I had to stay over the weekend - wasn't a big deal. Appointment at 9:15, turned up at 7:45 and got in. Was inside for an hour all up, out and in a taxi home by 9am. Got the email to say my passport had been released on Friday, and after checking tracking, it was delivered to DHL at 4:21pm ... so technically if I had wanted to cut it fine, I could have picked it up that day before DHL closed at 5pm, but I never like risking that, so had a flight booked for Monday. Overall easy, great, friendly experience like usual. Barbados has lockers so you can store your phone and money, and they let you take a book in too.
- Hannah (about 1 year ago)

Third time in Barbados for my visa, this time for a new job. Had an app on the Wednesday (app was for 9:15am but I always get there between 7:30 and 8 and they have let me in early each time). Approved. Email came on Friday that my passport was on the way to DHL. It got there at 4:30pm, and DHL closes at 5pm, which means you *could* fly out Friday night, but I never risk it in case I miss that tiny window to pick it up. Picked it up on the way to the airport on Monday, and flew out. Always a great experience!
- Hannah (about 1 year ago)

Once I submitted my DS-160 I could get an appointment within 3 business days. The whole process when I arrived at the embassy took about 2.5hrs (if you can get the earliest appointment possible - mine was 9.30am but I believe they start at 9am). My appointment was on the Tuesday and I was able to pick up my visa by Thursday of the same week
- Catherine (about 1 year ago)

We were able to make an appointment two days before. The appointment time was 9.30 Friday but got there an hour early and they took us in at 9, back at the hotel by 10. Passport was ready for pickup Wednesday, probably a bit longer than some because of the weekend. Super easy and a fabulous unexpected weeks holiday as a bonus!
- Janine (about 1 year ago)

Appointment time scheduled for Bridgetown within 2 weeks of submitting my DS-160, which is amont the quickest I have seen. My appointment was for 10am Monday. Arrived 9am, to ensure plenty of time (Barbados traffic can be unpredictable depending where you are coming from). Cleared security to move inside by 9.20am Moved from the first wait room to second wait room at 9.30am Checked in by 10am, and moved back to the second room Waited from 10am – 11.30am in the wait room Moved back into the official business room around 11.30am, and was in line for a further 20 mins. I was seen at around 12pm for my official visa interview, and finished with the formalities by around 12.05pm(!) after being asked 3 simple questions about my new job, experience and qualifications. Back at my hotel with an approved visa and a slip instructing what to do next by 12.30pm. I got the notice from DHL that my passport was ready for collection Thursday morning - which was perfect as I flew out Friday afternoon. Very simple process, and absolute paradise while you are waiting. Be mindful, you need a photo that has been recently taken (within 6 mths) – Barbados was more strict on this than previous consulates, and checked if the photo matched previous visa filings (longer than 6mths old).
- Kirsten (about 12 months ago)

Extremely lucky to have secured my E3 just before the COVID shut down. The process was excellent as per all the other reviews. The interview was scheduled for 10:00am, I arrived at 8:45am and was let in immediately. They asked three questions - 1) why are you here? 2) what does the company do? 3) what education do you have? I had all possible documentation, however, was only asked for the DS-160, LCA, and passport.
- TJ (about 12 months ago)

They were really friendly and kind and the process was straightforward. As with any consulate the lines are somewhat slow moving but the building blasts AC so I welcomed the chance to cool down.
- Evie (about 3 years ago)

Quick process on the day; recommend to post to hotel rather than self pick up
- (about 2 years ago)

Recommend. Appointment was at 8am and the interview process was smooth and well organized, with easy, polite questions. Was out the door by 8.30am. I was told my passport would be couriered within four days business days or could be picked up within two — knowing this, I changed my option to pickup. A tracking number was sent the next morning with the somewhat cryptic status 'Offre par date'. A quick call confirmed this means the passport was ready for pick up. The courier, Mikkropakket, is an easy taxi/Uber 25 minutes south of the city, in a typical warehouse wasteland. Ring the buzzer on 13D and ask for your passport. You'll be all set. A smooth interview process and 24 hour turnaround make this spot worth considering.
- Chris (about 1 year ago)

No appointment wait time. Do the interview then spend a few days hiking/skiing at Banff
- Richard (about 5 years ago)

Overall the process was just like any other consulate location - with one huge caveat... The embassy in Copenhagen only accepts payment in Danish Krone via bank transfer - no credit card payment option online. This makes it incredibly painful and I had to get a friend, who lives in Copenhagen to make the payment for me.
- Jeni (about 6 years ago)

Passports are sent back via mail, which delayed turnaround a day or so
- Adam (about 2 years ago)

Quite a few questions asked regarding my role and other living arrangements in the US but very friendly
- (about 2 years ago)

Compared to Australia the process was not as easy but I would come back to Guadalajara. There was some unfamiliarity with the E3 but did not cause too much of an issue. Pros: Great city to visit Warm and sunny weather Quick turnaround - I had planned for 1 week given they send passport to DHL location. At my apt on Wed the interviewer was unsure it would be done in time for my flight so asked me to return to the consulate on Fri to pick up. Cons: You cannot pay for the apt online, it needs to be paid in person in Mexico. I had a colleague make payment for me. You need to attend the applicant services center the day before your apt for a photo and fingerprints. The interviewer was the only person fluent in English, most other staff have no or little English and a lot of gestures are needed.
- Rebecca (about 1846 years ago)

Fast and quick and great country to visit
- Josh (about 2 years ago)

Not a super smooth process. Booking the appointment wasn't super smooth (they didn't know what an E3 was) but eventually got it done. When I got there, had more issues. Definitely don't bring your phone, can't leave it outside embassy with security unless you're a US citizen (wtf?) Got the 2nd degree from the interviewer because I picked Guatemala and not Canada or Mexico (I picked them because they were the shortest flight with the quickest appointment time).
- James (about 1 year ago)

I had rights to work in Hong Kong, potentially making the process easier for me. E-3 not a common visa they process.
- (about 4 years ago)

easy to get appointment, fast processing time. quick pickup (from courier location). Don't bring bags as they wont allow anything larger than a folder into the consulate.
- Tom (about 2 years ago)

Hong Kong was super organized. I had my appointment 9am Monday and got my passport back at 5.30pm the next day. Make sure you select the ‘pick up my passport option’ as you don’t have to wait as long and just collect it from a local post office. Good luck!!
- Juliet (about 1 year ago)

Probably not the most common US visa that they issue. The one lady did disappear for 10mins with my passport which was alarming, but she came back & confirmed that I don't need to get ten-printed again given that I was previously ten-printed for my first E3. Next question was who I will be working for in the US & then my visa was approved. Oddly though my visa stamp had no employer name printed on it, but didn't have a problem getting back into the US.
- Brand (about 2 years ago)

DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. They do not service "Third country nationals"
- Jacob (about 2 years ago)

It was a 3 day turn around time to pick up in Lima, but I got it sent to Cusco (so it was 7 days). Please note you will need to have a second passport to travel around the country. They messed up my company name (they used the founders name rather than the company name, but I have not had any issues with immigration to date)
- Jenna (about 4 years ago)

Took almost 3 weeks to get a visa. Very poor communication from the embassy and it's very crowded given everyone from Peru needs to have a visa to travel to the US (and there are a lot of people who want to do this!). Traveled around Peru during that time without a passport (this is highly not recommended - you will have a very hard time getting out of Lima airport but at the regional locations, they are more forgiving).
- James (about 2 years ago)

Documents are couriered to consulate then approved without an interview or an interview is requested.
- Melanne (about 1 year ago)

Perfectly easy and no hassles in London No questions really friendly polite guy
- Lesley (about 3 years ago)

I was not expecting such a quick turnaround time! I had stressed to the officer that I had a flight out in a few days and needed my passport back by then - I'm not sure if that sped up the process, or if 2 days is the normal processing time.
- Nicole (about 3 years ago)

Super quick and easy, be sure to check the system for any cancellations to get a sooner appointment.
- DC (about 3 years ago)

August is a quiet month in Europe, so there were no lines and I was admitted to the Embassy 45 minutes prior to my 12:30pm appointment time. They asked me two questions (what is the job? What is your degree?) before my visa was approved on the spot. I had my passport in hand with the visa inside three days later.
- Aimee (about 3 years ago)

it was a good 2 + weeks until I got my passport back.
- Jana (about 3 years ago)

Process was super quick and streamlined. Overall I was probably at the embassy for just over an hour. My interview took less than a minute. They only asked me what the new job was, which company it was for, what my salary was and if I had a degree. Approved on the spot and passport back in 2 days!
- Alex (about 3 years ago)

Interview lasted about 3mins. Standard questions around where I will be working & what I will be doing. Told me on the spot that I was approved. Gordon Ramsay was there too doing his visa & I think mine was approved before his.
- Brand (about 3 years ago)

The interview itself went for five minutes. I was asked two formal questions, and the rest of the time was spent talking about New York weather, vacation days, and recommendations for London. Very easy process.
- Tom (about 3 years ago)

I arrived Monday. My appointment was on Tuesday at 1pm. I arrived at 12.15pm for security check. Left at 1.30pm. Approx 1 hour all up.
- Emily (about 2 years ago)

Really easy. I was only asked the LCA and to explain what job I will be doing in the US and I was approved on the spot.
- Michaela (about 2 years ago)

New consulate is much bigger, thus busier than old consulate in Mayfair. Turnaround time was 6 days compared to 3 last time. Very helpful and pleasant staff. Just make sure you have all your paperwork, photos and supporting docs.
- AS (about 2 years ago)

Had my appointment on Monday and passport was ready for pick up by Wednesday. Super quick, super easy. I came prepared with all my documents but they only wanted to see my DS-160, LCA and passport. Interview took less than a minute and I was at the embassy for just 45 minutes.
- Charmaine (about 2 years ago)

Very nice embassy with extremely polite staff. We selected a delivery point in Birmingham and our visa was ready two days later. We picked it up the following morning.
- Virginia (about 2 years ago)

Brand new consulate, so queue management, waiting facilities, even security screening was relatively pleasant (not that this process is ever fun)
- Cal (about 2 years ago)

I had my appointment at 8:30am on a Monday morning, arrived to the embassy at 7:50 and was out the door by 9am. Received my passport back two days later on a Wednesday from th collection location. New embassy is lovely and process was the smoothest out of the three E3 visas I’ve done prior.
- Rachael (about 2 years ago)

Just got back from an E3 Visa run in London. It was a great experience and only took 2 days. My interview was scheduled for 8:30am last Wednesday. I arrived about 45 minutes early hoping to get it over and done with. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake as I had to stand outside in the cold for 15 minutes while they got the 8am appointments through. Once inside it was all done within 45 minutes. I chose to have my passport delivered to DX Couriers on Chancery Lane, near the British Museum. I received notification on Thursday that it would be ready on Friday, and went and picked it up at 11am.
- Aaron (about 2 years ago)

