For information about visa operations at Embassy Kabul, please visit: https://af.usembassy.gov/visas/

Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Step 1: Get a medical exam in Afghanistan

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Afghanistan. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Afghanistan. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.

**EXCEPTION: SIV applicants should skip Step 1 and wait to schedule a medical examination until instructed to do so by the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section. This will generally happen after the visa interview when administrative processing is complete. Otherwise, you may have to pay for your medical examination to be repeated. **

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 2 Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print the checklist below and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 3: Review interview guidelines

Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.

Interview Guidelines >>

Medical Exam Instructions

All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa. Only a physician accredited by the U.S. Embassy can perform this exam. Medical examination results from other physicians or clinics will not be accepted.

Approved clinic

IQARUS American Medical Center Afghanistan
15th Street – Lane 4
Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul
Website: www.iqarus.com
Email:  AMC.Embassy@iqarus.com
Download an Informational Handout

To proceed with your medical examination, you must wait until the consular section instructs you to contact the approved clinic to schedule your medical examination. This will happen after the visa interview. At the same time the clinic will be notified that you are ready to proceed with the medical exam. Please note that the medical clinic will not schedule any examination until the consular section has notified both you and the clinic that your case is ready for medicals. At that time, you will need to contact the clinic by email at: AMC.Embassy@iqarus.com  

You will need to include the following information in your email:

• Your case number,
• Date of your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy,
• Full name as it appears in your passport,
• Passport number,
• Date of birth, and
• If you have family members applying for a visa with you (spouse and children), include their full names and dates of birth.

You will receive an appointment confirmation by email within three (3) business days. You should reply by email to accept this medical exam appointment.

**IMPORTANT:  Applicants should not schedule a medical exam until instructed to do so by the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section. Your medical exam will happen after the visa interview.

Items to bring to your medical examination

You should bring the following items to your medical exam:

• Your visa interview appointment letter (from the National Visa Center or the U.S. Embassy),
• Your passport,
• Four (4) recently taken color photographs sized 3x4 cm
• A copy of your immunization records (vaccination booklet).
• DS-260 confirmation page.

You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician. The current exam fee is USD $415.00 for applicants aged 15 years and older, and USD $338.00 for children 14 years of age and younger. The clinic only accepts U.S. dollars. Applicants are responsible for the cost of any required follow-up tests or vaccinations.

During the medical exam

The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, and 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.  Please 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 here.

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant vaccination requirements are available here. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements online.

After the medical exam

When your examination is completed, the doctor will send the report directly to the U.S. Embassy.

Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis (TB). However, you must carry the x-rays 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.

Location of the clinic

Please use the below map to find the medical clinic.

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Please use the checklist that applies to your visa category to determine the items that you must bring to your visa interview. Make sure to review all your documents before presenting them to the Embassy. Errors in your documents will require you to incur additional expenses and delay your visa process.

General considerations:

• First and foremost, you should present all the documents listed in the checklist at the time of your consular interview.
• Applicants under the age of 14 are not required to be present at the time of the interview. The principal applicant, a parent or legal guardian should present their documents on their behalf.
• Surname for derivatives must have the same spelling in all their documents as the surname appears on the principal applicant’s passport.
• Applicant’s place of birth should appear in the passport as follows: If the applicant was born in Afghanistan, the province is the place of birth. If the applicant was born outside of Afghanistan, the country of birth is the place of birth.
• The applicant’s date of birth should match in all the documents presented to the Embassy: passport, tazkira and translations.
• When translating the marriage certificate to English, make sure all the information is translated accurately including the marriage contract date and the marriage issuance date.
• Do not send the “police certificate” to the Embassy ahead of your interview through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  

General pre-interview checklist

A copy of your NVC interview letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé(e), adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants).

Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States and a photocopy of the biographic page (where your name and photo are located).

Two (2) color passport-size photographs of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm, or 2 inch x 2 inch).  Please review our photo requirements online.

Your original national identify card (Tazkira), English translation, and a photocopy of both the Dari and English versions.

Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.

