Visa secured :) get started early

In case anyone else was pretty nervous about me getting my visa less than three weeks before leaving for argentina , I did in fact get it on Wednesday. For those of you Fulbright students interested in knowing the process, here you are (I wish I had someone to tell me what's up in the fall...)

1. Get a copy of your birth certificate so you can get an apostille. In north Carolina, it must be a birth certificate printed in the last few years by the nc vital records office. $25
2. Get your fingerprints done. Send them off to the FBI for your criminal record. $15 for fingerprints and $30 for record.
3. Once you get your birth certificate (this took two months for me so don't wait) and criminal records, get them translated in Spanish. I didn't realize this so this made the process more difficult. Technically, it should be an official certified translation but rumor has it that a simple translation will suffice.
4. Get an apostille of each of these documents at the authentication office. In NC, I dropped the documents of and was able to pick them up the next day. $20
5. Wait for Fedex package from Argentina. You aren't supposed to open it.
6. Call the closest embassy that you put down earlier in the process and ask for directions. Ask for names, be persistent and don't get off the phone until you know what you need to do.
7. In my case, I was told to send in the documents and I'd be able to get my visa that way...then after no response from my package of documents, I learned I did in fact have to come to d.c to go to the embassy. So it might be more efficient just to make an appt early on and just get it over with.
8. Go for your appt which varies from person to person. I didn't have to wait at all and it took them only about 20 minutes to process my visa. Obviously bring your passport and documents if you didn't mail them ahead of time.
9. Visa is several documents stapled into your passport. It's not a student or work visa, it's a Fulbright special visa. The embassy told me to be firm at border crossing so should be interesting. Will let you know...