Applicant Interview
Prior to your interview, ensure you have followed the U.S. Embassy or Consulate interview preparation instructions. On the scheduled date and time of your interview appointment, go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. A consular officer will interview you (and accompanying family member beneficiaries) and determine whether or not you can receive an immigrant visa. As part of the interview process, ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken.
Who Must Attend the Interview?
You, your spouse, and any qualified unmarried children immigrating with you must participate in the interview. If your spouse and/or qualified unmarried children will immigrate at a later date and travel separately from you, they are not required to participate in your interview. They will be scheduled for a separate interview appointment. You should contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate directly to arrange separate interviews, if needed.
What to Bring to the Interview
Appointment Letter - Your appointment information from the Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website.
DS-260 Confirmation Page - You can print this from the Consular Electronic Application Center any time after you complete your DS-260 application.
Passport - For each applicant, an unexpired passport valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States
Photographs - Two identical color photographs for each applicant. Photos must meet the standards explained in the Photograph Requirements.
Medical Exam Results - If the panel physician gave you sealed envelopes containing each applicant’s medical examination results, please bring those unopened envelopes. Some physicians send the medical examination results directly to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. For more information, review Prepare for the Interview.
Original and Supporting Documents - Bring original documents or certified copies of all civil documents for you and each family member applying for a visa (with the exception of your passport). You may also be required to provide evidence of work and education requirements, marriage certificates, marriage termination documentation, and custody documentation. Your original documents will be returned to you when the interview has been completed. The photocopies will be kept. For more information, review Prepare Your Supporting Documents.
English Translations - If documents require English translation, you must obtain certified translations and present them on the day of your interview. For more information, review Prepare Your Supporting Documents.
Visa Fees - If you did not pay your visa fees prior to your interview, you will need to pay them before speaking with a consular officer. For more information, review Prepare for the Interview.
Important Notice
You should not make permanent financial commitments, such as selling your house, car, or property, resigning from your job or making non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you have received your immigrant visa.
Additional Information
I need to reschedule my appointment - If you cannot appear at your scheduled interview, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible. Under U.S. law, all diversity visas for a fiscal year must be issued prior to September 30. Available visas for some countries and regions may be used up prior to that date. In addition, once all available diversity visa numbers have been allocated and used, the program must conclude for that year. For these reasons, if you delay your appointment, you may lose your opportunity to immigrate on the basis of your DV application.
I would like my spouse and/or children to follow me to the United States after I immigrate. Can they do that? - Yes but remember that all diversity visas for a fiscal year must be issued by September 30. Available visas for some countries and regions may be used up prior to that date. In addition, once all available diversity visa numbers have been allocated and used, the program must conclude for that year. For these reasons, if your spouse and children delay obtaining their visas, they may lose their opportunity to immigrate on the basis of their DV applications. If this happens, you will need to file a petition to bring your family to the United States at a later date. If they do not obtain diversity visas prior to September 30, or before the annual limit is reached, your spouse and/or children may have to wait several years to join you.
Can my spouse or children receive diversity visas, even if they were not on my original entry? – If you were married, or your child was born or adopted after you submitted your entry to the DV program, you can add them to your case, and they may be eligible to receive diversity visas.
If you were married or had children prior to entering the DV program, and you failed to include your family members on your original entry, your case may be disqualified. If disqualified, your fees will not be refunded.
My child will turn 21 years old soon - Children generally must be unmarried and under age 21 to qualify as derivative applicants. Also, they generally must use their visas to enter the United States while still under age 21.
If you have a child who will be turning 21 soon, you should immediately contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where your interview is scheduled. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate will determine whether an earlier appointment is needed. If your child no longer qualifies to immigrate with you based on age, then a separate petition must be filed for the child after you immigrate. There may be a significant delay before your child becomes qualified for a visa.