Apply US Visa, Interview, Guide and Tips US Embassy Singapore

If you haven't apply the US visa, please take a look at this post How to Apply for Business or Tourist US Visa in Singapore?

Some tips and guide that you can follow after you've appointment in the Singapore US Embassy. Here is the guide what to do after you arrive at the US embassy in Singapore.

Guide:

1. come early at least 30 minutes before.  You need to queue outside before you can enter the embassy for security screening. After the gate on your left there are seats, proceed over there don't go straight to the queue where people are standing.  - waiting time in the morning 7.45am is about 15-30 minutes.
2. Security screening, you'll need to leave your handphone and bulky items (some handbag and backpack will be considered as a bulky item). Since you can bring your handphone inside, don't forget to bring some books / newspaper with you.
3. After the screening, Proceed and follow the sign (enter the door and turn to your left)
4. At the waiting room, pick up your queue number (non-immigrant) from the queue machine. Find a sit and wait for your turn.
5. You'll be called 3 times. 
• First is for document submission, 
• second for finger print
• Third for interview.
6. Document submission, you need to have your ds-160 confirmation, appointment confirmation, passport and 1x pass photo . After submission go back to your seat and wait your number to be called for the next step.
7. Finger print, go with this sequence: left 4 fingers, right 4 fingers and 2 thumbs, he/she will pass you back the verified documents  and passport in a folder, go back to your seat and wait for the interview.
8. Interview, it will be done in the same room over the counter, pass the folder (the ds-160, appointment letter and passport) back to the interviewer. Counter 1 which looks like small room has a door and chair but no one close that during interview and counter 5 is a standing counter, my point here is basically during the interview everyone in the waiting room can hear you :( so don't speak too loud.
9. The interview always cover the basic such as your purpose to visit USA, how long you'll be there,etc. it can be short or long depends whether you've credibility. It's always good to bring letter from company that support your business trip, agenda, itinerary, hotel booking although it's not required. For US tourist visa bring your bank account statement and other supporting document.  He/she will immediately tell whether they approve or reject your visa. 

Tips:  

1. Bring a book / newspaper, for all the 3 steps it takes about 1.5 hour . If you forget don't worry there are TV in the waiting room that showing the steps before interview and some info about living in the U.S.
2. Always come early and take the earliest slot for appointment, the sitting in the waiting room is limited, a lot of people were standing after 8.30am.
3. If you forget to take pass photo don't worry, there's a id photo booth inside the waiting room. The only thing you need to worry that it costs $10 for 2x pass photo. 

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How to Apply for Business or Tourist US Visa in Singapore?

How to apply for business or tourist visa in Singapore? It's not that difficult to apply for Business / Tourist US Visa in Singapore, most of the work will be done online.

1. Check whether your country is eligible for US visa waiver program

With this program you can stay at US for 90 days without obtaining a Visa. check this US Visa waiver program link. if you are eligible you can proceed to Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

2. If you required the US Business / Tourist Visa

most likely you'll be under non-immigrant visa and required B1/B2 category.  check this link for more information about B1/B2 category.  if you want to see the whole category of the non-immigrant Visa you may check this link.

The B-1/B-2 visitor visa is for persons desiring to enter the United States temporarily for business (B-1) or for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2). Generally, the B-1 visa is for travel to consult with business associates, to attend scientific, educational, professional or business conventions/conferences, to settle an estate or to negotiate a contract. The B-2 visa is for travel that is recreational in nature, including tourism, visits with friends or relatives, medical treatment and activities of a fraternal, social or service nature. Often, the B-1 and B-2 visas are combined and issued as one visa, the B-1/B-2.

3. Fill in the DS-160 Online form. 

what are the information that you need?

• Passport details 
• Travel itinerary (flight, address where you will stay in US, etc) 
• Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States, if you have previously traveled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years. 
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae - You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history. 
• Family information (your parent, sibling, spouse and children)

Important: 

• Remember your ID number. When you begin a new DS-160, you will be issued a unique application identification (ID) number after selecting and answering a security question. Once you have your application ID number and have selected and answered a security question, you may exit the DS-160 application and return to it later. You must have your application ID to return to your application. To save your DS-160 to the Consular Electronic Application Center website, click the “Next” button at the bottom of each page you complete. You have 30 days to return to a partially completed application. To access your application after 30 days, you must save it to your computer hard drive or a disk
• After you finish your online form before you do the submission, please "save application to file" keep it just in case in the future you need to apply another visa, you can simply upload this data for the new visa application. 
• Print out the confirmation page with the bar code on it (not the whole DS-160 form) 

click here to access the DS-160 online form.

4. Create a online profile 

to schedule an appointment go to this site.

A MRV fee payment receipt number is required to book an appointment, you can proceed to step no 5 for the payment information. You must wait for 4 hours from the time you paid your fee before you can schedule your interview.

5. US Visa Payment

You can do online transfer through Standard Chartered Online Banking or direct payment at the Standard Chartered Bank Branch .

For Online Payment.
You need to have SCB online banking, click here for the guide.

For direct payment.
you need to print the deposit slip, click here for the guide. for more information about SCB branches click here.

Below is the list of SCB Branches that WILL NOT be accepting MRV fee payments, over the counter (OTC)

 - Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn #B1-16
 - Serangoon Garden, 67 Serangoon Garden Way
 - Sixth Avenue, 795/797 Bukit Timah Road

Find the nearest Standard Chartered Bank

You must bring your passport or a copy of your passport's bio page to the bank when you pay the visa fee. At the bank, you must write your passport number, fee payment amount and your telephone number in the U. S. visa fee collection slip available at Standard Chartered Bank. After receiving your payment, the bank will give you a receipt.

6. Book your appointment 

You can do it from the same website as described from step no 4, here is the link.  
You must wait for 4 hours from the time you paid your fee before you can schedule your interview.

you can find the receipt number in your payment slip / in the online reciept as shown below

Please bring the receipt for your appointment, for online banking you can take the screen shot as above and print it out. 

Choose the earliest slot in the day if possible, please check my guide on the US Visa appointment in Singapore. I wish all the best :) 

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