The US is a free and open society and welcomes citizens from around the world who genuinely want to visit, study and do business there by applying through the US Visa system. America is dedicated to protecting the safety of applicants and keeping doors open to them. Changes in US visa procedures reflect concern for ensuring the safety of US residents and visitors alike and not to make it more difficult for legitimate travellers to enter the country.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, the US has made some changes in the laws governing visitor entry and exit requirements.

America now requires additional application forms and security clearances; applying for a US visa, therefore, may take longer to process.

At first, many applicants experienced hardship when the number of applications caused a backlog and delays became indefinite. Fortunately, the US has now improved the visa clearance procedures. Better inter-agency co-operation and automated procedures have speeded up the clearance process.

There may still be a long period of time to wait for an interview appointment. All visa applications require at least two working days after the interview is completed for the visa to be processed. Additional administrative processing may be required for certain applicants; applicants affected by these procedures are informed at the time of the interview. Since the time required for resolution of individual cases is difficult to predict, individuals should allow ample time before their planned date of travel when seeking US Visas.

While most administrative processing is finished within thirty days of the application, during times of increased travel especially between June and August, this time may significantly increase. When additional administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances and it is advised that travel arrangements should never be finalised until after the visa is issued.