8.30am Interview on Wednesday morning, from lining up in the queue to out of the consulate in less than an hour. Received the email suggesting approval on Friday morning and picked up the passport on the next Monday.
- Steven (about 2 years ago)

Although I'd done a visa run in London before and it had been a quick, smooth process I was a little hesitant this time due to a HR contact at my new Company saying that I would get rejected in London and must go back to Australia to get the visa. Mainly due to the current Administration and the fact that the risk of rejection is always much less in Australia. I went against their advice and had a great visa run! Appointment was 8am Friday (first appointment of the day). I lined up at 7.30am and they started letting people in at 7.50am. I was finished and out the door by 8.20am! And everyone at the Embassy was very friendly. Definitely recommend London. However, should note that I'm also a British citizen.
- Jasmine (about 2 years ago)

Notes: the DS-160 can be completed without LCA info. They just ask for the LCA paperwork at the interview. You can chose one Embassy location during the DS-160 and then schedule the interview at a different location - they can upload your records from one system to another. London Embassy has a photo booth inside the building - but they may not require a photo if you have already uploaded one in your DS-160 application. London Embassy allows phones/handbags/food 🙂 and has wifi! No need to show up much earlier than your scheduled interview time as they make you wait outside until your time slot.
- Geraldine (about 2 years ago)

Very smooth and quick.. it took but more than 1 hour from entry to exit. I attended on Friday and Monday Visa Issued, Tuesday got email and Wedday passport collection. I did last one in Mexico and took 6 days but London is much better and quicker
- Sayem (about 2 years ago)

My appointment was originally scheduled for 4 weeks from my DS160 submission date. I checked every day for an earlier appointment and snagged one a week away. The was super busy, and my officer wasn't aware that you can electronically have your passport stamped at entry - so my application was originally questioned. Was that was cleared up, I was approved right away.
- Emma (about 2 years ago)

From reading other's reviews/info I understood I thought I could only change my appointment three times - this wasn't the case. I initially booked the soonest appointment available (6 weeks away), but checked back every hour or so and was able to change my appointment multiple times until I booked a date I was happy with.
- Talina (about 2 years ago)

I was made a job offer in NYC in June 2019 and my company (fortunately) provided me with a lawyer to prepare documentation for my visa interview. At the time of booking, the appointment wait time was about 3 weeks. I took a risk in buying a return flight for 5 business days after the visa appointment date. The US Embassy in London is very new and boasts an impressive processing system (relative to other consulates and government bodies). I showed up 30 minutes before my appointment time of 9am but would recommend arriving with more time than this. The entire process took roughly 2 hours, the ticketing/waiting process worked well, and the consular officers were friendly. Although my lawyer had prepared a pile of documentation about 1cm thick to support my application (not including my original Degree certificate that my parents express posted from Australia), the *only* documents the officer asked me for were 1. My passport, 2. The completed Labor Condition Application and 3. My job offer letter. The officer assessing my case never said the word 'approved', however, wished me a good time in New York which had me in two minds about whether my visa required further processing or not. Luckily, two days later, I got an email from the embassy saying my passport would be ready for collection the following business day. I flew to the USA 2 days after collecting my passport and entered with extreme ease. The immigration officer looked at my passport for probably 5 seconds, asked me what I'm doing for work, then stamped me in. Done. Based on my experience I would highly recommend getting your first E-3 in London 🙂
- Matt (about 2 years ago)

I had to get new E3 as was switching employers. I could find appointment with 3 weeks waiting for July 15. I chose London over others as it's quicker to fly from NYC and heard they allow kids to enter the interview area as well. I think this is the best US embassy in the world! The facility is clean, big and friendly people. My appointment was at 9 am monday and I got in at 8:30 . They let me in early as had 2 kids along with spouse. Total process took 2 hrs. Visa officer asked if it's renewal of new E3. Why am I switching? What does company do? Then he said it looks all good. I will definitely be renewing at London again.
- Rahul (about 2 years ago)

The new USA consulate is super organized. Staffed outside by Londoners, so no angst. Inside everything is very streamlined. Advice would be to get an 8am appointment and be done by 8:45am. There's even a great Aussie Cafe next door called 'District' that will have you reconsidering living away from Oz...
- Jason (about 2 years ago)

London is super easy and convenient.
- Jenna (about 2 years ago)

Nightmare. They said 3-5 business days. I didn’t get it back until the 7th business day. Had to rebook and repay for travel for a family of 4. Total disaster
- Rachel (about 2 years ago)

We applied for our first E3 and E3D vis at the London embassy. All up it took about 2 hours from when we first arrived to when we finished and left. We were asked a total of 3 questions. We interviewed on a Tuesday and our passports were ready for pick up on Friday.
- Isabel (about 2 years ago)

I had heard only amazing things about the London US embassy, so I booked the first available appointment and kept refreshing until I got one about a week earlier than I had originally booked, a Monday at 9AM. All up from entrance to exit was about 2 hours. My interview was odd - the interviewer didn’t say approved, he asked me two basic questions (is this your first E-3 - “no” and do you have a degree - “yes”) then said ok cool that’s it cya! I was a bit worried after that but he kept my passport so I assumed it was fine. After that, I kept refreshing the visa status page until Thursday at 3PM when it changed to “issued” and I went to the pick up location Friday morning to see if my passport was there - it was. I didn’t receive the email that I could pick it up until Saturday, so I encourage everyone to check the status online or just show up to the location after a few days. Flew out Saturday morning and customs was a breeze! Note: this is my 4th E3, and a new job after I renewed my previous E3 in April of this year.
- Caitlin (about 2 years ago)

Around a 2 hour wait time from arrival to interview time. They allow medium sized bags and for you to keep your phone with you. No laptops though. There was a security breach while I was waiting for my number to come up which delayed the process by around 30mins (all the staff were removed from the floor for this time while we were waiting to hear if we would be evacuated or not). I got an appointment 10 days after submitting my DS-160, despite there being a 5-6 week wait time, I just kept refreshing the page for 24 hours until I could grab someone else's cancellation. Overall, a pretty straight forward experience and received passport back 2 days later.
- Dana (about 2 years ago)

Get to the consulate early
- Laura (about 2 years ago)

First time E3 in London review: - I had an 8am appointment, and would definitely recommend getting that first appointment of the day if you can. When I left, the line was huge. - I arrived at 7.15am and was 10th in line, about 20 more people arrived in the next 10 minutes. - At 7.30 they opened the doors and checked everyone had their ds160 and passport, then we went through security. - At 7.55 I got called to the first desk where I was asked for my ds160, passport, LCA and copy of my photo. She packaged this up for me. - At 8.20 I got called to the interview desk and asked for that package. - The interviewer asked: Is this your first E3? Is this a new employer? What do you do? Do you have a degree? - After that she told me I was approved and that my passport will be ready in a week. I had the offer letter and other docs ready, but wasn’t asked for those. - I was out of the embassy at 8.27am. It was a really smooth process, all the staff are so nice and it was better than I expected! I was so nervous beforehand. Would highly recommend! Got my passport back 3 business days later.
- Andrea (about 2 years ago)

TLDR: My first E3. A first time E3 for a company that had never hired an Aussie. Booked a London appointment and it was a breeze and managed to turn around an E3 from the letter of offer to start date in 3 weeks. This was my first E3 and I highly recommend London as an option. I received my letter of offer on Tuesday, 3rd September and my employer wanted me to start on the 23rd(!) in downtown NYC. I had some points to clarify / negotiate in the paperwork and so by Wednesday, 4th September I had returned my signed letter and began tackling the E3. This employer had also never employed an Aussie and had no experience with an E3 (200 people in the company and I had to explain that it would be easy - fingers crossed) I filled in my ds160 that evening and chose London because I had friends I could stay with and work had a London office so I was going to hedge my bets and propose on-boarding in London just in case I got delayed as I didn't know how long an appointment might take to book. I got to the end of the form and first available appointment was October 22nd. Panic. After some reading (thanks America Josh et) I was advised that you select 'change appointment' and refresh the page to see if cancellations offer a closer date. By that evening I had managed to land an appointment on the 4th October and then the 27th September and I was feeling a lot more confident about at least getting close to the requested start date. By the next day I had managed to move it all the way up to the 17th of September and had even seen a spot as early as the 11th of September but knew it could take 1-2 weeks to get the LCA # so I had to let that one pass. On the Thursday my work connected me with their immigration lawyers via conference call (The Navarre Law Firm, Chicago - highly recommend, Steve and Tricia were brilliant) and they had me scan and email over some documents and by Friday, 6th September they had lodged the paperwork. There are no guarantees for LCA but they advise it traditionally takes 7 calendar days from lodging to be approved. I jump on a plane that weekend (ESTA expired a few days later) and head to London. My LCA is approved as expected (late Thursday night) and my work couriers the paperwork to the London office on Friday and it is delivered and I pick it up on Monday, 16th September. On Tuesday, 17th September I go to the embassy @ 7:10 am for my 8:00 am appointment and am the 2nd person in the line. Within 15 minutes there are another 50 people behind us and by the time the doors open the line is insane. You can take phones and small bags inside, no laptops and no where to leave items. I had a phone and a folder with OTT paperwork and passport including; My degree, transcript, letter of offer, letter outlining why they need to employ me, resume, job listing, aus tax returns to prove I did the jobs in my resume, a work contract from my previous job, an aus bank statement to prove ties home, a statement of temporary intent and a receipt for the ds160! The building is brand new and space age, super high tech and enjoyable to be in. Everyone is polite and helpful and it's a breeze. I get my paperwork processed, finger prints scanned et and then wait for the interview. The interview is a lot faster than I expected. The guy eyeballs the giant folder in my hands, filled with documents and is really pleasant. He asks me if it's my first E3, what the company does, what my title is and if I have a degree. I show him my letter of offer and the letter of support unprompted and as I fumble about trying to grab my degree he stops me and says not to worry (I think he decides I have enough documents on me to prove whatever questions he might have had) and informs me I have been approved and my passport should be ready in a few days. I had selected to pick up from the courier at Chancery Lane because the clock was ticking and I I knew if they dispatched the passport, it might add another day to delivery and I also wanted to eliminate opportunities for error (courier getting address wrong, being late, et). I go in on Thursday, 19th September unprompted to see if it had arrived. I knew it probably wouldn't have and they advise it's in the system and due in their office first thing Friday. I come back the next day and pick up my passport (I get an email midday the day prior confirming as much). Flight gets booked that day, I select a flight on Saturday, 21st September at 7:00 pm and land at JFK later that night. I start work Monday, 23rd September as requested and turn-around an E3 from the job offer to start date in 3 weeks.
- Brett (about 1 year ago)

