The Interview

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Immigrant Visa Interview Instructions (PDF 63 KB)

Family Based Immigration

Once your petition has been approved, fees have been paid, and documents have been submitted to the National Visa Center (NVC), you receive your interview appointment letter. After receiving notification that an interview has been scheduled, it is important that you (and any family members applying to immigrate with you) prepare for the visa interview. If you have not received your interview appointment letter, please check your status here and follow the instructions given to you by NVC. If you are waiting for your priority date to be reached please check the Visa Bulletin.

The following documents are required for your case. If you did not submit these documents to NVC, you are required to bring the original documents (with notarized English translation) to your scheduled interview appointment. Failure to provide these documents at your interview will delay your case.

  1. Additional Questionnaire If you are a third country national (not a citizen of Burma) applying for a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa, the additional form listing family members and occupations is not required.
  2. Passport(s): Original and one photocopy of a biograph page, valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States.
  3. Photographs: Two unfiltered 2×2 inches color photographs, on a white background, no older than 6 months, no eyeglasses. See the required photo format explained in Photograph Requirements.
  4. Birth Certificate: Original birth certificate and notarized translation, plus one photocopy of each document If you do not have a birth certificate, click here for more information. 

Please be advised that this is the most common mistake applicants make! Most applicants do not have a birth certificate. If do you not have a birth certificate,

Note: For applicants born in Burma: if you do not have a original birth certificate, you may only go to the public health department in your township of birth to request a duplicate.  If you never received a birth certificate and you are older than 10 years of age, you must go to the Department of Public Health in your township of birth to request an official letter verifying that they have no record of your birth.  The letter must be accompanied by a copy of your NRC with a notarized English translation.  

Do not obtain the health letter from a relative, visa agent, midwife, or hospital.  Submitting unofficial documents are not acceptable and will delay your immigrant visa.  Submitting fraudulent documents may be cause for the revocation of your petition

  1. Marriage/Divorce/Death Certificate:Original certificates and notarized translation, plus one photocopy of each document. If you do not have marriage/divorce/death certificate required, click here for more information.
  2. Police Certificate:Updated original police certificates and a notarized English translation. Police certificates must be obtained from Burmese township police station of your primary residence where you have resided for six month or more past the age of 16, and all other countries you have resided for over one year. For persons residing overseas, the most practical way to obtain the certificate is through close relatives or friends still in Burma.
  3. Affidavit of Support:(Form I-864) from the petitioner/U.S. sponsor, updated IRS tax transcript from the petitioner and proof of U.S citizenship or Legal Permanent resident (LPR)

FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:  Financial sponsors, joint sponsors, and applicants should be aware of the responsibilities arising from a sponsor signing an I-864 and the consequences of a sponsored immigrant’s acceptance of federal means-tested public benefits.  For more information visit: https://travel.state.gov/i-864.

Please visit https://mm.usembassy.gov/visas/family-based-immigration/the-interview/ for more details on these requirements.

  1. Proof of Relationship: Any information that can prove the relationship between you and the petitioner.  This could be the photos with the petitioner or an original family household registration list and etc.
  2. Court Records: If applicable. Please submit the original document, a notarized translation, and one photocopy of each.
  3. Adoption Decree:If applicable. Please submit the original document, a notarized translation, and one photocopy of each
  4. Military Records:If applicable. Please submit the original records, a notarized translation, and one photocopy of each.

Only after receiving the interview appointment from the National Visa Center (NVC), every applicant, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination which must be performed by an authorized panel physician.  Please contact the following clinic to schedule your examination:

Samitivej International Co. Ltd.

No: 9E/2, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township, Yangon
phone numbers: (+951) 656732/ (+951) 660545
HP: (+959) 253686320/ (+959) 30508263

At the beginning of the interview, the beneficiary will be asked to take an oath affirming that all the information in the case file and everything that he or she will tell Consular Officer during the interview is true. You will be asked to provide evidence of your relationship with your U.S. petitioner, for example a household registration list, e-mail communication, photographs of you and the petitioner over a period of time, and school records. Lying to the Consular Officer or submitting fraudulently obtained documents is a serious offense that can result in long delays or a refusal of the visa. See the Department of State website on Passport and Visa Fraud.  We recommend that applicants only purchase travel tickets after they have received their visa.

At the end of the interview, the officer will inform the beneficiary if the visa has been approved or denied.  You can check the status of your visa here.

 

Fees are charged for the following services:

  • Filing an immigrant Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130 (this fee is charged by USCIS).
  • Processing an immigrant visa application, Form DS-260 (see Note below)
  • Medical examination and required vaccinations (costs vary)
  • Other costs may include: translations; photocopying charges; fees for obtaining the documents you need for the immigrant visa application (such as passport, police certificates, birth certificates, etc.); and expenses for travel to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for your visa interview. Costs vary from country to country and case to case.

For current fees for Department of State services, see Fees for Visa Services. For current fees for USCIS services, see Check Filing Fees on the USCIS website. 

Note: Fees must be paid for each intending immigrant, regardless of age, and are not refundable.

Fees should not be paid to the NVC or paid at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you have your visa interview unless specifically requested. Applicants will be provided with instructions by the NVC on where and when to pay the appropriate fees. Do not send payments to the NVC’s address in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

You should read the Rights and Protections pamphlet before your visa interview to learn about your rights in the United States relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse and protection available to you. The Consular Officer will verbally summarize the pamphlet to you during your interview.

Family preference immigrant visa cases take additional time because they are in numerically limited visa categories. The length of time varies from case to case and cannot be predicted for individual cases with any accuracy. Some cases are delayed because applicants do not follow instructions carefully. Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the Consular Officer interviews the applicant.

Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact or fraud may result in you becoming permanently ineligible to receive a U.S. visa or enter the United States.

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