Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines.
After receiving your interview appointment letter, create an online profile at www.ustraveldocs.com, register your visa delivery address, and schedule an appointment for your photo and fingerprints to be taken at the Visa Application Center (VAC).
The date of your VAC appointment needs to be before your interview.
VAC registration is free, register here.
Note: Failure to schedule your VAC appointment before your Embassy appointment will result in the cancellation of your visa interview.
All visa applicants with Embassy appointments after October 1, 2024, must schedule another appointment for taking photos and fingerprints before the interview.
Visa Application Center (VAC)
Parqal Building 8, Level 3
Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, Tambo,
Parañaque, Metro Manila
Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM
IMPORTANT NOTES:
It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview.
Print the checklist below and bring it along with the listed documents. In most cases, you will also need to upload your original documents into our systems.
Schedule a medical exam at our Panel Physician, St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic, two weeks before your interview date. Click the “Medical Exam” link below for instructions.
Read our interview guidelines to understand what to expect during the interview. Check here to confirm if your original documents were properly uploaded and submitted into the system.
Every applicant must bring the following documents to the immigrant visa interview. In most cases, applicants must also upload and submit all required and updated documents through the CEAC portal before the interview.
A copy of your interview appointment letter.
A copy of your DS-260 confirmation page you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/ceac
Passport valid for six months beyond your intended date of arrival to the United States.
One photograph for applicants under the age of 14. For visa photo requirements, please visit our website.
Your original birth certificate and English translation (if applicable). For Philippine-born applicants, you should obtain this from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), you may visit their website at https://psa.gov.ph for more information. If born outside of the Philippines, you must bring the birth certificate from your country of birth.
Original birth certificates for your spouse and all children if they are applying for visas.
If you are 16 years of age or older: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries where you previously lived.
If you have served in any country’s military: Military records with English translation (if applicable).
For immediate relative and family preference visa applications
The appropriate Form I-864 Affidavit of Support (AOS) for each financial sponsor, along with a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript (or tax return AND W-2 forms if a transcript is not available) from when the AOS was submitted, and for the most recent year.
Form I-864W for IR2 applicants under 18 years of age who is unmarried, immigrating as the child of a U.S Citizen, and will automatically become a U.S. Citizen under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 upon admission to the United States.
Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card).
Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, or emails).
If you or the petitioner were previously married, provide proof of termination of previous marriage(s): A Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) from the PSA indicating the annulment or termination, the original divorce or annulment, presumptive death court records, or death certificate from the country where it took place. Include an English translation (if necessary).
For IR5 and F4 petitions: An original birth certificate from PSA for your petitioner to verify the parent/child (IR5) or sibling (F4) relationship. If your petitioner was born outside the Philippines, you must bring the original birth certificate from their country of birth and its translation (if applicable). If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, with English translation. If the marriage was celebrated in the Philippines—an original copy of the marriage certificate from PSA.
If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents including a declaration of finality, with English translation.
For all employment-based visa applications (E2, E3, EW):
A job offer letter stating a salary that meets the local prevailing wage from your U.S. employer dated less than one (1) year ago and a photocopy.
For E2, E3 applicant nurses:
For E2, E3 applicant physical therapists: An original of your Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) and a photocopy.
If you are an applicant for a Diversity Visa (DV), all the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview; create a profile and schedule a biometrics appointment; and gather the required documents.
Below are additional instructions that apply only to DV applicants.
Bring to your interview
In addition to the documents listed on the Pre-Interview Checklist in this package, DV applicants should also bring the following items to your visa interview:
Review your DV Lottery entry
Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, you must have correctly entered your name, date of birth, country of birth and marital status. If you are legally married you must have listed your spouse, even if you are currently separated from him/her (unless your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident).
Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. This includes your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country.
Failure to have listed your spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery will result in the denial of your visa and visas for your family. Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable. If you failed to include a child who had already been born, or a spouse to whom you were married when you entered the lottery, you should not proceed with the visa application as you will be disqualified. You can review the eligibility requirements online.