I originally put Vancouver down in the DS-160 and panicked about that as I've heard issues may arise. Fortunately, with this community and the fb Aussies in NYC community - I was encouraged! And it worked out. Arrived at 7.20am for the 8am interview. Was called promptly at around 8.05am, the lady said because the location was Vancouver they needed to access the DS-160 so I had to wait between 20min-1 hour. It took 35min for them to access the DS-160 and it was smooth sailing from then. I was out of the embassy by 9.30am (if I had designated London, it would've been 8.45am). I then received my passport back on the Friday, 2 days after my Wednesday AM appointment. It was as smooth as it could've gone!
- Jenny (about 1 year ago)

Brand new consulate building is big, clean and has lots of automation to make the process easy. Staff seemed happier to be there compared to their old building!
- Julia (about 2 years ago)

I did my E3 renewal in London and the whole process was flawless. The embassy is brand new and easy to access by the underground. I was in and out of the embassy in about an hour. My appointment was Monday morning and I received my passport back by Thursday. Highly recommended!
- James (about 2 years ago)

They did not want to chat & just don't force them to do so. Only asked questions that warranted 1-3 word responses (title, course name) etc.
- Siobhan (about 2 years ago)

When booking my appointment, there were empty spots only 3½ weeks away.
- Owen (about 1 year ago)

I had a really positive experience, I found the process very smooth and organised. If you do go during winter time, dress warmly as there is the first initial part prior to going through security where you wait outside.
- Rachel (about 1 year ago)

You can take phones inside and there is an Australian cafe nearby for storage in case you need it. First part of the appointment is with an english employee who work at the embassy doing the first pass. 2nd part of the interview (which is normal) is with an American as per their process. They didn't ask for my offer letter this time, and I was worried, but once they say it's approved, it is. Passport arrived mid afternoon the next day at the visa pick up point.
- Byron (about 1 year ago)

Booked appointment on dec 9 for next available on dec 23. Checked back a couple times and was able to move forward to dec 20. Probably could have moved to sooner if I’d tried harder... Arrived at 720 for 8am appointment and it’s worthwhile getting there early (7/720) because a big line started forming right around 730, and everything is done in order of arrival. Definitely try for an 8am appointment. Waited outside for 5-10mins, showed passport and ds160, and went through security. Through to waiting area where you need your number to be called twice: once to show your basic paperwork - lca, ds160, photograph, passport, and once for the actual interview. Three questions- why are you changing your visa (I was going from L1 to E3 for new employer), what’s your highest level of education, and how long will you be in the US for. I didn’t get fancy- just said - new employer, bachelor’s degree, and 2 years, and the officer said ‘approved.’ Did not look at any paperwork other than the basics that I’d shown at the first window. Hot tip- the guy in front of me had to show an old passport with an old visa- even though his last two were in his current passport. Next time I’ll be taking my old passport w (super) old visa just for peace of mind. I was out by 830(!), and visa was available to collect two business days later (I opted for the houndsditch location, super easy to get to and seems less risky than trying to get delivered to a random address). Showed my AU drivers license to collect, no dramas.
- Kate (about 1 year ago)

Visa appointment at 8am Friday morning and received an email on Wednesday that my passport would be ready to pick up on the Thursday. Total 4 business day turnaround..efficient and organized process at the Embassy however having a first appointment of the day meant waiting outside in the cold and security were still setting up..doors opened at exactly 8am.
- anonymous (about 1 year ago)

Go earlier than your time to get in line. I got my E3 and partners E3D. Straight forward, not too many hard questions. Example: 8am app, arrive at 7:30am as there will be many others there. First in, first serve really but the appointment time just verifies your spot on that day.
- Amanda (about 2 years ago)

Had my appointment at 8am and was approved and out of the office at 9:30am. Very quick. Was asked about what my job would involve, what is the company name and if I wanted to move to the US forever.
- (about 1 year ago)

The easiest visa interview I’ve had yet!
- Edwina (about 1 year ago)

London was great, very smooth process, and staff were very friendly. Would definitely be my first choice if I have to do another renewal.
- Alex (about 1 year ago)

When choosing a pick up spot, the post office (correos) inside El Corte Ingles mall on Callao is very central and there’s a bar with great views on the roof!
- Alex (about 3 years ago)

E3 Madrid review:First time E3 (landed a new role here, and was previously on an L1 at my old employer) on the last Thursday in August.8.10am appointment in the US embassy in Madrid, got there at 7.30am and there was a bunch of people lining up outside the building all for various appointments. They then lined people up to go through security on the basis of when their appointment was, so I ended up being the second group in. While you're lining up one of the staff there checks that your passport photos are to standard (they turned people away if not). You can't bring phones into the embassy, you leave it with security (they give you a number for pickup), and I would take the absolute bare minimum with you.First desk in the building they checked the confirmation of appointment page and my passport then into the second room for the appointment. The woman at the first window there asked for the DS-160 page, the LCA, the offer letter from my employer and my CV (as well as passport and passport photo). The only thing she asked (as she took these documents from me was "what am I doing in the US?") she then processed this information which took a little bit of time as she had to call her her supervisor over as she explained they don't get a lot of E3 visas here, but it was fine and then I queued up for the second window (the actual interview).The second window the woman just asked for the DS-160 page, the LCA, the letter from my employer and passport and passport photo. The only thing she asked was again, "so what am I doing in the US?" as she looked through these documents. Then after a minute or so of her reading through these / inputting in the computer she advised me my Visa was approved and my passport would be ready in 3-6 business days. She then asked (I think more out of curiosity when she gave the docs back) why I chose Madrid? I wasn't asked any other questions or asked for any other documents, and I was out of there by 8.45.I got an email the next day (Friday) saying my passport had been sent to the postoffice, but because of the labor day holiday I gave it until the end of the long weekend and picked up early the following week. I chose the post office in the El Corte Ingles next to Plaza Callao which is a super central location (and has an awesome rooftop bar / restaurant area!). The post office is in the actual department store and you need to walk all the way through the furniture section to find it. The email I received was in spanish so I just handed it to the woman at the desk and she gave me back the package with my passport including Visa, and LCA.Overall, super easy and smooth process getting the E3 in Madrid and such a cool city also. Feel free to message/comment if any questions.As a side note - I had originally completed the DS-160 with Barbados as the location, and then logged on to book an appointment there only to find that there wasn't one for another 3 weeks (and I needed one sooner than that). I then booked Madrid instead which was available sooner. However the lawyers for my company absolutely insisted that the location on my DS-160 matched where I would be going for an appointment. So I re-did the whole thing, with a new DS-160 with Madrid as the location (because I knew they had appointments available earlier anyway). I fully expected to have to pay the fee again, but I was able to cancel first appointment and use the fee as a credit for another appointment in Madrid (that matched this new DS-160), which was great.
- Isabelle (about 2 years ago)

According to the consulate rep it was the first E3 interview conducted to his knowledge. This presented no issue, he downloaded the interview and checklist transcript and I passed the interview in no more than 5 minutes. Two days later the visa had been processes and was ready for pick up. Would have no hesitation going back there or recommending it.
- Jack (about 2 years ago)

Very quick. If you get one of the earliest appointments of the day and arrive with plenty of time to line up in the security queue you can be in and out in less than an hour (once security opens)
- Edwina (about 4 years ago)

SLower turn-around times compared to other locations, but they are very familiar with the E-3, so the interviews are usually quick and straightforward.
- Edward (about 3 years ago)

Administrative Processing added 3 extra days to the process. This was my third Visa, so be prepared for this unless applying for your first or second Visa.
- Ed (about 2 years ago)

I was well prepared but officer only asked for LCA and passport. 1.5 hr wait, 1 min interview
- Sarah (about 2 years ago)

Super easy, didn't have to wait long for an appointment, took 7 days from date of interview to get passport back (sent to Sydney).
- Adriana (about 2 years ago)

You get in line for the 9:45 entry, doesn’t seem to matter if you’re end of the line / last let in
- Nick (about 2 years ago)

The wait time to get into the consulate was extremely long. I had a 9am appointment and didn’t get in until 10:30am. Be prepared to wait and block out a few hours of your day!
- Edwina (about 2 years ago)

Staff are warm and personable. It was a long wait in the first security line - I arrived at 9.20am for a 9.45am appointment and was through security at 11am. Queue 1 upstairs took 30 minutes and I was out the door after the interview by 12.15pm. It helped the consulate staff that I had taken a copy of my partner’s new E3 visa. It would have helped me if I had taken a book, though I enjoyed the camaraderie and the conversations with my fellow applicants while we waited and waited and waited. Even the security staff seemed to have a working knowledge of Dante’s Inferno and the seven circles of hell. This was a new visa (new employer) but also our third E3-D for me and our kids - my first time going through the process separately to my partner.
- Kate (about 2 years ago)

Melbourne consulate was a bit of a hellish experience although staff were all nice. Security wait times took about 90 minutes. Arrived at 9:15am and got in at around 10:45am. Although I was in the 9:45am appointment time this did not seem to matter. Once through security (they have lockers there for small handbags/bags) you take your paper and go upstairs. You get into another queue for another 1.5 hours. This seemed dumb as there were chairs were you could sit, not sure why you cannot take a number or they call you but whatever. I recommend bringing a book to read. Questions asked included my previous green card lottery applications and a few questions about my role. Interviewer was not too stern either which was nice.
- Caroline (about 2 years ago)

Visa appt was 9am Monday and my passport was back to me in Adelaide by Thursday afternoon
- Kirsten (about 2 years ago)

Even if you book an appointment for 10, get there before it opens.. they don't seem to care about appointment time, I waited for 2.5 hours in line.
- Dani (about 2 years ago)

Bit of a wait to book here, but on the actual day was fine. Didn’t get too many questions, got the visa the next day.
- Lana (about 4 years ago)

Wear comfortable shoes and have all your docs ready, even things you don't think you need. I brought my expired passport that had my current visa. The consulate official stamped it to cancel it. I also brought things like Aus bank statements and my most recent ATO tax filing to prove I haven't cut off ties. There's no seating in the Melb consulate so we had to stand in line the whole time we were waiting. The staff were quick and professional.
- Nicole (about 2 years ago)

Book one of the first appointments for the day (around 9 am) to avoid hours of waiting. Grab a takeout coffee from the lobby cafe and get in line around 8 am. If you do this, you should be in and out of the consulate in under an hour. I had short waits between interviews once inside (under 10 minutes). Longest part was lining up to get inside.
- Amy (about 3 years ago)

Grab a snack/drink in the coffee shop in the lobby of the building before you get in the line.
- Ivan (about 2 years ago)

