Please note that each visa applicant must follow the steps below before scheduling your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.
Once your interview is scheduled by the National Visa Center (NVC), you will receive an email from the U.S. Embassy Baghdad's Immigrant Visa Unit with an attached checklist and detailed information regarding which documents you are required to bring for your visa interview. Failure to bring all the required documents as per the checklist will delay your application process. You will also receive the International Zone access letter in the same email, which you must bring on your interview day in order to access the International Zone and the U.S. Embassy Consular Section.
You are NOT required to complete a medical examination prior to your interview. Do not complete a medical examination until you have been requested to do so by the Embassy. We will contact you directly with specific instructions once your case is ready for this step. As soon as you receive the Medical Exam Instructions email, you must schedule a medical exam in Iraq. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated clinics in Iraq. When the Embassy instructs you to complete the medical examination, you will need to schedule an appointment with one of these approved clinics prior to your interview.
Read our interview guidelines to learn about any other special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.
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. After we have instructed you to obtain your medical exam, it is your responsibility to schedule and complete a medical exam with one of the clinics listed below. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.
Approved physicians
IOM BAGHDAD
Address: Karadat Maryam – River Breeze Building- 1st floor, right above the mezzanine floor.
Hours: 08:30am – 04:30pm, Sunday–Thursday
Telephone: +964-780-919-8249, +964-772-990-0535, +964-772-990-0545 , +964-782-782-4146 or +964-780-924-5648
Email: iraqmhacbaghdad@iom.int
Basic exam fee: US$160 (15 years and older) and US$70 (under 15 years)
IOM ERBILIOM ERBIL
Address: Gulan Street- Balsam hospital – 4th Floor. Erbil, Iraq.
Hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday–Thursday
Telephone: +964-662-112-550
Basic exam fee: US$160 (15 years and older) and US$100 (under 15 years)
Items to bring to your medical examination
You should bring the following items to your medical exam:
You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician. If any vaccinations are required, those will be charged separately for an additional fee.
During the medical exam
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, and chest X-ray, gonorrhea test, 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's website. U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC's website. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements on Travel.State.Gov.
After the medical exam
When your examination is completed, the doctor will either provide you with your exam results contained in a sealed envelope or send them directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTEVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. We will instruct you by email on the next steps you should take with the sealed envelope. In some cases, we will ask applicants to bring their medical results with them to the interview. In other cases we will ask applicants to mail them to us after the interview. 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.
Following is a list of items that every applicant must bring to the U.S. Embassy Baghdad’s Consular Section during his/her immigrant visa interview.
NOTE: Any documents that are not issued in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation:
NOTE: Any document issued by Kurdistan Region Government needs to be certified by Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Unexpired passport valid for 12 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 photographs of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm).
Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.
Your original birth certificate (shahadat milad), English translation, and a photocopy. If a birth certificate is unavailable, bring your Family Book “Qayd 57” issued by the Nationality Directorate (Mudeeriyat Al-Jenssiyah).
Any passports you have previously been issued;
Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if the child(ren) is/are not accompanying).
Applicants from the categories listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
For family-based visa applications:
If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, English translation, and a photocopy.
If you or the petitioner were previously married: Any original divorce or spouse’s death certificate(s), for both the petitioner and the beneficiary, English translation, and a photocopy.
If you are older than 16 years of age:
For employment-based visa applications: A 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.
Courier service for return of your passport/visa
After your interview, the U.S. Embassy will return your passport and visa via courier service. You must prepay for this service and send a copy of your prepaid voucher or airway bill to us after the visa interview. Do not purchase a prepaid courier airway bill until the U.S. Embassy request you to do so.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If your appointment is confirmed and you are unable to attend your appointment, please email BaghdadIV@state.gov. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. 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. Applicants in family-based and employment preference categories should consult the Visa Bulletin before requesting to reschedule an interview.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad 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. For detailed instructions on where and how to enter the embassy, click on the “Arrival at the Embassy” link.
Accompanying persons
Shortly before your visa interview, the embassy will email you an access letter to allow you into the International Zone. You must print the access letter and bring it with you on the appointment date. The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview as long as the embassy has been notified in advance:
You must arrange your escort’s access to the embassy before the date of your appointment by emailing BaghdadIV@state.gov with your case number; the full name of your escort, translator, or attorney; and the reason why he/she is attending the interview with you. All persons need to show photo identification to enter the embassy.
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 must be paid in U.S. dollars. The U.S. Embassy accepts cash payment only. If you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded.
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. If you must travel in the interim for an emergency, we will return your passport to you upon email request and only via courier services. If you have to travel within Iraq while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.
A consular officer can adjudicate 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 adjudicate 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. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the embassy.
Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. The timing varies based on the circumstances of each case, but will be a factor of months, not days. You may also check the status of your visa application on ceac.state.gov. Be assured that the embassy will contact you when administrative processing is complete.
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 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.
Online Processing – If your application is processed via online processing, all your supporting immigration documents will be transferred electronically to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In most cases, you are NOT required to carry a sealed envelope during your travel to the United States as an Immigrant Visa holder. At the U.S. port-of-entry, you must present only your passport containing the immigrant visa.
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 or lesser 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, if you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or if you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial 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.
If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. You must gather all the required documents as per the checklist you receive and bring all the documents for your visa interview.
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:
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.
Enter the International Zone
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is located inside the International Zone. To get to the embassy, you must go to the checkpoint 7 near Al Nahrain Center for Military Studies, shown on the map below as “Entry Point.” Shortly before your visa interview, the embassy will email you an appointment letter and an access letter to allow you into the International Zone. You must print the access letter and bring it with you on the appointment date.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO CHECKPOINT 7
Drive or walk south towards the end of Alkindi Street and proceed to the Entry Point to the International Zone (IZ). At the Entry Point, you will have to show your IZ access letter to the Iraqi Security Force guard to proceed to the Reception Trailer. At the Reception Trailer, an Embassy screener will greet you and escort you to Checkpoint 7.
PLEASE NOTE: All visitors without an IZ permit will be required to show an Embassy appointment letter and indentity documents at Iraqi checkpoints and at the Entry Point to the IZ
Once you pass through the security inspection at the checkpoint, you will be directed to a waiting area, where an embassy escort will give you directions to board the embassy’s shuttle bus for visa applicants. Failure to show up to your appointment on time will result in your appointment being rescheduled for a later date.
Visa applicants must depart the same way they arrived. Applicants who use the embassy’s shuttle bus and escort services upon arrival in the International Zone must use the embassy’s shuttle bus and escort services to depart the International Zone. After your appointment, you may need to wait to depart until a scheduled shuttle bus is available.
Forbidden items
To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview. Applicants will not be allowed to bring any weapons or electronic equipment into the embassy, including cellular telephones. All bags are subject to search, and applicants will be prohibited from bringing excessively large baggage into the embassy.
Last Updated: 3/20/2024
Al-Kindi Street
Baghdad 217
Iraq
