Turnaround time at the American Consulate

Please do not schedule your appointment at the Consulate before sending us your application and receiving specific instructions from us. We process applications the same day they are received. As soon as your application is complete, we will send you a confirmation email, indicating the reception date of your DS2019 and SEVIS fee receipt.

The DS-2019 number is mandatory to schedule an appointment at your local consulate. We will email you this number along with all the necessary instructions as soon as your application is approved by CIEE. An individual interview with a consular officer is necessary for all J-1 visa applicants. You will have to be in possession of your DS-2019 and SEVIS receipt the day of your appointment.

All appointment scheduling is done via the consulate’s online portal: USA Visa.

The US Consulate in London has created a video explaining the interview process.

The waiting period varies very much depending on the number of applications; it can take from a few days to a few weeks. For more information on appointment wait times, please check the schedule on this link: Wait times.

Please note that from mid April to mid August, there are additional scheduling delays and fewer availabilities.

Your Visa will be sent to you by post after the interview. Please make sure to verify all your documents (passport, visa type, DS-2019 form, SEVIS receipt) and immediately inform us and the consulate of any problems.

It is not possible for Parenthese to accelerate the visa issuing procedure at any of the U.S. consulates. Certain consulates allow you to request an expedited appointment, granted at their own discretion. All date changes have to be made through your local consulate website depending on availabilities.