Approximately 4-6 weeks before the scheduled immigrant visa, the applicant and petitioner will receive an appointment notice via email that contains the location and date of visa interview. The applicants must carefully review the consulate-specific instructions available on the U.S. Department of State website and prepare all the required original documents, including medical examination.
The applicants should keep in mind the following rules:
- Failure to bring a copy of the appointment letter to the interview may delay the interview
- Applicants should not make any travel arrangements such as airline tickets purchase or sale of property in their home country
- It can take some time for the U.S. Embassy/Consulate to make a decision on the visa application
- No assurances can be given that an immigrant visa will be approved
Many U.S. Embassies/Consulates also require applicants to register for courier services used to return passports with stamped visas.
During the interview, a consular office will confirm the information contained in the Form DS-260, determine if the applicant is admissible as immigrant, review the supporting documents, review the medical examination, Affidavit of Support and sponsor’s proof of income. If a petition is based on marriage, a consular office may ask questions about the validity of the marriage.
If the applicant is found inadmissible on a ground that has a waiver available, the applicant will be required to submit a waiver form and supporting documents to USCIS. Once the waiver application is processed by USCIS, the decision will be forwarded to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
An approved immigrant visa is typically valid for 6 months. To become a permanent resident, the immigrant visa holder must travel to the U.S. before the visa’s expiration date.
If an immigrant visa application is refused, the applicant will receive a written notice informing of the reasons for denial. If the reasons for the refusal may be overcome by submission of additional evidence, and the applicant is willing to provide it, the case will remain open for 1 year. If no additional documentation is provided within one year after the interview date, the application will be terminated. The applicant has the right to have the application reinstates within one year if the failure to provide documentation was beyond applicant’s control.
USCIS Immigrant Fee. Immigrant visa holders are required to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee of $220 after receiving the visa packet from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. The fee must be paid online on the USCIS website and the confirmation page must be saved for your records. Anyone can pay this fee using a debit or credit card, or a U.S. checking account. The green card will be delivered by mail after the applicant enters the U.S. to the address provided on Form DS-260. Upon arrival in the U.S. the immigrant visa will be stamped, this stamp is used as a proof of the holder’s permanent resident status for 1 year.
Specific interview instructions for each U.S. Embassy/Consulate are provided below:
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates- ABD
Antananarivo, Madagascar – ANT
Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo – BRZ (Immigrant visa applicants residing in Republic of the Congo must attend an in-person visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Bujumbura, Burundi – BUJ (Immigrant visa applicants residing in Burundi must attend an in-person visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya)
Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti – DJI
Guatemala City, Guatemala – GTM
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – HCM
Johannesburg, South Africa – JHN
Kampala, Uganda – KMP (Immigrant visa applicants residing in Uganda must attend an in-person visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya)
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo – KIN
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – OUG
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – PTM
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – PTS
San Salvador, El Salvador – SNS
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – SDO
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – SAR
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (DV, Diversity Visa) – THT
Related Articles:
DS-260 Form – Step-By-Step Guide
