The Immigrant Visa Interview
Applicants registered in the immediate relative category will be contacted within 30 days of returning forms IV-F04 (PDF - 75 kb) and DS-230 Part I (PDF - 175 kb), Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration - Biographic Data to schedule an appointment. Those registered for immigration in the family or employment based preference categories are subject to the annual numerical limitation on immigrants admitted into the United States. In such cases, the appointment for the formal visa interview is scheduled within two months of a visa number becoming available for the applicant’s use. Applicant will be sent an appointment information package containing an invitation letter for the visa interview.
Who is required to attend the interview?
All applicants applying for immigration in the immediate relative category, regardless of age, are required to visit the Embassy in person for a formal visa interview with a U.S. consular officer. Outside parties, such as legal representatives, may not be present for the interview.
Visa fees
Each person immigrating, regardless of age, requires an immigrant visa. Those applicants who have not paid their visa processing fee at the NVC must pay it at the consular cashier before their interview. The fee is payable at the consular section, in cash in U.S. dollars or the equivalent in Polish currency at the Embassy's exchange rate; or by a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Novus/Discover or Diners only). Checks are not accepted, euros are not accepted either. The fee is not refundable, even if an application is turned down. Please bring the exact ammount of money to pay your visa application.
Note 1: Applicants from non-E.U. countries may only pay with cash.
Note 2: All fiancee visa applications must be paid in cash.
Will the visa be issued on the day of the interview?
Due to enhanced security regulations, visas can no longer be issued on the day of the interview. Provided everything is in order at the time of the interview, immigrant visa applicants from Belarus and Ukraine usually receive visas the following business day. Applicants from Poland receive their visas via DHL courier service.
Visa Ineligibilites
Under U.S. visa law some people are permanently ineligible to receive an immigrant visa and are not eligible to enter the United States unless they have obtained a waiver of the permanent ineligibility. These include persons who have been afflicted with a disease of public health significance, a mental disorder which is associated with a display of harmful behavior, drug or alcohol addicts/abusers, and those with criminal records. Anyone who has been arrested and/or convicted of any offense, regardless of when it may have occurred, is required to declare the arrest and/or conviction. A determination on a person's eligibility for a visa cannot be made until the day of the formal visa interview. If the applicant is found ineligible for a visa, the consular officer will advise the applicant if he/she is eligible to apply for a waiver of the permanent ineligibility and of the steps which must be taken to apply for and process the waiver. Requests for reconsiderations of a visa adjudication may be submitted through our Public Liaison Unit.