Follow these steps before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka:

Step 1: Register Online and Select a Document Pick-up Location

You must register online with the U.S. Embassy’s passport return service and choose from one of our pre-selected document pick-up locations in Dhaka, Chittagong, or Sylhet. Registering your document pick-up location helps us return your passport, visa, and original documents after your interview. Registration is free. You will need your visa symbol, available on your National Visa Center (NVC) interview letter, and your passport information to register. Click the “Register” link below to get started!

Register

Step 2: Complete a Medical Exam in Bangladesh

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam with a U.S. Embassy-accredited physician in Bangladesh. Please schedule and complete your medical exam at least three weeks before your interview. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” link below for a list of approved physicians.

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Assemble All Required Documents on the Pre-Interview Checklist

You must bring all required documents to your interview. To assist you in determining what to bring, we have created a pre-interview document checklist. Click the “Pre-Interview Checklist” button below to view the checklist, which you should print and bring to your interview along with all required documents.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 4: Review interview Guidelines

Click the “Interview Guidelines” link below to review important policies and procedures regarding your interview and visa application.

Interview Guidelines >>

Medical Exam Instructions

Each immigrant visa applicant must be medically clared by a physician approved by the U.S. Embassy before visa issuance, and must carry and present his or her medical examination papares at the Port-of-Entry.

Each immigrant is responsible for arranging his or her own appointment for a medical examination prior to the visa interview. This means that he or she and the accompanying family members are required to visit an approved physician at least three weeks prior to the visa interview appointment date. This will allow time for the examining physician to complete your report in time for your interview.  All applicants must bring their passport, four photos (must be in color and taken against white background; eyeglasses must not be worn) of themselves, DS-260 confirmation page, vaccination card (if any) and interview letter/email copy to the medical exam appointment.  The list of U.S. Embassy-approved physicians is below.  You may visit any one of them, the choice is yours.
 

Exam, Test, and Immunization Fees

You must pay the doctor’s fee; the U.S. Embassy will not reimburse you. The doctor is required to issue you a receipt. The examination fee is Taka 8260 for applicants who are 15 years and older. And Taka 3180 for children under 15 years old + Taka 2240 (only if gonorrhea test is required) + Taka 7500 (cost for IGRA test) for children from 2 to 14.99 years old. For children 0 to 1.99 years old IGRA test will be required only if indicated.

Please note that additional required vaccinations may increase the cost. In order to prove any infectious diseases or TB, you will be required to complete additional laboratory tests. Failure to appear within five (5) days of your medical examination for the tests may place an additional one year to process your case.

For additional TB screening (if required), the cost will be Taka 14000 per adult.

All immigrants must be vaccinated against infectious diseases. These immunizations are available from the approved physicians, and vary in cost. Immunizations may, on very rare occasions, cause undesirable side effects. You should consult with your physician about the risks and benefits of immunizations.

The panel physicians send your medical report directly to the Consular Section.  It is important that you schedule your medical examination at least twenty days before your scheduled interview. Applicants whose completed medical examination reports are not available at the time of their interview will not be interviewed.

After successful completion of medical screening, applicants must collect their vaccination record and x-ray CD from their respected panel physician.

No immigrant will be admitted to the United States without a valid medical report. The expiration date of your Immigrant Visa will be exactly six months after you took your medical exam.  Example: If you completed your medical exam on 15 November 2023, but your visa was not issued until 01 February 2024, your visa would still expire on 14 May 2024. Whether or not you should update your medical clearance depends on how soon after visa issuance you plan to travel to the United States.

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Scheduling Your Exam

You should schedule your medical examination at least three weeks before your interview date to avoid delays in processing your case. The physician will send your medical report directly to the U.S. Embassy.

Because you must carry and present valid medical exam papers upon arrival in the United States, your immigrant visa’s expiration date will be either three or six months after you took your medical exam. For example, if you completed your medical exam on June 15, 2011 and your medical validity was six (6) months; your visa would expire on December 14, 2011—regardless of when your visa was issued. Please consider whether you will be able to enter the United States before your medical exam and immigrant visa expire. If not, you will need to complete another medical exam.

Items to Bring to Your Medical Examination Appointment

You will need the following items for your medical exam:

• Medical exam fees (see above for fee schedule)
• NVC visa interview appointment letter
• Unexpired valid passport
• Four (4) passport-size color photographs taken within the past six months
• Immunization records
• DS-260 confirmation page

During the Medical Examination

The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, chest X-ray, gonorrhea test, and blood tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older). The United States also requires tuberculosis testing for all applicants two years of age and older. Please be prepared to discuss your medical history, as well as any ongoing medications or treatments. For more information on general medical requirements for immigrants to the United States, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Current vaccination requirements for immigrants to the United States are also available on CDC.Gov.

Further details about our medical exam requirements can be found on Travel.State.Gov.

After the Medical Exam

When your examination is completed, the physician will either provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope or send your medical report directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview. After successful completion of medical screening, applicants must collect their vaccination record and x-ray CD from their respected panel physician. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberulosis. However, you must carry your x-ray CD and vaccination record along with your sealed immigrant visa packet to the United States for the first time.

Remember: Your 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

All applicants must bring these documents to their immigrant visa interview:

NVC visa interview appointment letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé(e), adoption, or asylee/refugee applicants);

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

Two (2) passport-size color photographs for each applicant (5 cm x 5 cm, or 2 in x 2 in) taken within the past six months;

• Please review our online photo requirements (No eyeglasses permitted, photo must be on white background, and both ears must be showing).