All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLEC) two weeks before your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted. You are also encouraged to register online with SLEC. Registering online will save processing time and make your visit to SLEC faster and more efficient.
St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic
1177 J. Bocobo St.
Ermita, Manila
Tel: (+632) 8521-0020
The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical examination process:
All medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to SLMCEC. Refer to the SLMCEC website for information regarding the medical examination fees.
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, chest X-ray, and blood tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older). The United States also requires tuberculosis (TB) testing for all applicants two years of age and older and gonorrhea testing for all applicants 18-24 years of age. Be prepared to discuss your medical history, medications you are taking, and current treatments you are undergoing. More information on general medical requirements for U.S. immigrants is available on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website.
After completing your medical examination, the doctor will either provide you with the exam results in a sealed envelope or send them directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Bring it to your visa interview. Any x-ray images taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview. However, you must carry them with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
Applicants are strongly recommended to attend the originally scheduled interview date. If you cannot attend your appointment, you must reschedule your interview at www.ustraveldocs.com. Please be aware that there may be a significant wait before the next available appointment.
For family preference and employment visa categories, please carefully review the Visa Bulletin before you decide to reschedule your interview. There is no guarantee that a visa number will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview.
Note: You must register your original NVC/KCC appointment online before you can reschedule. Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.
Security screening procedures
For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, bringing cell phones or other electronic devices inside the embassy is prohibited. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview.
To ensure the safety of these items, we encourage you to leave them at home and not rely on third parties who charge to keep these items. The Embassy has no mechanism or location to hold or safeguard items and therefore is not affiliated with individuals who offer these services.
Accompanying persons
Anyone whose name is not listed on the visa appointment letter will not be allowed to enter the embassy. Petitioners are not required to attend the applicants’ immigrant visa interview. Due to limited space in the visa waiting room, we cannot accommodate petitioners or attorneys in the waiting room or at visa interviews. Only the following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
Immigrant visa fees
If you have not paid all the required fees to either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Philippine peso equivalent. We accept cash and credit cards only. Please note that if you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. A complete list of fees can be found here.
Do not make travel arrangements before receiving a visa
A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa. Do not sell your house, car, or property, resign from your job, or make non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you have received your immigrant visa.
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet (if applicable) and print a visa for your passport. We will return your documents to you via an authorized courier service. If you have to travel within the Philippines while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.
If more information is needed
Sometimes a Consular officer is unable to make a decision on a visa application because he/she needs to review additional documents, or the case requires further administrative processing. When additional documents are requested, the Consular officer will give you a refusal letter that asks you to submit additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the Embassy. Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. and varies based on the circumstances of each case.
What happens after visa approval
Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – Review your visa for any spelling errors as soon as you receive it. In some cases, we will also provide a sealed envelope containing documents that you must give to U.S. immigration authorities upon your first arrival in the United States. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you; do not put it in your checked luggage. If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry them with you and present them to the U.S. immigration authorities.
USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before traveling to the United States. This fee covers the processing of your residency status and printing of your Permanent Resident Card. Exemption from this fee include children entering the United States under the Hague adoption programs, Afghan special immigrants, returning lawful permanent residents, and individuals traveling on a K visa.
When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually based on the expiration date of your medical report. Your visa cannot be extended, and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. Unless they are eligible for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act, children who are issued a visa before turning 21 years of age must enter the United States before their 21st birthday to avoid losing their eligibility.
Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will automatically be mailed to the address in the United States that you indicated in your visa application form. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to reside in the United States. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before your green card arrives: Please consult USCIS’s and CBP’s websites for rules about what documents you need to re-enter the country. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are in compliance with their rules. and regulations. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you may lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.
Children’s Issues – In the United States, children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. If your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will need these papers (translated into English) for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.
Information for New Immigrants – Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. You can read their publication “Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants” online.
Last Updated: 10/8/2024
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Manila, Philippines 1000