9:30am appointment but due to short lines I was through security at 9:10! In and out in 1.5 hours with my passport and visa back in hand 3 days later. Friendly staff, would recommend
- Natalie (about 2 years ago)

Easy interview, consulate was very bust so wait times at the interview were a little long. Interview was three easy questions and only took a minute or two.
- Gemma (about 2 years ago)

I live in Sydney but scheduled my appointment for Melbourne due to appointment wait times. I received my passport back within 4 days and am very impressed! This was faster than my first E3 (old employer) in Sydney which took 5 days within the same city.
- Sarah (about 2 years ago)

Melbourne August 2019 was busier than the previous times I have interviewed there (Xmas 2017 being the most recent). This was reflected in the wait time on the day (1.5 hour wait for a 1 minute interview) and passport return (6 days whereas previous experiences have been ~3 days). Good online tracking of passport return with TOLL.
- E (about 2 years ago)

Very good experience at the Melbourne Consulate. Interview wait time was 20 calendar days which could not be avoided. My interview was at 9am for a new E3 and I arrived just before 8 in an attempt to expedite the wait. I was perhaps in line for 25 minutes prior to being called through, then another 15 minutes before the interview itself (which lasted less than 2 minutes). Questions asked were brief and in relation to whether you have applied before, what your degree is and where you are going to work. Be sure to have a letter of offer or petition letter form your prospective employer.
- Tom (about 2 years ago)

Small consulate but very friendly. Got an appointment at 9.45; arrived at 8.30 and good thing as the line took over an hour (they're flexible with appointment times, it's not like you'll be dined entry for being late). Presented documents downstairs and went through security (please don't take laptops or ipads), waited upstairs for maybe ten minutes for a documents check, then another ten minutes for the interview. Had a few questions asked (what do I do, where is my org, visa history etc), and was approved on the spot. Passport return was delayed: had appointment Thu morning, didn't receive tracking number until Monday and only after calling the Travel Docs phone number, then had to harass Toll Couriers to get my passport back for a Wed flight. My fault for booking a tight turnaround, but Toll are useless.
- Sam (about 2 years ago)

If you're interstate, book a hotel close by the night before for ease. Book the earliest slot to avoid excessive waiting.
- Catherine (about 2 years ago)

I had my appointment in Melbourne and my passport was sent back to Sydney 3 days later - also got email notifications from Toll so I knew when it was coming. I had a 9am appointment, lined up at 8.30 and was out by 9.20, everyone was very friendly.
- Rosie (about 1 year ago)

E3 renewal, fourth visa. Wait time was 30 days which was understandable. Consulate appointment was at 9:00 a.m. arrived at 8:45 a.m. and was seen early, left by 9:05 a.m., this was probably the hardest i have been pressed regarding my visa, the consulate officer asked for pretty much everything and then some... which i was well prepared for. What i was not prepared for was the 7 day wait to receive my visa! Overall besides the wait time and the not so friendly bloke behind the desk...7/10
- Cameron (about 1 year ago)

Third E-3 overall, but a new one due to change of employer. Turned up at 8:30am for a 9:00am appointment (admitted in at around 8:50am by consulate security). Interview conducted promptly and was out the door at 9:15am. Questions asked were standard; "Who are you working for? What is your role? How long have you been in roles similar to this?". Documents requested by consulate officer were DS-160, certified LCA, and letter of offer by new employer. Interview was held on Friday 6th of March. Passport with visa included received back on Wednesday 11th March. I got it shipped to Tasmania, so perhaps you could expect it even faster if you had it returned to Melbourne or Sydney. Original wait times for appointments in Melbourne were about 29 days, however cancellations did pop up frequently. I was able to reschedule the appointment to be approximately 12 days out instead. It's definitely worth checking regularly on the consulate website if you're looking to expedite the process.
- Josh (about 1 year ago)

Asked for letter of offer and LCA only. Still processing visas without issue due to COVID19. Just letting less people up every time.
- DC (about 12 months ago)

No
- Mick (about 2 years ago)

You have a pre-interview which has to be two days before US embassy interview
- Jarrod (about 4 years ago)

You can't take mobile phones or smart watches in so either leave them at home or there's a restaurant across the road that will hold them for you for about 50 pesos. It's a window on the corner of the restaurant it looks like a coat check
- Nick (about 2 years ago)

Mexico City does not process many E3 visas so there was confusion from the staff about the required documents. Also, your payment will need to be submitted by someone with a Mexican bank account or you need to pay in cash before booking the appointment in Mexico.
- K (about 2 years ago)

Had an early morning appointment and everything went smoothly. Minus one star because the visa did take a full 5 business days from appointment to be returned.
- Jackie (about 5 years ago)

The process was relatively easy, I went in on a Tuesday morning and has my passport back Monday morning.
- Jannah (about 4 years ago)

I loved Munich. Fairly good turnaround time: Wednesday appt - Tuesday pick-up. Centrally-located consulate with friendly staff. They say "no phones/electronics", but they have small lockers at check-in you can use to store personal belongings. I showed up 15 minutes early for my appt, and had to wait about half an hour. Quick interview, no gotcha questions. Didn't even look at my paperwork. Only down side: the pick-up location is a Mailboxes ETC location north of the city, about 40 minutes on the train. Easy to find, but a bit of a pain. Smooth passport pick up.
- Miriam (about 2 years ago)

Agree, did my last E3 in Bahamas. 10min interview, 3 days on the beach, collect on the 4th day. No problem at all.
- Matthew (about 3 years ago)

I renewed in the Bahamas in March, no issues.
- Mark (about 3 years ago)

Interview on Monday..passport back on thursday. Very straightforward interview process. They did not accept the photographs i got, i had to get new photos next door
- Nipun (about 4 years ago)

They rejected my passport photo and refused to give me a pass-out allowing me to go take new photos and immediately return (I asked as I've heard of them doing this before). They said I could schedule a new appointment as soon as I left the Embassy (not true). There were many people getting new photos at the photo place, rejected for different reasons (photo too old, too dark, too many flyaway hairs, etc.). Next available interview was end of August (2 months away), but was finally granted an expedited interview. Don't bother calling the Embassy customer service for help. Was stuck there for 2 weeks, luckily my boss was understanding, but there were others at the hostel I was staying at in the same situation who were worried about keeping their jobs.
- Rachael (about 2 years ago)

The Bahamas was so easy! Great to go to an English speaking location. The Embassy is quite small so the lines aren't too long. The whole visit took 50 minutes. Appt was 8:15am Mon and my passport was at the DHL by 1:45pm Wed. Highly recommend. Also the beaches here are breathtakingly beautiful!
- Tracey (about 1 year ago)

Hi Team, Just thought we’d share our recent E3 / E3-D Visa appointment experience in Nassau, Bahamas with the group. In summary, we DO NOT recommend doing your Visa run here, for the reasons I’ve outlined below. For context, this was our 4th E3 Visa run. Each time we’ve filled out our DS-160 Form the same way, with the support of company lawyers. This particular trip was for an E3 Visa renewal - same company, same job title. 1. Despite the Visa Appointment Wait Time saying 2 calendar days on the State Dept website, this was not the case! After we had paid our fee, the earliest appointment we could get was over two months away! We took it, and after obsessively checking for cancellations for a week and a half, we luckily managed to get an appointment for the 9th January (which we secured on 29th Dec). 2. We attended our appointment on 9th January in person and at the Step 1 Interview (presenting documents and taking fingerprints) we were told our application was being marked as “Incomplete CEAC” due to the last five visits to the US section not exactly matching the last five entry date stamps in our passports (as in we didn’t count a day trip to Toronto for work as a visit). This is despite the section saying “If you are unsure about when you visited the US, please provide a best estimate”. We didn’t make it to Step 2, which is the interview itself. There was no way for us to challenge the decision in person. The woman we had was extremely rude and unhelpful. We were told that our application would be reopened after 5pm that day for us to make the amendments and re-book a new appointment through the system. 3. The system did not allow us in to book a new appointment until the following day at 2.30pm. The earliest appointment we could get was the 18th March. Phone calls to the embassy kept telling us we must book through the system and nothing could be done over the phone, and that that our only option was to request an ‘Expedited Appointment’ through the system. We did this straight away, requesting an appointment for that following Monday 13th Jan. 4. Monday morning we had still not heard anything back. We again called the embassy, who reiterated everything was done through the system. They did at least say that if we hadn’t heard anything back by 3.30pm that afternoon to call back. Later that morning, our request for an Expedited Appointment was approved via email notification, and we were granted an appointment the following day on Tuesday 14th January. 5. We attended our second appointment and were approved with no issue. Thankfully we did not have the same clerk. However, whilst waiting for our turn, we did witness an additional two parties have their application marked as “Incomplete” at the Step 1 Interview and told to re-book an appointment (these appeared to be local residents, so hopefully it did not present as much of a logistical nightmare for them as it did us). 6. We received notification that our Visa was available to be picked up at midday on Friday 17th January, and picked it up straight away with no issues. The worst part was it took five days of uncertainty before we knew we had a follow up appointment (so began to make back-up plans for a trip to Barbados). This delay was also going to impact me submitting my EAD renewal in time. So if you do plan on doing a Visa run in the Bahamas, do so at your own risk! We will definitely be going to Barbados next time 🇧🇧
- Lisa C (about 1 year ago)

My photo was rejected as you couldn’t see my ears. Had to walk down the street to Mr Photo to get a new one and come right back. The officer was a stickler about the turn around time citing the official time on the website. I had just witnessed a Brazilian CEO ahead of me state he needed his back in 2 days to attend meetings in TX and was granted without hesitation. I had to plead my case why I needed it back in 2 days (my company really did need me for a production cutover that weekend). After being read the riot act I was told to check back in 2 days but no promises it would be ready. Sure enough it was ready in time.
- L (about 3 years ago)

Very quick. Staff were polite and professional.
- Aidan (about 2 years ago)

Ottawa office lets you bring zero with you inc bag, phone - just your paperwork. I was told to bring something to read but in Ottawa there are no seats- you just line standing up so can’t really read anything so glad I didn’t bother. Took about 60mins to get to front of line - they asked for DS160, LCA and letter from company plus hard copy photo (less than 6mths old). Line up for second part for actual interview in total another 30mins. Was asked name of company, job title, salary, if same role as before then told approved. Didn’t go into any details with me at all but then my company pays for lawyers to complete all the paperwork so perhaps the big wad of documents in hand made them comfortable enough not to delve further. Passport had to be mailed to Toronto in my case (my request) so 4 day turn inc weekend (Interview Wed, passport in hand Monday) All up pretty easy and quick. Hope that helps anyone up next.
- Kym (about 2 years ago)

First available appointment was more than two months in advance.
- Little T (about 2 years ago)