If you are older than 16 years of age: While police certificates are not required from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Iran, if you lived for one year or more in any other country, you may need to submit a police certificate from the authorities in that nation. To check if a police certificate is required, please select the country of residence from the dropdown box on our website at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country.html.

If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, English translation, and a photocopy of both the Dari and English versions.

Original national identify card (Tazkira) for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying) and photocopies of each.

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you have served in any country’s military: Military records, English translation, and a photocopy.

Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:

For family-based visa applications:

• The appropriate Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for each financial sponsor along with a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript or most recent U.S. federal income tax return, and any relevant W-2s.
   
  
• Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of both sides of the Lawful Permanent Resident card I-551, Certificate of Naturalization, or U.S. passport).
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, or emails).

If you are adopted:  Adoption papers or custody documents, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild:  The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, English translation, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.

For employment-based visa applications:

Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.

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Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants:

If you are interviewing for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), please bring all of the above items to your interview. SIV applicants should also bring these additional documents to the visa interview:

• A copy of your Chief of Mission (COM) approval letter.
  
  
• Copies of your recommendation letter, employment verification letter, and U.S. Government badge/I.D.
  
  
• SI category applicants only (translators and interpreters):  Please be prepared to pay a Visa Application Fee of USD $205.00 for each visa applicant.
  
  
• SI category applicants only (translators and interpreters):  A written description of your position with the U.S. Government and your responsibilities for translation or interpretation.
   

Please don’t forget that SIV applicants should not schedule a medical exam as described in Step 1 until instructed to do so by the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section. For SIV applicants only, your medical exam will happen after the visa interview.
 

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Diversity Visa (DV) applicants:

If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview, 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:

• Appointment information printed from the “Entrant Status Check” on the E-DV website
• Documents showing that you have either a qualifying high school education OR have two (2) years of qualifying work experience in the last five (5) years immediately prior to application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available online).
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee for each visa applicant.

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 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 an existing 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. You can review the eligibility requirements online.

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Interview Guidelines

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment and you shish to reschedule your appointment, please contact us through our online inquiry form. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully consult the Visa Bulletin before you decide to reschedule your interview.

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul must follow certain security procedures. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.

Accompanying Persons

The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Attorneys are permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room and to the interview as long as they provide a valid Form G-28 (for SIV applicants only).
• Special Needs Visitors:  Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child. Please notify the Consular Section by providing the accompanying person’s biographic information so you should not face any delays entering the Embassy.

***Please do not bring applicants under 14 years of age to the interview***

Anyone accompanying a visa applicant to the embassy must notify the Consular Section in advance by emailing the person’s full name, date of birth, and relationship to the applicant through our online inquiry form. Please include the date and time of your interview in your email. All persons entering the embassy must show photo identification such as an original national ID (Tazkira or Passport).

Immigrant visa fees

If you have not paid all required fees to the National Visa Center, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees must be paid in cash and in U.S. dollars. We do not accept credit cards or Afghani currency. NOTE: Only SQ-SIV applicants are exempt from application fees. All other applicants must pay the visa application fee prior to their interview. 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.

Collecting your passport and visa

We cannot guarantee that visas will be issued on the day of your interview. It is recommended that you wait until you actually receive a visa before you make any firm travel plans. Do not assume you will be able to travel immediately after your interview date. SIV applicants will require additional processing following their interviews. If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa. Please monitor your case status online at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/. When your case status says “ISSUED,” come to the U.S. Embassy the following Sunday to collect your passport and visa. We may also notify you by email.
 

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After Your Visa Interview

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.

After your visa interview, you may check the status of your visa application online at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/.

You will need your case number to access your case information.

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 and provides instructions on how to send them to the embassy. Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. The timing for resolution varies based on the circumstances of each case. You may check the status of your visa application online at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/

What happens after the visa is approved

Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure that there are no spelling errors. We will also give you a sealed envelope containing documents that you must give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time. 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 those with you and give 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) prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. The only people exempt from paying this fee are:  children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a fiancé(e) (K) visa.  

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six (6) months from the date of printing. 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 21^st birthday to avoid losing their immigrant status.

Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you write 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. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will 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 custody 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.

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