Q: I have an upcoming consular appointment with the United States embassy. What do I need to know to enter the embassy?

A: This is an important question, and we appreciate you thinking ahead about your appointment. Regardless of why you are visiting, there are a number of items to keep in mind.

Arrive only at your appointment time, as arriving early can cause unsafe crowding and traffic issues outside the embassy. For example, if you have a 9:00 am appointment, you should arrive no earlier than 8:45 am. Your appointment time is the time you will be admitted to the embassy, not the time of your actual interview.

Shortly before your appointment time, the greeters will call for all visa applicants with a similar appointment time slot, and you will all enter the embassy together, as a group.

Please note that US citizens visiting the American Citizen Services Unit do not need to wait in the visa line, and should identify themselves as US citizens to the guards as soon as they arrive.

Help the embassy make your visit a safe one. All visitors to the Consular Section, including US citizens, must enter via the dedicated consular entrance on Old Hope Road and follow security procedures.

Any visitor who declines to be screened by US Embassy security personnel will not be permitted to enter the embassy.

The embassy website lists items that may not be brought into the embassy. The embassy reserves the right to prohibit any item at any time, but in general, the following items are prohibited:

• All electronic devices including smart watches, tablets, radios, Bluetooth-enabled devices, and thumb drives;

• Weapons such as firearms, knives, scissors, or other sharp objects;

• Luggage, large bags and backpacks;

• Food;

• Liquids;

• Cosmetics of any type;

• Umbrellas and tools;

• Writing instruments.

Please remember to bring contacts, photos, or any other information that you wish to have available in hard copy, as there is no exception for electronic devices. For your comfort, a canteen is available in the interview waiting area if you wish to purchase drinks or snacks, and restrooms are also available.

Be aware of who can accompany you. Our space is limited, so interviews are limited to the applicant only. The only exceptions are for minor applicants, non-English speaking applicants, and elderly or disabled applicants requiring assistance.

Minor applicants must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. Non-English speakers may bring a translator, and elderly applicants, or those with disabilities, may bring one person to provide assistance.

We hope this information is useful and look forward to seeing you when you come to the embassy.

For more information about visas, please visit our website jm.usembassy.gov/and the website of our authorised service provider at www.usvisa-info.com . Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/ US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter . We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.