I think Ottawa is a forgotten destination for E3 over the more "popular" locations of Bahamas or London. TIPS: *Arrive more than 15 mins ahead of your time even though they say not to. *DO NOT take bags they won't let you in, your file of documents and your iPhone max. *On the application form (at the time of making your appointment) will ask for US or Canadian ID which I did not have. I put the address of my friend in Ottawa who HAD to accompany me to the Post Office to get my passport, zero flexibility on that one. *Ottawa is like Canberra so go with low-ish expectations (I can say that cos I used to live in Canberra. *Appointment at 0745am Monday, passport in my hand 9.30am Wednesday, flight 4.30pm Wednesday.
- Adele (about 2 years ago)

Super friendly interviewer and overall a really smooth experience.
- Edwina (about 3 years ago)

3rd visa renewal /location and by far the best. The entire process was a breeze.
- Kate (about 3 years ago)

Appointment took a total of 50 minutes from walking in to walking out, 46 minutes were spent in a line. Only questions asked were what job am I going to be doing and what company is it? Then a few jokes and I went on my way. Text 2 days later to pick up passport from depot.
- Brooke (about 3 years ago)

Experience was pretty good. Short line. Security much more reasonable and friendly than other locations I've done it at (Sydney, London). One note for people doing this - you cannot pick-up your passport post-appointment from the consulate. You can have it delivered to your hotel, AirBnB, etc. OR you can pay $16 to have it delivered to the Mail Boxes Etc. office in the 15th Arrondissement (this is the fastest option).
- W (about 2 years ago)

Very easy process. Interview was 5min if that and only my LCA was looked at with general chit chat about USA filling the time. Visa was issued day after interview and then pick up was day after that.
- Hayley (about 2 years ago)

Very efficient process. Picking up passport at the store was much easier than getting it delivered. Appointment Tuesday morning, passport was ready by midday on Friday.
- Giancarlo (about 2 years ago)

Paris Embassy are very strict about what you can bring into the building...
- Geraldine (about 3 years ago)

Went to get a new E3 and E3D, had our baby in tow which turned out to be brilliant because we got escorted to the front of every single queue from the second we even approached the security line outside. We were done and out within 20 mins! Appointment was on a Thursday, picked up our passports with new visas from the post shop on Monday. So speedy. If you can, take a baby with you! 😆
- Eliza (about 2 years ago)

The interview lasted just a couple of minutes, I've been only asked what job am I going to do and that's it. My non -Australian husband who was being interviewed with me for his E3D got asked more questions about his previous stays in the US. I recommend using shipping services for your passport as least as you can because my husband's passport was lost by UPS and it was a nightmare. If you can pick it up at a location instead of having it delivered just do it.
- Alex (about 2 years ago)

Terrible experience finding a location. The general information on wait times are severely inaccurate. Dublin had least wait times according to the gov website but had to pay before I could see confirmation screen of timing. Upon payment was told I have to mail in documents first before Dublin embassy will provide an appointment. I was in a rush and unfortunately couldn’t wait and forego fees paid. Next in list was Barbados but contract to government website the wait was too long, again I could get the exact date only after I paid. So wanted $ second time. Final round Paris, appointment time happened in less than 2 weeks but had to fly out with wife and kids from California. Endure the terrible AA connection which had us with delayed baggage. Fortunately I took the paper work with me on hand. Appeared at Paris embassy 45 min ahead of appointment was let in just 5 min before my appointment time and the whole process took 15 mins after getting. Only question asked was if tourism brought me to Paris and the officer was keen to conclude himself I was traveling for vacation inspite of me saying it was a combination visit. Overall if u can afford to come to Paris then beat the queue at London, Belfast and certainly avoid Dublin due to the weird ask to mail documents ahead before being given an interview date. Passport returned in 2 days but ended up with a public holiday on Friday which created a long weekend in Paris. Overall really great experience with the Paris embassy.
- Karthik (about 1 year ago)

Great experience. Arrived 30 mins before appointment time but had to wait to enter security until 5 mins before appointment time. Friendly security and interview staff. From the time at which we entered the embassy, we were out within 45 mins. Ended up being faster than our experience in London last year.
- (about 1 year ago)

Try to get the first appointment of the day and arrive about 30-45 mins early for speedy turnaround. My appointment was at 8:30am and I was back at my hotel at 9am
- Emily (about 1 year ago)

Super quick and they said they don’t get many aussies and didn’t ask any questions besides if I liked Paris. No documents besides LCA asked for
- Caitlin (about 1 year ago)

Only asked 1 question - what type of work do I do. Didn't look at any documents. Very friendly & quick.
- Alexx (about 1 year ago)

While the turn-around was super quick, the consular officer was extremely concerned that I had chosen Paris instead of going to Australia. He put the application in administrative processing but thankfully within 30 hours the visa was issued and then 24 hours later was ready for pick-up.
- Michelle (about 1 year ago)

No hassles, was not asked any detailed questions except for my employer. Appointment was on a Friday morning, got my passport back on Wednesday evening, but that included an extra day for a holiday Monday, so it was a quick turnaround.
- Nick (about 1 year ago)

I had my interview with a crabby bureaucrat before the November 1 public holiday. They clearly didn't want to be there and I faced a battery of questions. I was asked questions to prove my identity - "When was I last in the US?", "Have I ever applied for a green card?". "When did I arrive in Paris?" Questions about my qualifications "What makes you expertly qualified more than a US citizen?" Having a degree wasn't satisfactory enough, so I followed up with "12 years experience". "Tell me about your job, what will you do?". "Where do I live?" to which I answered Australia.
- Kirsty (about 1 year ago)

E3 Renewal - Perth - in Monday 8:30am, returned Tuesday noon. Did give us a bit of a grilling on our questions but the turn around has to be one of the fastest I’ve ever heard of (literally less than a day)
- Michael (about 3 years ago)

Great. Quick and easy. Passport posted back to Sydney quickly. Approved on the spot after two basic questions. Was denied with the same paperwork in Barbados one week earlier
- Ed (about 5 years ago)

All round I’m so happy I went to Perth! However, I had free flights I needed to use and a hotel voucher…so keep in mind it can be super expensive if you’re from out of state. If you have enough time to go to Melbourne, they were great with my B1/B2.
- Georgia (about 3 years ago)

Be sure to check your passport photo - even if it's approved by the online checker, they may ask for a new one (mine was 1+ years old and they wanted another). Also if you need a quick turnaround you should opt to pick up the passport. I didn't even wait for the email to say it's ready, I just called the location (Pack & Send on St Georges Tce) and asked if my passport was there. Turns out it was!
- Catherine (about 2 years ago)

Interview was Tuesday morning, received the passport in Sydney 3pm Friday. Questions were very simple. What’s your job title? What did you study at uni? (Degrees + majors) What is the name of the company? Where is their office (NYC was sufficient) What does the company do? Approved on the spot. Whole process at the consulate took about 2 hours. They had lockers for my valuables could have brought my laptop or headphones without an issue.
- Bryce (about 2 years ago)

Asked for a new passport photo. Was interviewed 2 hours after my interview appointment scheduled time. My interview time was 9am, received my passport back 36 hours later in Sydney. Asked for the D-160, LCA, Resume, Letter of Support and Payment Receipt. Asked what the role is, location, what the company does, qualifications and how I got the job.
- Chloe (about 2 years ago)

Super quick. One other person there
- Simon (about 2 years ago)

Very smooth process. My appointment was at 9am and was out the door by 9.20. My passport with the approved visa arrived at my house in Brisbane the following day!
- Carol (about 2 years ago)

Very polite staff. Whole process took 2 hours, mostly waiting. Actual interview was 3 mins, some simple questions. Could only take in papers relevant to the Visa (weren't allowed books or anything else even though they were non-electronic).
- JMc (about 2 years ago)

Guy who interviewed me asked quite a few questions including what do you do, what degree did you do and is it relevant to your work, what does your company do, is this your first visa, who are you traveling with....all really easy to answer but more scrutiny then other locations. Overall, would recommend as appointments wait times were low and got my passport back within 2 days (sent to Melbourne). Stayed at the Duxton hotel which was right across road from office so super convenient.
- Kat (about 2 years ago)

We had our interview for new E3 and E3-D in Perth. We were notified we were approved after a few questions about the role and employer and received passports back two days later.
- (about 2 years ago)

Have all the correct information and the process is easy and straightforward
- Nicole (about 2 years ago)

Three questions: (1) What was your degree (2) What does your company do (3) What is your role
- Melissa (about 2 years ago)

Very efficient and quick return of passport
- Sarah (about 2 years ago)

Very quick process, short lead time for the appointment, 12 days. Arrived at 8;40am for a 9am appointment, was out of there at 9.05am. Got asked quite a few questions, How I got the job? What my role was? A bit about the company, also asked a little about my degree equivalency. But it was very quick and a successful e3. Highly recommend. Passport was back less than 30 hours after the interview.
- Megan (about 2 years ago)

Fast and efficient. Was in and out from embassy within 25 mins. So much better than my past experiences in Melb where it took 2-3 hours!
- Jane (about 2 years ago)

I arrived at 8am for an 8.20am appointment (first of the day). I was first in line. The security staff were friendly and welcoming. The process consisted of two parts once through the security check: 1. The first window asked for my LCA, DS-160, Job Continuation Letter and a COPY of my Degree. After scanning in the DS-160 she asked if I had a better photo with me as mine was dark (I did. It's always good to have a proper passport photo just in case to save the hassle of having to leave the building and come back). 2. The Consulate Officer called me up to the window. The questions he asked me were: a) What does the company do? b) Describe what your role is? c) What is your degree in? d) What was the name of the University you studied at? e) Is this the same company you worked at on your previous E3? APPROVED!
- Rob (about 1 year ago)

Very small but very chill consulate. Everyone was lovely. I arrived at 9:15am for a 10:00am appointment and they just let me in and took me up. It was about 30-45 mins, most of which was waiting. I couldn’t bring a book but they had magazines and everything. The guy asked me a few questions about my job, my degree, etc and then gave me the approved slip. My fam is in Sydney and I took a 4:25pm flight the next day home to find my visa and passport had beaten me home and was waiting for me on my bed in Sydney.
- Ella (about 1 year ago)

Booked my appointment on 1 October and attended on 9 October. Arrived 15 minutes early for my appointment at 8:40am and waited for approximately 10 minutes. The interview itself lasted less than 5 minutes. I was asked for my DS-160, Labor Condition Application, supporting letter from my employer, and a (scanned) copy of my university degree. Extremely easy and efficient process, staff and security were very friendly. I received my passport by courier (Toll) at my home address in Perth at 10:30am the next day! Couldn't recommend the Perth consulate highly enough.
- Matt (about 33 years ago)

