Pre-exchange:
On the 28th of December 2015 I embarked upon a 5-month semester abroad at the University of Georgia in the United States. It was going to be the longest time I had spent away from home and I was very excited, but also very nervous. The last few weeks before my departure were marked by the bureaucratic nightmare of having to replace a stolen passport as well as applying for a visa. In recent years, applying for an American visa has become a less intimidating process and, with the support of the host institution, it is highly unlikely that one should experience any problems with the application. The application is filled in online and once completed, an in-person appointment at the Embassy (in Tokai) will need to be booked. During the in-person appointment, a consular official will ask you a few questions, just to confirm the information you have already submitted and will then either approve or deny the application. They are also extremely prompt, and one can expect to receive the visa about two days after the appointment. (more…)
