Arranging the visa interview is so expensive, I’m sure I must have been calling the White House or something. ©
When I enrolled at Kellogg by submitting my deposit, I also submitted my I-20/DS-2019 Request Form to the school to allow me to apply for an F1 student visa. The I-20 finally arrived from Kellogg a week or two ago. On Friday I moved this process on to the next stages, which meant getting myself financially bled three times.
- First, I paid $200 online for SEVIS. I don’t know what SEVIS is, other than it is a necessary evil.
- Then, I had to call up the consulate in the UK to book a visa interview. They charged £1.50 (~$2.20) a minute and the call lasted about 10 minutes. For some reason this felt the most painful of the three charges. Maybe this was because I could feel the money slowly and surely drawn out of me, whereas the other transactions were quick.
- Thirdly, the visa interview itself cost $131 dollars.
I’ve scheduled the visa interview for next week. I’m hoping it is trouble free; the documentation they’ve sent through lists numerous reasons for abruptly canceling the interview and have me arrange (and pay for) another interview, including arriving at the embassy with a mobile phone.