Could have been a better experience. Was asked a couple of questions very casually "what did I study, where did I study and tell me about the role" then it was approved. It was like they'd already decided they were going to approve it before I even answered! 🙂 All done, in and out in under 15 minutes. Passport arrived back in Melbourne 24 hours later.
- Sophie (about 1 year ago)

I had a 8:45am appointment, I arrived 8:30am. You do security screen on one level, then they take you up to another level. Only 3 people in front of me. First time I was called up a friendly guy took all my paperwork. Didn't want original degree, just a copy, as wanted passport, job offer letter, LCA, DS160 Receipt and visa payment receipt. We had a chat about music (as thats my degree). Sat back down, and a different guy examined my docs, called me up to a window and asked 4 questions. 1. Is this a new visa or renewal. 2. What does the company do. 3. how did I get the job. 4. Where did I do my degree (what city/college). He was typing away throughout all this. Then he unceremoniously said "approved" handed me a piece of paper and that was it! Whole "interview" took about 3 mins. I was way more prepared and had all sorts of supporting documentation with me. That was on Thursday morning, I had my passport back in Sydney by 11am Monday morning. My passport did not show up on the tracking system till Sunday evening which had me worried, but there must be a delay in the system.
- Tom (about 1 year ago)

Perth is a great option if the wait times in Sydney or Melbourne are long and your employer will pay to fly you over there to expedite your start date. My appointment was at 9am. I got there 15 mins before as instructed and they took me right through. The appointment was finished by 9am!! Read the other perth reviews for more about the questions asked and what you can/can’t bring to the consulate. My suggestion, if you’re not from perth, would be to stay at all suites studio apartments which are two minutes walk from the consulate as you’re travelling to the consulate without your phone for directions. Once I completed the visa process, I got on a plane the same day as my appointment at 10.3pm and arrived home to Brisbane at 6am the following day. My passport then arrived at 9am that day and although I was home I was sound asleep as I didn’t expect it to arrive the next day!! My passport was taken to the toll depot. I had to call toll (don’t follow their online instructions as I did that at first and then called to double check and nothing had been lodged from the online form) and then I confirmed that i would pick up the next day. They sent me a text message the following morning letting me know it was ready for pick up and then I had to drive to the toll depot at Brisbane airport the following day which wasn’t a huge hassle as my house is only 25 mins away. However, I’d just be aware that perth turnaround can be as fast as one day even if the consulate workers tell you 3-5 business days.
- Michelle (about 1 year ago)

Extremely fast process. I was in and out in 5 minutes. They asked me 'what the company does', 'what my degree is' and 'where I studied'. He approved it instantly and the passport arrived less than 24 hours later at my door.
- Rory (about 1 year ago)

Even though the website says the consulate doesn't open until 8.30am, you can come earlier to line up in the security line.
- Karen (about 1 year ago)

I booked my appointment a week out. Appointment was on a Thursday at 8:40am, I got there around 8:15am and was let straight through - everyone at the consulate was lovely and cheery. I was asked to hand over my DS-160 confirmation, LCA (which I realised later was actually a copy), graduation certificates (copy), letter of offer/support and passport. Officer asked me where I studied, what I studied, how my role related to my degree and then asked me briefly about my previous visa (O-1). He told me I had been approved, I walked out of the door at 8:40am and my passport was delivered to me in Melbourne on Monday at 4pm.
- Emma (about 1 year ago)

~10am appointment, served straight away, was out within 10 minutes and had my passport in my hand the next morning
- Kev (about 1 year ago)

Fastest turnaround I'd ever experienced. I've done about half a dozen e3's and this was the quickest. No problem with security, guy asked me "how would you describe your job to a 3yr old", checked my lca, asked me where I went to college, and then approved me. I flew home to Sydney that day, and the following day got my passport at 4pm. Definitely recommend.
- Tim (about 1 year ago)

Arrived at 8.30am for a 9am appointment and got let through right away. Waiting time was about 15 minutes as others in front of me and issues with their documents. Documents asked LCA, 160, offer letter, transcript. Questions asked were 1)which uni did you go to? 2)what did you study. Visa was approved right after. Received passport next day at 11am! To note: make sure you have every single page of your LCA with you - dude ahead of me missed out a page and didn't have his visa approved. another note - a new E3 applicant was denied even though he had a great offer from Google because the officer couldn't determine his intentions to live Australia.
- Padma (about 1 year ago)

Perth was the best location I've been to so far for a visa application. I've also been to Barbados and Paris, both of those experiences were simple and quick but their consulates were much less friendly. I was in and out of the Perth consulate in an hour, having several chats with the staff on the way. My appointment was at 10:40, but tried to go at around 9:30 and was allowed in early. I received my passport Friday morning, 2 business days after my appointment (Wed).
- Kylie (about 1 year ago)

Consulate gave me the option to return the next day and collect my passport. I opted for the postal option. 7 business days was therefore due to Australia Post, not consulate. Two simple questions about what I do for a living and where I went to get my degrees. In and out within 20 mins.
- Claire (about 1 year ago)

Interview went for 2 minutes. Questions asked: company name, what they do, what I’ll be doing there. Biggest delay was with the postage. Perth staff were super friendly.
- Alex (about 12 months ago)

Super easy process. The embassy takes both new E-3s and renewals. Make sure you bring cash as they do not take card.
- Conor (about 2 years ago)

It's awesome. Highly recommended. Smooth, quick process. Friendly embassy staff. Even managed to pick up passport 25mins early and make the 5pm flight home after turning up early and chatting to the jolly old Icelandic security guard that loves Crocodile Dundee and wants to visit Australia soon. Interviews and pickups are Tuesday/Thursday. So if you get a Tuesday interview, you can pick up 2pm Thursday. I stayed at KEX hostel which was cheap (for Reykavik), clean enough, decent vibe and friendly staff who helped me book some tours.
- Pete (about 2 years ago)

Very easy process! Highly recommend
- Jess (about 2 years ago)

- Booked my appointment two weeks prior and there were lots of openings. They only host interviews on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you go on a Tuesday you'll get your passport back by Thursday and if your appointment is Thursday you'll get the passport back Tuesday the following week. - Once inside, you pay your $205USD or relevant ISK $It took another 5 minutes until - LCA and DS160 documents were the only documents requested. No academic transcripts, immigration lawyer documents, or proof of ties back to Aus were required. Overall great experience in this tiny town, with lots of friendly people.
- Emily (about 2 years ago)

Super easy process - appointment Tuesday, collect passport with visa in it on Thursday. Make sure you bring $205USD for E-3 (or the equivalent in Icelandic$) for the visa fee. Booked an appointment a week out - you don't need to pay the fee online which is helpful. Kex Hostel is 15 minutes walk away from the consulate and great place to stay.
- BC (about 2 years ago)

Great experience. Staff at Iceland are really friendly. Just some advice. I looked up the fees online as you cannot prepay for your appointment. Cash only in either Icelandic Kron or USD. It clearly states $160 USD but when I went to the counter for payment it was $205 USD (or approx $28k Kron). Not a big deal but I had to leave the embassy as I was short by a few $$. The guy taking payment was super friendly and said take your time and come back with the correct amount when you're ready. Interview was a breeze. What are you doing? What does your company do? Was in and out in no more than 5 mins. Interview on Tuesday and had my passport returned on Thursday at 2pm. Will definitely be back!
- Sean (about 1 year ago)

By far the easiest, most straightforward E3 process I've gone through. The embassy is in down town, you could walk to it from almost anywhere. I got there at 8:45am for my 9am appointment, and the doors weren't even open yet. When they opened at 9am, there were 2 x people in line behind me. There are no lockers that I could see, so leave everything you don't need at home. I brought my phone, wallet, but I wouldn't bring a laptop for example because there's nowhere for it. Security took less than a minute, then you go to a window and pay the $205 visa fee IN CASH. Either USD or the equivalent in Icelandic Krona. I heard from another Aussie that they don't take coins, so make sure it's all in notes. 1 minute later I sat down at the next window and gave them my LCA, DS-160 & photos. I had originally picked Barbados as my location, it took them an extra 5 minutes or so to change the location. Then I was called to the final window where she looked at what had been prepared by the prior window, asked me if this was a new E3 or a renewal, what the name of the company was, what I'd be doing there, and then I was approved. Easy as. I had my degree, offer letter, 'ties to home' all with me but as usual no-one asked to see anything. Total time from walking in the front door to leaving with an approved visa was less than 15 minutes. My interview was on a Tuesday - they said to come by at 2pm Thursday to pick up, and gave me a ticket with that info. On Thursday at 2pm I gave my ticket to the guard out front, he came back out 1 min later with my passport. Would highly recommend Reykjavic!
- Laura (about 1 year ago)

Had my original appointment scheduled for Tuesday but there was a city-wide shutdown due to an incoming storm. Embassy changed my appointment to Thursday same time, which was fine. I paid the $160USD application fee but was unaware of an additional $105USD for a 'resiprocity' fee (shrug) but the staff were lovely and let me leave to get more money out. Just FYI, it all has to be the same currency, not a mixture. Found that out the hard way! But after my super quick and easy interview, they told me I could pick up my passport the following day. Easy!
- Sophie (about 1 year ago)

Due to the extremely long EAD processing times currently, we needed to speed up the plan for the E3 renewal. Picked Reykjavík due to great appointment availability and only a 6 hour direct flight from our US location. Quick processing into the building. found out (at the counter) that dates were entered incorrectly on the LCA and I-129 by employer. Rather than flat reject, Consular officers worked a way to issue the Renewal regardless. amazing service. One downside - a winter storm closed the Embassy for our originally scheduled appointment day. Very rare, but be aware.
- Nic (about 1 year ago)

My initial appointment was scheduled for Tuesday 9am. Unfortunately due to a severe storm in Iceland my appointment was postponed to Thursday (2 days later). I attended the new appointment on Thursday and the whole process was straightforward and took about 20 mins. Staff were also very friendly and polite. I thought I might end up having to stay until the following Tuesday to pick up my passport but was very pleasantly surprised to get it back in one day. Would recommend!
- Nela (about 1 year ago)

Very easy experience applying for a renewal. Plenty of availability slots. Small office with friendly staff. If you visit in the winter months - make sure you dress appropriately for the cold weather as the security does not let you in until 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment starts. Appointment on Tuesdays for visa back in hand by Thursdays.
- Mike (about 1 year ago)

