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

Step 1: Register your appointment online

You are required to create an account online at ustraveldocs.com/dz, before your appointment, in order to pick up your passport after your visa interview at an Aramex office. There is no charge for this service. Click the “Register" button below and follow these steps:

1. Log in and select “New Application/Schedule Appointment” on the left.
   
   
2. Select “IV Address Registration” and complete the questions about your visa.
   
   
3. Enter your contact information. This is how Aramex will contact you when your passport is ready. Please verify that the phone number is correct.
   
   
4. Select the Aramex office where you will pick up your passport.
   
   
5. Print a copy of the confirmation page once you are done and bring it to your visa interview.

* Important Note: (Click here for note in French or Arabic) You must register and bring a confirmation page on the day of your visa interview in order to receive your passport and visa. Instructions on how to register are below:

Register >>

Registration Instruction in French and Arabic >>

Step 2: Get a medical exam in Algeria

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

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: 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 >>

You must bring the exact same original document to the interview that you submitted for processing.

Step 4: 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. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy. Medical examination results from other physicians are not accepted. 
 

Approved Physicians

1-Al Azhar Clinic
Dr. Nesrine BESSA
Dr. Souad HAOUCHE
Address: 4, Djenane Achabou
Dely-Ibrahim, Algiers 16020
Tel: + 213 (0) 56-008-7870 / + 213 (0) 56-009-3769
Email: rdv@cliniquealazhar.com  

2-IOM MHAC Algiers
Dr. Mouna AFTIS
Dr. Nebart MUDZONGACHISO, MD
Address: 07 Rue Doudou Mokhtar, Benaknoun
Algiers, Algeria
Tel: + 213 (0) 66-190-6807
Email: iomalgeriamed@iom.int                                                                                                                    

Items to bring to your medical examination

You should bring the following items to your medical exam:

• Your visa interview appointment letter,
• Your passport,
• Four (4) recently taken passport-sized color photographs,
• A copy of your immunization records, and
• DS-260 confirmation page.
  

You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician.

• Medical examination fees for minors (under 2 years of age): 2000 DZD
• Medical examination fees for minors (between 2 and 15 years of age): ~14000 DZD
• Medical examination fees for adults (15 years of age and older): Between 19000 DZD and 28000 DZD depending on your age and required medical tests

Immunization fees less than 1600 DZD in total may apply

During the medical exam

The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, chest X-ray, gonorrhea testing, 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 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

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 on the CDC website. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements online.

After the medical exam

After the medical examination, the doctor will seal the completed documents inside the envelope you provide and return the envelope to you or send them directly to the U.S. Embassy. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview. The embassy will not accept the results of a medical examination if the certificate has been signed by a doctor other than one of those listed above or if the envelope has been opened before being presented at the 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.

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Pre-Interview checklist

Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview:

• 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.
  
  
• 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 online photo requirements.
  
  
• Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.
  
  
• Your original birth certificate and English translation.
  
  
• Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
  
  
• Original birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).

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 a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card).
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, communication records, or DNA test results).

If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you were previously married: Your original marriage certificate and divorce judgment or spouse’s death certificate, English translations, and photocopies.

If you are older than 16 years of age: An original, unexpired police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence. We accept police certificates with up to a year validity. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:

1. You are older than 16 years;
2. You obtained a police certificate and submitted it to NVC more than two years ago; and
3. You still live in the country that issued the police certificate.

For employment-based visa applications: Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.

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.

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.

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Interview Guidelines

Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy in Algiers

If you need to send us any documents, please DO NOT mail them to us directly. Instead, email IV-DVAlgiers@state.gov and ask for information on courier services. Please do not send any original documents to us; only send photocopies via courier or mail. You may bring original documents (plus a photocopy for the consulate’s files) to your visa interview.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please email IV-DVAlgiers@state.gov to request a new appointment date. 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 request to reschedule your interview.

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Embassy in Algiers 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. Large bags, such as backpacks or suitcases, and packages are not allowed on the embassy grounds. Electronic devices are prohibited. Please visit our website for complete entry requirements.

Accompanying persons

Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview. The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English, French, Arabic, or Kabyle well enough to participate in an interview.
• Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

Immigrant visa fees

If you have not paid all required fees to either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Algerian Dinar equivalent. We accept cash only. Please note that if you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. You can find a complete list of fees on our Fees for Visa Services webpage.

Do not make travel plans outside of Algeria

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. We will return your passport to you later via courier services only (see Step 1). If you have to travel within Algeria while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.

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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.

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 letter that asks you to submit additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the embassy.

Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days. However, the timing varies based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 60 days after your interview.

What happens after visa approval

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 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.

Passport, Visa, and Modernized Immigrant Visa (MIV)  -  We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors.  Your IV packets will be transmitted electronically to Customs and Border Protection and are accessible at the U.S. Port of Entry. Any immigrant traveler carrying a visa with a special annotation “IV DOCS in CCD” is not required to hand-carry an IV packet.

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 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 21st 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 may 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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Diversity Visa - Additional Information

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; enroll in the required courier service; 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 two (2) years of qualifying work experience in the five (5) years immediately prior to application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available on our Diversity Visa Process webpage). **PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL QUALIFYING EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS MUST NOW BE CERTIFIED BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ALGERIA TO BE ACCEPTED.**
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee (or equivalent in Algerian Dinars) 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. If you contracted a civil marriage after your DV registration and did not include your spouse on your registration, please be prepared to bring additional proof of your relationship to your spouse to your visa interview.

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 on our Diversity Visa Process webpage.

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