After receiving your Interview Letter (P4) and interview appointment date from the National Visa Center, please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
First, create a free account online. Creating an account provides us with the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. Click the “Register” button below to proceed.
If you missed your first appointment scheduled by NVC or your petition was filed locally, you may also click the “Register” button to set an appointment date.
You must schedule a medical exam with an approved physician. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.
It is important that you bring all required original civil documents, a signed I-864 and your medical examination results 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. Failure to bring all documents on this checklist will delay your case
Al 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 on the attached list before your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted. Please click on the button below to see a list of approved physicians and fees.
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. A list of current fees is available below.
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, chest X-ray, as well as blood and gonorrhea tests (for applicants aged 18-24 years), and Syphilis tests (for applicants aged between 18-44 years).
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, including an approved Covid-19 vaccination, prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available here. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements online.
When your examination is completed, the doctor will either provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope[NR(1] (if your case is not digitally processed) or send them directly to the U.S. Embassy in a digital format. Any x-rays taken will be given to you on a CD-ROM. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE THE DOCTOR GIVES YOU. Instead, bring the envelope and x-ray CD-ROM to your visa interview along with a signed statement from the doctor and radiologist, which you can print.
If you receive a CD-ROM with x-rays, you must carry them 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.
Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
If you are married: Your original marriage certificate and a photocopy.
If you were previously married: Your original divorce decrees or spouse’s death certificate and a photocopy.
If you are older than 16 years of age: An original police certificate from your country of nationality, your current country of residence if you lived there for six months or more at any age, from any other country in which you lived a year or more, and from any other country in which you have been arrested. Contact us if you are unable to obtain a police certificate. Israeli Criminal Information Certificates are issued directly by the Israeli National Police and sent to the Embassy. To request a certificate, follow the instructions below:
If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Complete court and court sentencing records related to each conviction and a photocopy, as well as certified English translations of these court records if they are not in English.
If you have served in or been exempted from any country’s military: Military records and a photocopy. For the Israeli military, these records include Form 807 and 830. These documents can be request "OPEN" or by calling the IDF. directly at: 03-5691000 or Fax: 03-5699400
For family-based visa applications:
For employment-based visa applications: A letter from your U.S. employer confirming your employment dated less than one year ago.
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 divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.
If your case is digitally processed, you need to upload all your civil and financial documents before your visa interview “here”.
Translations and submitting documents to the embassy
Any documents that are not originally in English, Arabic, or Hebrew must be submitted with an original, certified English translation. All civil, police, and court documents should be original and you must submit a photocopy of each document.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please If you are unable to attend your appointment, please reschedule your appointment “here”. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, the delay may be several months. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year, and 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 Jerusalem must follow certain security procedures. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview.
Accompanying Persons
The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
Attorneys or adult family members who are not aprt of your petition are not permitted to acompany clients into the embassy.
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 may be paid in either U.S. dollars or Israeli shekels and only can be paid in cash or international credit cards. 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.
Do not make travel plans outside of Israel
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your visa packet and print your visa. We will return your passport to you later via the courier service that you have selected online in Step 1.
A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after an interview. 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 travel arrangements until you have received your 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.
The timing of administrative varies based on the circumstances of each case. You may check the status of your case online.
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. If your case was not electronically processed, 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-ray CD-ROMs during your medical examination, carry those with you as well. If your visa contains the note “IV DOCS in CCD” then you will not receive this package and your documents have been transmitted electronically. If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities
Added on Pivot casesUSCIS 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. Children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and fiancé(e) (K) visa holders are exempt from this fee.
When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa. 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.
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 enter on 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 – Children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school in the United States. Therefore, 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 the child’s other parent, we recommend that you bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custody papers from the authoritative court in your home country.
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 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 Program entry
Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry.
Failure to have listed an existing spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa Program 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 Program, you should not proceed with the visa application. You can review the eligibility requirements online.
List of approved physicians
U.S. visa regulations require that all immigrant and refugee applicants undergo a medical examination prior to the interview appointment date. Medical exams must be performed by a designated panel physician (complete list available below). These physicians have been approved by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and as such, they are the only doctors authorized to complete the required medical exam required for immigration or refugee processing.
Most medical examinations are processed digitally, with the exception of fiancée (K1) and diversity cases (DV) . In those cases, the panel physician will complete several forms, including Form DS-2054, Medical Examination for Immigrant or Refugee Applicant, Form DS-3026, Medical History and Physical Examination Worksheet, and Form DS-3025, Vaccination Documentation Worksheet. In addition, all applicants over the age of 15 will be required to have a chest x-ray (Form DS-3030, Chest X-Ray and Classification Worksheet) and blood tests as part of their medical examination. If you have specific questions or concerns about the required medical examination, please contact the panel physicians directly.
JERUSALEM:
Dr. Jonty Maresky
Family Medical Center
9 Diskin Street, Jerusalem
Tel: 02-5610297
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
(an appointment is required)
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: Closed
BETHLEHEM:
Dr. Robert Tabash
19 Salesian Street
Bethlehem
Tel: 02-2742882 & 02-2743593 Cellular: 0599 250 053
Monday to Friday:
Morning Hours: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Afternoon Hours: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
(and appointment is required)
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
RAMALLAH:
Dr. Ihab Khalaf
5 llyas Odeh Street
(near the Canadian Representativa)
Ramallah
Tel: 00970 22953347
(00970 559130332
Monday – Thursday From 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Friday & Sunday: closed
(an appointment is required)
GAZA:
Dr. Faisal Abu Shahla
Sharab Building
Near Masged Alkinz
AlRimal, Gaza
Tel: 08-2824878; 08-2820839 Cellular: 0599 204 245
Saturday – Thursday: 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
(an appointment is required)
Friday: Closed
PLEASE NOTE: The medical exam results in immigrant visa cases are valid for up to 6 months if there is no suspicion of tuberculosis. The expiration date of an immigrant visa is limited according to the medical exam validity. Because of the time involved in processing immigrant visa cases, if applicants wish to avoid the delays and costs associated with having to renew part or the entire medical exam, they must come prepared to their interviews with all required documents.
| Test | Cost |
|---|---|
| Medical examination (administration & review of immunization history) |
NIS 420 to NIS 680 |
| Blood serology | NIS 100 to NIS 200 |
| Gonorrhea | NIS 270 to NIS 340 |
| Chest x-ray (required for all applicants over 15 years of age) |
NIS 110 to NIS 240 |
Fees include value added tax (VAT)
All fees noted above as well as costs of any additional examination and vaccinations which the doctor deems medically necessary are the sole responsibility of the individual applicant. Price ranges are due to the varying costs of service in different geographical locations.
Each visa applicant must bring to the panel physician copies of his or her medical history, immunization records and prior chest x-rays along with the required Panel Physician Statement form. Print the Panel Physician Statement and bring it to your medical appointment with the embassy-approved physician.
Last Updated: 12/9/2022
MAIL ONLY:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Attn: Immigrant Visa Unit
18 Agron Street
Jerusalem, 9419003
LOCATION OF INTERVIEWS:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
14 David Flusser Street
Jerusalem