Confirmation page of Form DS-260 “Application for an Immigrant Visa”;

• You must submit Form DS-260 online at ceac.state.gov/iv to obtain the confirmation page.

Original birth certificate, in both Bangla and English.

Fee or Money receipt of the medical examination as a proof that you have appeared for the medical examination;

Original Police clearance certificate issued within a year for all applicants 16 years of age or older.

Required for any country in which an applicant has lived for one year or longer since attaining the age of 16.

Original birth certificate, in both Bangla and English, for all spouses and children of the principal applicant (even if they are not accompanying);

Remember to bring both original and a photocopy of each original document on the interview day.

Applicants applying in the following visa categories must also bring these documents to their immigrant visa interview:

For family-based visa applications:

• Form I-864 “Affidavit of Support” for each financial sponsor (see more below);
  
  
  • Please also bring a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript, as well as any relevant W-2s.
    
    
• Proof of the petitioner’s U.S. permanent residency or citizenship (color photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card);
  
  
• Proof of the petitioner’s domicile in the United States;
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, and emails);

If you are married: Original civil and religious marriage certificates, notarized English translations, and color photocopies;

If you were previously married: Original divorce certificate or spouse’s death certificate, notarized English translation, and color photocopy for each previous marriage;

If you are older than 16 years of age: Original police certificate from your country of current residence and any countries of previous residence. 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 of age;
2. You obtained a police certificate and submitted it to NVC more than one year ago; and
3. You still live in the country that issued the police certificate you submitted to NVC.

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, notarized English translations, and color photocopies;

If you have served in any country’s military: Military records, notarized English translations, and color photocopies;

If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, notarized English translations, and color photocopies;

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: Original civil and religious marriage certificates of the petitioner and your biological parent, notarized English translations, and color photocopies, as well as original divorce certificates or death certificates demonstrating the dissolution of prior marriages for 

A Note Regarding Financial Sponsors

Otherwise eligible applicants frequently experience immigrant visa processing delays because their petitioner or joint sponsor has completed Form I-864 “Affidavit of Support” incorrectly or do not have enough income to support the applicants. Petitioners and joint sponsors must pay careful attention to the I-864 instructions and to the I-864P “HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavits of Support.” If your petitioner cannot meet the level of income required by the I-864P “HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support,” you will need a joint sponsor who can help meet these requirements. All joint sponsors must also complete Form I-864 “Affidavit of Support” and provide financial evidence as indicated above to demonstrate that their income meets the requirements of I-864P “HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support.”

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After Your Visa Interview

Sending Documents to the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka

If the consular officer asks you to submit any further documentation after your interview, please DO NOT mail or fax them to Embassy directly. Instead, submit them at the document pick-up location you selected when you created your online profile in Step 1. You must write your case number on each document you submit.

Rescheduling or Cancelling Your Interview

If you are unable to attend your interview appointment, please contact the Embassy via email at DhakaVisaSupport@state.gov. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so make every effort to be at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka on your interview appointment date. You will receive your interview appointment date from NVC. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa becomes available within one month after NVC schedules your appointment. Therefore, 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 Dhaka must undergo security screening. Anybody who declines security screening will be unable to enter the Embassy. Cell phones, cameras, and electronic devices are not permitted inside the Embassy. To avoid delaying your entry and that of other applicants, please bring only what is required for your interview.

Accompanying Persons

You may bring ONE person to help you through the screening and interview process ONLY if you are elderly, disabled, or a minor child. In that case, accompanying person needs to bring a valid Passport, National ID Card, or any other government issued ID to gain entrance on that day. Our Regional Security Office decides on a case-by-case basis who can enter the Embassy to assist an applicant. The Embassy does not permit attorneys to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview.

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 at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka. All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Bangladeshi taka equivalent. We only accept cash. 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 the Fees for Visas Services webpage.

Important: Visa Processing May Take a Few Months, Especially If More Information Is Needed

The consular officer will make a decision regarding your visa application only after reviewing your formal application and interviewing you. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa, and visa processing may take several months. Please keep this information in mind when making important life decisions such as selling your property, resigning from your job, or making travel arrangements.

Sometimes, the consular officer is unable to make a decision on a visa application because he/she needs to review additional documentation or the case requires administrative processing. When additional documents are requested, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter that instructs you what to submit and how to send those documents to the Embassy. Administrative processing means that the consular officer needs more time to review your case. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days, but this timeframe can vary based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 60 days after your interview.

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What Happens If Your Visa Is Approved?

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the Embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print your visa. 

Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a blank page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no errors in the biographical information. 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. You must also carry your X-ray CD with you and give it to the U.S. immigration authorities.

The Department of State has begun electronic processing of some immigrant visa applications. If you have an annotation by the bottom right corner of your visa that says "IV DOCS in CCD", then you are NOT required to hand-carry a packet of documents in a sealed envelope to present at the U.S. Port of Entry.

USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to the 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 Form I-551 “Permanent Resident Card,” also known as the “Green 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 of your visa—three or six months from when you completed your medical examination. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as any derivative family members with visas. 

Obtaining a Green Card – Form I-551 “Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)” will be mailed to the U.S. address that you write in your Form DS-260 “Application for an Immigrant Visa.” Your Green Card proves that 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 that you check with your airline to ensure that you are in compliance with their regulations. Once your Green 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 must have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. Please 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, please bring copies of all applicable adoption or custody papers from an authoritative court, as well as their notarized English translations. You will need these papers and their translations to apply for your child’s 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 the publication “Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants” online.

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