The smoothest and easiest visa run I've ever experienced. I've previously travelled to Rome, Barbados and San Jose and this was by far the smoothest and most pleasant. I booked my appointment a few weeks prior to flying to Reykjavik. Landed at 6am and had my appointment at 9am. I arrived at 8:55am and had to wait outside for five minutes while security verified my information. Note: during winter it is pitch black until around 10:30am. Once inside, I paid my $205 US to the cashier (unlike most, the US Embassy in Reykjavik requires you to pay your fee in person, via cash or cheque). The cashier gave me a receipt which I took to the next window. The woman processing my visa was extremely cheerful. She asked to see my LCA and took my fingerprints. I then proceeded to the interview counter where I was asked the following questions: 1. Is this a new E-3 or a renewal? 2. What will your occupation be? I did not need to present any other documentation. Ordinarily, the embassy only takes E-3 appointments on Tuesday and Thursday. In my case, the embassy was open Thursday and Friday to accommodate the New Year's Day holiday. I was told to come back Friday, the next day, to collect my passport at 2pm. Flew back to NY Saturday at 5pm.
- Sarah (about 1 year ago)

Honestly, I know Iceland isn't Barbados but this experience was so good! Super easy, booked a week in advance for a Tue morning interview and picked up Thu afternoon. They were so lovely to deal with and only asked a few questions. (First time visa or renewal, who I was working for, did I have a degree and experience) I had over 100 pages of evidence (no joke) prepared by my legal counsel from work and they only wanted to see the LCA/DS160. I will definitely come back for my renewal in 2 years if COVID-19 doesn't ruin my holidays plans indefinitely.
- Mark (about 12 months ago)

They're not too familiar with the process, so expect a few additional questions.
- Tara (about 3 years ago)

Proceed with caution. The over complicate the process by making you go to two appointments. One to get your photo and fingerprints done and the other to actually have your consulate interview. These two appointments are at opposite ends of the city and need to be scheduled individually. To pick up your visa they will ask you to make an appointment at the location where you got your fingerprints and photo done. This is a hassle because you are at the whim of their appointment scheduling system and I had to wait 2 days to be able to get an appointment. No one speaks English in these locations adding to the anxiety. I also ran into trouble when they forgot to cancel my existing visa and I had to go back to the consulate to get them to correct this before I few out.
- Jeni (about 2 years ago)

When you renew an E3 in Rome you have to submit all your paperwork via email first. I applied a month before I wanted an appointment and they reviewed everything within a week. They didn't have a lot of appointment availability but I was able to schedule an appointment time 2-3 weeks in advance. Everyone at the consulate was very nice.
- Jackie (about 3 years ago)

E3 renewal Rome: - one extra step was involved. I had to email documents to the embassy before they would open up the ability to schedule an interview. - I had the first interview time at 830am and ecause the embassy had already seen my documents, I was in and out by 9:10am. - this consulate only opens up 2 days a week for interviews. - All I was asked st the window was, what do you do?Overall a really quick and easy process. I’ve renewed now in both Paris/Rome and never had any issues.
- Eddie (about 2 years ago)

San José, Costa Rica - not California. Extremely quick, passport back same day
- Nick (about 2 years ago)

I had my interview at 9.30am and arrived at 9am, however I wish I had gotten there earlier to beat the queues. It was a 2.5 hr wait from when I walked in the door to walking out. I was asked what I studied, where I would be working, why I chose San Jose (shortest wait time) and what I had been doing in NYC 2 months prior (interviewing but NOT working which is allowed on the ESTA). The lady said my passport would be ready within 5 business days but I got it back 3 days later. I elected to pick my passport up from the post office in San Jose centre, Correro Central. It is a bit sketchy so just be careful. I stayed just outside the city centre but I wish I had turned it into a holiday and visited the coast which is where all the beautiful beaches and places are to visit. This was my first E3 though so I wanted to get in and out asap.
- Brittany (about 2 years ago)

Firstly, thanks for building this website, I had so much confidence going to the interview. I spoke to 5 lawyers, each giving me different advice about the Visa and 4 out of the 5 said I was not eligible for the E3 (which was complete BS). So please, do your own research, then go to the lawyers if you need the help. I didn’t use a lawyer to help with the Visa. When booking the interview, the wait time in San Jose says 1 day for all other non-immigrant visa’s. The E3 is considered a visitor visa in their system, which had a wait time of 45 days. Don’t worry, just book the appointment and send an emergency request. I literally booked the appointment on the Friday, wrote the letter on Friday afternoon and was on a flight on Monday night! So, I was in America on a B1 Visa for 6.5 months, yes, I overstayed, but 45 days before my Visa expired, I applied for an extension and was asked to submit further paperwork before the 30th August. (Needless to say, I bought that document with me- which apart from my LCA, it was the only document they wanted to see…They didn’t even ask for my employment contract). I was questioned more about my stay for the previous 6 months, than the actual job, I was asked 3x if I was working whilst on my B1 Visa, each time I responded with the truth- ‘I was working under the provision of my B1 Visa’, which meant I was not employed by a US company or being paid by a US employer. I was also asked if I had ever been arrested, which I hadn’t and the interviewer said, ‘are you sure?’ I said ‘I have never been arrested’. The staff there are so lovely! The person interviewing me was quite rude, but I didn’t really expect much else. There was another person from Australia applying for their E3 Visa and he was being questioned for a very long time, but his answers were convincing. He was asked to present a lot more documentation than I was, so take all the papers that you think you may need. Every-one spoke English, the wait was a few hours, so get there early.. The traffic was a nightmare, so stay close to the Embassy. Then you go downtown to pick up the passport at the post office. Which is in the heart of the typically Central America Markets. All in all, it was a great experience. For a few hour direct flight to and from the US (compared to the 17+ hours to Sydney), it is very well worth it.
- Chris (about 2 years ago)

San Jose was a great renewal experience. I made an early appointment for Monday and after waiting in several lines was done in about 90 minutes. The interview officer even apologized for the wait before telling me my passport would be ready in 4 to 5 days. As promised it was ready in time to fly out the following Friday night.
- Scott (about 1 year ago)

This was my 2nd time doing my visa here. They don't get very many E3's ... the first time I had to explain to the guy how it works and how to do it! The BEST thing about this location is that they print your visa the SAME DAY. You wait around 30-40 minutes and then you have your passport back in your hand. It's a busy consulate so get there early but they are very efficient once you're inside. Also don't stay in Santo Domingo, it's cute but no good beaches there. Head to Punta Cana (if you don't mind touristy all-inclusive resorts) or head to Las Terranas (more locals, gorgeous beach) or Puerto Plata.
- Tracey (about 3 years ago)

Confirmed ahead with my lawyer on E-3 renewal at the Seoul Embassy
- Susan (about 3 years ago)

friendly, quick interview
- richard (about 1 year ago)

Was very professional, and well run. You have to line up when you arrive outside, and they let people in the consulate 5 at a time, you then have to line up again when you enter, there were 20-30 people in front of me. So make sure you get there early to get at the front of the line. (my appointment was at 10:15, and i arrived at 10 and was still not early enough). The process at the embassy took about 1.5 hours. I had my appointment on the Tuesday, and my Passport was ready at the pick up spot (Peoples Center) first thing on Thursday morning. *** The biggest issue for me was the booking process. I wasn't able to pay online and had to get someone locally to goto a Singapore Post kiosk and make the payment. I also didn't realise that the payment just get processed til 10am the next day! I managed to get my account frozen for 72 hours because i was trying to enter the receipt number and it wasn't working!!! ****
- Simon (about 2 years ago)

I got granted a B1/2 visa in Sydney in Feb no issues at all very straightforward
- Sarah (about 3 years ago)

I did my E3 in Sydney one and a half years ago and it was about an hour process. 59 mins to get in the door through the line and security. 1 min in the interview.
- Matthew (about 4 years ago)

It was a really easy turnaround
- Josh (about 4 years ago)

Booked the first available appointment for the day - was in and out within 20 minutes.
- Lucy (about 3 years ago)

Interview took 2 minutes. They asked only a few questions, including what my degree was, what the name of the company was, where I would be working/living and how many interviews I had. Took about 2 minutes.
- Brendan (about 5 years ago)

Because it was a renewal, I went to a different window than last time (also got my first E3 in Sydney). I think they asked like 2 questions. Was over in less than 2 minutes.
- Brendan (about 3 years ago)

There’s about 5 different lines that you have to line up in. They say not to get there too early because you can’t join the first line before your appointment time, but I would, just to be safe. I can’t stress enough not to take ANY electronics with you!
- Erin (about 3 years ago)

They didn’t ask to see any supporting documentation, just job title, description, previous job and degree title.
- Rosa (about 3 years ago)

Don’t try to do it in Bermuda
- Ross (about 3 years ago)

Just a few questions why I needed a B1/B2 visa instead of ESTA. Told them I'd been to one of their travel ban countries. They asked when, how long and why I visited. No issues. Passport shipped to BNE within a couple of days.
- Julian (about 3 years ago)

It’s a busy place to get your visa, but that makes it much easier as they’ve got the system down pat. Security is the longest part of the process. The interviewer asked 3 questions and didn’t need the supporting documentation (except the necessary visa forms).
- Dave (about 2 years ago)

I think it took us longer to get through the security check than we spent upstairs in the actual consulate! Appointment was on a Tuesday and we had our passports back on Friday.
- Leah (about 2 years ago)

Longest process was getting the interview - 1 month wait. On the day everything ran smoothly - asked 2/3 questions and then approved - easy process and they didn’t ask for too much background evidence, just letter of offer
- Dave (about 2 years ago)

Only 3 questions asked - needed my letter of employment, my education and where I’ll be living.
- Rachel (about 2 years ago)

We previously were in the US on a J-1 visa and returned to Australia (family reasons) to get our E3 visa. Longest wait time was to get through security. Visa interview was only three questions and only had to provide the LCA, our marriage certificate and our child’s birth Certificate. Appointment was on Tuesday and we had our passports back in Brisbane on Friday.
- Leah (about 2 years ago)

Three easy questions. In and out within 20min.
- Mitch (about 2 years ago)

This is a very busy location and lines can be long. I had 1 hour wait standing in a corridor (no seats available) just to join the security queue. Once joined the security line the rest of the process only took 30 mins. Any electronics other than a phone are not permitted so don’t bring your laptops, iPads, etc. I recommend just taking your documents if at all possible. While I was there people with infants were allowed to skip to the front of the security queue.
- Jennifer (about 2 years ago)

Super easy consulate! Had an appointment in the morning - went through papers check and security, then upstairs. When arriving upstairs, was separated into what seemed to be a "workers" line (vs students/tourists/others), which had no wait time. Was asked three basic questions about what I do and my new job, and was approved on the spot. Passport was returned by courier the following afternoon (was delivered even before I received the tracking number via email). Super easy, 10/10.
- Sam (about 4 years ago)

Would never go here again, went for an E3 renewal after getting my first E3 I’m Bridgetown. The selected me for a background check for no apparent reason, took 7 months for the background check to clear (and it was squeaky clean). The consulate was unresponsive and unhelpful throughout the entire process. Never again...
- Adam (about 3 years ago)

