Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Immigrant visa interviews for residents of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are being scheduled at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá starting in January 2017.
Please read the following instructions for Venezuelan applicants processing in Bogota, Colombia
Residents of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao: Please see ABC Island Applicants - Additional Information.
You need to register your appointment online. Registering your appointment provides us with the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to register. If you want to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you will be able to do so after you register your appointment. Residents of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao do not need to register their appointments.
As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Bogotá. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” link below for a list of designated doctor’s offices. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.
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.
Read our interview guidelines to learn about any 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. 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
Dr. Rodolfo Jose Dennis
Fundación Cardioinfantil
Cra. 13B No. 161-85 Torre I, Piso 9,
Consultorios 914-915, Bogotá
Telephone: 805-0091, 3182663175, 6672727 ext. 79915, 79950, 79951
Email: doctordenniscitas@gmail.com
Dr. JUAN PIÑEROS (children only)
Centro Médico de La Sabana
Cra. 7 No. 119-14, Cons # 326, Bogotá
Telephone: 6121224
Email: adopcionesdr.pineros@gmail.com
Dr. JAIRO H. ROA
Centro Médico de La Sabana
Cra. 7 No. 119-14, Cons # 325, Bogota
Telephone: 2151763, 6192044, 6192055, or 2152970
From U.S.: 1-800-606-8339
Email: citasdrjroa@gmail.com
Items to bring to your medical examination
The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:
Any medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the examining physician.
During the medical exam
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, chest X-ray, syphilis and gonorrhea exam, 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 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 CDC.Gov. 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 provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope 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.
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.
Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview. Any documents that are not in either English or Spanish must be accompanied by a certified English translation:
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 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, or 2 inch x 2 inch). Please review our online photo requirements. Starting November 1, 2016, eye glasses are no longer allowed in visa photos.
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 a photocopy.
Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).
Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
For family-based visa applications:
If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, and a photocopy.
If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate, and a photocopy. Proof that a Colombian divorce was registered with civil authorities (either an annotated birth certificate or marriage certificate) is required in addition to the original divorce decree.
If you are older than 18 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:
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, and a photocopy.
If you have served in any country’s military: Military records, and a photocopy.
If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, and a photocopy.
If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, and a photocopy along with original divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.
Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá
If you need to send us any documents, please DO NOT mail them to us directly. Instead, visit ais.usvisa-info.com/courier 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, and 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 go to ais.usvisa-info.com to select 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.
Please note: You need to register your original NVC/KCC appointment online before you can reschedule it. Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy in Colombia 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. If you leave items in your car, be sure to put them in the trunk and lock your car; do not leave any personal items in view in the passenger compartment.
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:
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 Colombian pesos equivalent. The embassy accepts international credit cards displaying the Visa or MasterCard logo, and debit cards from all countries except Colombia. The U.S. banking system does not use the ‘cuota’ system, which means that credit cards will be charged the entire amount in one installment. 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 on our Fees for Visa Services webpage.
Do not make travel plans outside of Colombia
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the consulate 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. If you have to travel within Colombia while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.
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 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. 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, if required.
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 your medical exam. 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 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.
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 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:
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 on our Diversity Visa Process webpage.
If you are an applicant from Aruba, Bonaire, or Curacao (“ABC”) Islands, please follow Steps 2 and 3 to schedule your medical exam appointment and prepare the necessary documents for your interview. As of January 2017, you must complete your medical exam with one of the embassy-approved physicians located in Colombia.
Below are additional instructions that apply only to ABC Island applicants.
Scheduling your interview
NVC will schedule your interview date and time. There is NO need to register your appointment in the online system. You may receive an automated email requesting you register your appointment online; please disregard those emails.
Rescheduling your interview
Please email IVBogota@state.gov if you are unable to attend the date assigned in your NVC appointment letter. The embassy will respond via email to confirm the date/time of any reschedule requests. 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.
What happens after visa approval
If your visa is approved, the embassy will try to return your passport and sealed immigrant packet to you within 24 to 48 hours after your interview. You may wish to schedule your return flights accordingly. There is no guarantee we will be able to return your passport quickly. If you must depart Bogota before your passport can be returned, you will need to send your passport back to the embassy via DHL. You also will be required to send a self-addressed, pre-paid DHL envelope for use of the U.S. Embassy in returning your passport and documents. You must obtain this envelope at a Bogota DHL office prior to your departure. The embassy will provide written instructions during your interview.
Please read the useful information in the “After Your Visa Interview” section above.
If more information is needed
If the consular officer is unable to approve your visa at the time of the interview, you will be given instructions on how to return your passport and any additional documents to the embassy via DHL. You also will be required to send a selfaddressed, pre-paid DHL envelope for use of the U.S. Embassy in returning your passport and documents. You must obtain this envelope at a Bogota DHL office prior to your departure.
Last Updated: 9/27/2023
Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia
