As each consulate and embassy differ vastly from country to country we cannot give estimations on timelines, however, the below list should cover what will be necessary.
Documents necessary for Consulate/Embassy
- Fees – You may have to pay a non-refundable visa application fee, if you are, you will be required to pay it before your interview. Approx $200 dependent on Consulate location. Always check fees as they may have recently increased.
- When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee. Dependent on Consulate location.
- Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
- Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview
- Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photographs
- Review the instructions available on the website of the embassy or consulate where you will apply to learn more about that specific country fee/photo requirements/application.
- Bring the ORIGINAL I-797 approval notice for immigration petition I-140
- A copy of your I-140 application as-filed along with your evidence
- The receipt notice for Form I-824 (only if you didn’t indicate you were applying for consular processing in the initial immigration petition) and the approved notice for Form I-824
- Evidence that your last residence was in the host country of the past
- Consular Processing application forms (Form I-824)
- Your SEALED Medical Exam performed by USCIS approved doctor
- Employment information for the past 10 years (resume)
- Birth Certificate – important that this is the long-form version. Please check.
- Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). If more than one person is included in your passport, each person who needs a visa must submit a separate application.
- Military Records, if applicable
- Marriage Certificates, if applicable
- Documentation of termination of prior marriages (e.g. divorce decree or death certificate), if applicable
- Address since the age of 16
- Police certificates from every country where an applicant has resided for one year since the age of 16. Police certificates must cover the entire period of an applicant’s residence in that area, must have been issued by the appropriate police authority, and must include all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each recorded case.
- Additional Documentation May Be Required – So please review the instructions for how to apply on the website of your embassy or consulate
- The consular officer may provide you with special forms to complete for this purpose.
- It is impossible to specify the exact documentation required since circumstances vary by embassy.