I scheduled my appointment without an approved LCA (just print out the certified one and bring on the day) as appointment times were filling up fast (1-2 month waiting period).
- Bianca (about 1 year ago)

The stated turnaround time for passport to be approved and returned was 7 working days. I got it back in my hands in 3! I arrived at the The Sydney Consulate at 845am. It was relatively busy, but most of the waiting was at the security checkpoint. Once I am in the main interview room, it took no time at all. The interviewer asked me 2 questions across the window pane and did not require any of the paperwork I painstakingly compiled for 1 month! The guy before me, however, got all the hard questions applying for an ESTA.
- B (about 1 year ago)

If you are doing visas in Sao Paulo, be aware that the consulate first requires the applicant to go to the Applicant Service Center (ASC) to provide fingerprints and digital photograph (booking is necessary). After the ASC, the applicant can go to the Consulate for the interview.
- Marco (about 3 years ago)

no
- Francisco (about 1 year ago)

Please note that the embassy is moving to Jerusalem, so one might have a different experience.
- Jenna (about 6 years ago)

Easy location. Make sure you take the 7AM appointment and arrive at 6:15AM
- Yoni (about 2 years ago)

Book the 7am interview to save time. Select the document return center for the fastest passport return.
- Marcus (about 1 year ago)

Renewed for my 4th E3 back in March in Toronto. Quick and easy process but took 3 business days to pickup my passport.
- Leigh (about 3 years ago)

In order to pick up your passport you either need a US drivers license (no other form of US/other country issued photo ID is accepted) or you need to go to be accompanied by a Canadian who has a Canadian-issued photo ID.
- (about 5 years ago)

The visa took 3 business days to process, however, we miscalculated that the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October on a Monday therefore had to stay for one extra day. The Toronto Consulate doesn't provide lockers inside and no phones are allowed. We managed to find a convenience store near by to store our phones and it costs $10 CAD. Overall we recommend it.
- Lisa (about 1 year ago)

E3 update (because I really appreciated being able to read everyone else’s) : had my first e3 interview in Vancouver on Monday morning. I shit you not, took less than a minute of ‘interviewing’. They didn’t care to see ANY of my masses of paperwork. 4 quick questions: What’s your company? What’s your job title? What did you study? How much money you making? -approved, bye - Got my passport back in 3 days.
- Raani (about 3 years ago)

This was my first E3, so I was nervous. I needn’t have been. This is the nicest consulate I’ve ever been to! Even the security guard was friendly. My interview was completely rubber stamped. Guy asked me to explain my role. The only paperwork he looked at was LCA. Vancouver is fun to visit and I highly recommend getting your visa there.
- Kat (about 2 years ago)

The actual visa process was quite easy so I’d recommend Vancouver the problem we encountered was with Canada Post. We got tracking that advised delivery by end of day Friday, after a 7.30am Appointment on the Tuesday. We went to the post office but they said they had already received their delivery that day of passports. They helped me call to try to track them. After a long time I was assured that we would get it by 3pm or I would get a call advising timing. This was Friday of a long weekend so if we didn’t get them we were stuck... went back to post office at 2.30pm to find tracking had been updated to delivery Tuesday... not happy Jan!
- Sharon (about 2 years ago)

A lengthy response I know but when I was looking for some of this information I was unable to find it so thought I would leave a comprehensive review for others to refer to. Please note everything listed below is per my specific case and may well vary on a case by case basis. Paperwork: LCA: make sure page 5 is signed and dated by your employer. I overlooked this once and it obviously delayed the process DS-160: this is obviously the most critical form. Name, DOB, place of birth and passport number should be triple checked Appointment form (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/niv): this is a pretty straight forward form however there are drop downs for some selections. Admittedly, I was in a rush to get through this form to make an appointment and overshot the “place of birth” category by a couple of countries. i.e. I did NOT select Australia. I noticed this a couple days before I was set to jet off to Vancouver and like many other occasions when putting together visa paperwork, I felt sick to my stomach. This is something that cannot be edited. Added to that, there is a clear headline that states something along the lines of “any discrepancy to the DS-160 will cause processing delays”. I called the non-immigrant service and they offered me 2 options. 1. Cancel the appointment and make a new one with the correct information or 2. Make the correction at the interview. It comes as no surprise I elected for option 2. I did a little bit of research online and people said they were able to correct most paperwork errors at the interview. In my mind, if I was to make any errors, I thought the appointment form was the place to do it rather than the DS-160/LCA. Be sure to bring any errors to the attention of the interviewer. The error did not have any affect on visa approval or processing. Entering Canada: To be safe I said I was visiting a friend and not renewing/applying for a US visa Appointment: I had at 7:45 appointment but got to the consulate at 7. This was a waste of time. Whilst you are free to line up whenever you like, they call you at your time intervals. In the case of the E3, the woman asks to see your passport, DS-160, LCA and 2 visa photos (I will get to this more in depth later but be sure you have “US VISA photos” and NOT “passport photos” – there is a place across the road that knows exactly what they are doing and will charge you $15CAD for 2 photos). I brought with me a folder containing my documents and a phone. The phone they store in their locker system and provide you with a bracelet for you to collect at the end. I cannot speak for storage of larger items. There is security downstairs and then you go upstairs for additional screening. Do not have any un-open envelopes. It isn’t a big deal but they will pull you to the side to open them. To expedite just make sure all envelopes are opened/unsealed. Upstairs there are 2 windows who review your information. In my case passport, DS-160, LCA and photos. They are extremely stringent about the photos. Much more so than I’ve ever experienced before. Earlier in the year I had to renew my passport so I had 4 photos taken. Whilst the gentleman at the time said they would satisfy the requirements for a US visa, he was incorrect. Australian passport photos are smaller and the lighting is different. Added to that, it MUST be within the past 6 months. I’m sure somehow/someway there’s a way for them to find out and it was mentioned a few times, if the photo isn’t within 6 months old it would delay the process. Not a risk worth taking. Again, there is a place across the road, or have your photos taken elsewhere in advance of the interview. So my passport photos were rejected, I had to go back out, across the road, and then back upstairs. More of an inconvenience than anything else but I just pushed to the front of the line (the woman at the window said to come directly back to her when done). From here I went upstairs to have the in person interview. As most other reviews indicate, I was asked 2 questions and granted approval on the spot. I was sure to mention the error I had made on the appointment form. Judging by his response this information wasn’t shown on his end as he said I will make a note of it. He also said it should have no affect and cause no delays. This is obviously a case by case thing but if you have made an error on your appointment form then my advice is don’t panic, I’m not sure it has any bearing on the final outcome. 3-5 business days was his estimate for return. You should note that, from my understanding, the day of the interview is not considered the first business. So in my case, my interview was on Friday, Monday is considered business day number 1. Phases of processing: There are 2 websites to track the status of the visa: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ - in my case this went from “checking DS-160” to providing the tracking information. All the while noting current status as “appointment” up the top so do not be phased when this doesn’t change https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx - this is a little more in depth. Nothing will show up until you’re in Administrative Processing. For me this happened at business day 2. Don’t torture yourself by researching what this means online. There are some horror stories but I did stumble over a post that said Administrative Processing was them just printing the visa, so I left it at that. In less than a day it went from Administrative Processing to Visa Issued. I received an email from Canada post with tracking information and it was ready for pickup at 9am on business day 4. Be sure to enjoy Vancouver. It is a beautiful city. Josh
- Josh (about 1 year ago)

I'm not entirely sure what other consulates are like but the Vancouver line got long. It was a pretty extensive wait, but if that's the only negative from the visit you're laughing. The staff was friendly and super helpful. I submitted my DS160 and booked my interview under my old passport, However a few days before leaving the US I received a new passport because my old one had about a year left. I was worried they were going to give me bad news about putting a new VISA in an expired passport, but the lady at the first desk simply changed the DS160 to reflect my new passport (they have the powers to edit submitted DS160's unlike as mere mortals). It was such a huge relief because the E3 process and arbitrary leaving of the country feels a little ridiculous sometimes. One piece of advice is to pick up your passport rather than get it delivered. Passport was ready within 2 days but due to some delivery issues it took an extra few days, which is really stressful when you're on a tight schedule. Long story short, good place to renew.
- Matt (about 1 year ago)

Sharing my E-3 experience in Vancouver, Canada (new job, not a renewal). My new job insisted I choose Vancouver over other locations due to easier processing (proximity to the US), even though Canada has long waits for appointments. I booked mine for 5 weeks out, and chose the downtown location on W Pender St. I had a 7:30am appointment. Turn up 15 minutes early so you get in quick, the line basically extends for everyone with early appointments. It was snowing when I got there, so be prepared for Canadian winters! After about 15 minutes in line where they ask you for your passport, DS-160 confirmation page, and a recent passport photo (don’t worry, there’s a photobooth for CAD$10 upstairs on the 20th floor where you do your interview too). Then they take your electronics (bear in mind lockers here are about the size of a brick - much smaller than Barbados. They had to kee my headphones under the security desk because it wouldn’t fit in the tiny locker. Don’t bring a backpack (you CANNOT bring it in), but I got away with a tote bag with my documents and a bottle of water. Once you enter the first floor, you go through (1) security and then stand in line for your fingerprints and document review. Then (2) fingerprints. Then you get sent upstairs to Level 20 for the actual interview (3). Took me 15 minutes, where they asked where I would be working, the title of the role, the amount of experience I have in the industry, and how much money I would make. Only document they asked for was the LCA. Was told my application was approved on the spot, and to expect an email to pick my passport up at the downtown Post Office in 3-5 business days. Judging by other Aussies who did theirs on Vancouver, I’m going to guess it’ll be closer to 3 days. Plenty of GREAT Asian food in Vancouver (go to Phnom Penh and get the chicken wings and butter beef, thank me later) and awesome dim sum. Great brunch at Medina’s as well.
- Greg T (about 1 year ago)

Interview Process Notes: 1/ Time: EndEnd,
- B.M. (about 1 year ago)

Had an appointment for 9.45am, decided to go early and turned up at 8.30am, they took me earlier, no questions asked. First window, they checked the LCA and asked if it was renewal. 2nd window was finger prints, and then third was the "interview". Longest part of the experience was the security line to get in. However, no Phones (apple watch included) or bags allowed in and there is no storage facilities, so recommend just coming with your papers only.
- Jay (about 1 year ago)

The consul general asked me why I was processing in Austria and not back in Australia - when I said it worked out well with planned vacation she did not like that answer. She was telling me that I was supposed to do it back in Australia (despite me having emailed to check previously). However, while she was chastising me for choosing Vienna as my process location she was stamping my passport so I just apologized and explained it wouldn't happen again.
- Phoebe (about 5 years ago)