US Visitor Visa from the UK (2026): Who Needs One and How to Apply

TL;DR

If you live in the UK on a passport that is not covered by the Visa Waiver Program, a visit to the United States needs a B1/B2 visitor visa. You complete a DS-160, pay the $185 visa fee on ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb, book an interview and attend in person. British citizens travel on an ESTA instead. Since 1 January 2026, Proclamation 10998 blocks visitor visas for some nationalities.

Who needs a US visitor visa from the UK

The B1/B2 visitor visa covers tourism, visiting family and business meetings. You need one if your passport sits outside the Visa Waiver Program. In practice that is most non-British UK residents: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Filipino, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Egyptian, Turkish, South African, Nepalese, Vietnamese and Chinese nationals, among others. The embassy asks you to apply where you live or hold nationality, so UK residents apply in the UK.

Who does not need one

British citizens and other Visa Waiver Program nationals, including EU countries, Australia and Japan, travel on an ESTA. That is a short official online form, not an interview, and we do not sell ESTA help. If an ESTA covers you, stop here and save yourself the fee.

Who cannot be issued one at the moment

Presidential Proclamation 10998 took effect on 1 January 2026. The US Embassy London visas page describes it as suspending or limiting entry and visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries, as well as people applying on travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.

The partial suspension covers B-1, B-2 and B-1/B-2 visitor visas. For UK readers the two that matter most are Nigeria and Zimbabwe. The rest of that list: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela and Zambia. A separate full suspension covers Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and others.

There are exceptions. It does not apply if you held a valid US visa on 1 January 2026, if you are a US lawful permanent resident, or if you are a dual national travelling on a passport from a country that is not designated. If you are caught by the proclamation, we will tell you at the plan step rather than take an order.

The three steps, and the $185 fee

The embassy's nonimmigrant visa page sets out three steps.

1. Complete the online DS-160 and print the confirmation page for every applicant. Our DS-160 form guide walks through the awkward parts.
2. Go to ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb to pay the $185 visa fee and schedule an interview. Visa fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
3. Attend the appointment in person with your documents.

The DS-160 must be signed and submitted at least 2 business days before the appointment, and its number must match the number in your scheduling account. If it does not, you are refused entry and have to rebook. More on that in our guide to booking a US visa appointment in London.

How long the London wait is

The State Department publishes Global Visa Wait Times monthly. In the 21 July 2026 update, the next available B1/B2 interview in London was about 2 months out. That figure moves with each update, so read it as a dated observation rather than a promise. A consulate in Belfast also handles nonimmigrant visas.

What to take to the interview

Every applicant brings the DS-160 confirmation page, one physical 5 x 5 cm colour photograph on a white background taken in the last six months, a passport with several blank pages valid at least six months beyond the stay, evidence of UK status such as a share code or eVisa, and evidence of any previously issued US visas. The embassy says the list is not definitive and the officer may ask for more.

In our experience it is worth carrying evidence of your ties to the UK, your funds and the purpose of the trip, even though none of that is on the official list. See the full document list for UK residents, then use the Bundler to assemble the file and the Compressor to size it.

The interview day

Expect an in-person interview. Security is airport style, with no laptops and no bags above cabin size, and there is nowhere to leave them. You can be admitted no more than 30 minutes before your appointment time, arriving late can cancel it, and you should expect to be inside 2 to 3 hours across three stages: hand in the form, give fingerprints, then speak to a consular officer. A phone can come in but cannot be used. Our London interview guide covers the rest.

If you are refused under 214(b)

Most visitor refusals fall under section 214(b): the officer was not satisfied that you qualify, usually on ties outside the United States. There is no appeal. You may reapply with a new fee and a new DS-160, and you should show what has changed. Read what a 214(b) refusal means before you pay again.

Prefer someone to do the paperwork? Our prepared-for-you US visitor visa service completes the DS-160 with you, builds your document pack, books the interview with you on the official site and gives you a written interview brief, for a £129 service fee. You pay the $185 visa fee yourself and attend the interview.