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

Important Update:

Effective February 2025 you will visit the embassy at least twice during the immigrant visa process. Once to complete in person prescreening and a second visit for your visa interview.

First Visit: Prescreening & Biometrics

Your first visit to the embassy is for in person prescreening to ensure you have all necessary documents, collect fingerprints, submit photos, and verify passport information. This process will reduce the time spent in our waiting room and – more importantly – significantly increase the chance your application can be issued on the day of the interview.

You do not schedule an appointment for in person prescreening. The embassy will schedule your document review and biometrics appointment two weeks before your immigrant visa interview.

Step 1: Get a medical exam in Liberia

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

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 2: 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.

FAILURE TO BRING THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MAY CAUSE A DELAY IN PROCESSING YOUR VISA.  PLEASE SHARE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THE BENEFICIARY.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 3: Review interview guidelines

Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.

Second Visit: Visa Interview

Your second visit to the embassy is for your actual visa interview and occurs on the date and time scheduled by the National Visa Center (NVC). If you do not complete document review before the day of your visa interview, you may be required to reschedule your visa appointment.

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 the doctor listed below before your visa interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.

Approved physician

Dr. Philip Z. Ireland
AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, Liberia
1^st St. and Tubman Blvd.
Monrovia, Liberia
Phone: +231 (0)77 029 511
E-mail: reception.lr@ami.health
Website: https://ami.health/global/liberia/

Dr. Nicole Cooper
Wellness Partners
Oldest Congo Town (Back) Road
Monrovia, Liberia
Phone: +231 (0)88 154 4832 / +231 (0)77 054 4832
Email: cooper@wellnesspartnershealth.org
W: https://www.facebook.com/WPHLiberia

Items to bring to your medical examination

Please schedule your medical exam at least three (3) weeks before your visa interview appointment. Please do not eat the morning of your exam. Bring the following items to your medical exam:

• Your visa interview appointment letter,
• Your passport,
• Three (3) recently taken passport-sized color photographs,
• A copy of your medical and immunization records, and
• A reliable telephone number to help contact the applicant in case of problems before their scheduled interview.
• DS-260 confirmation page

You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician. The basic exam fee for adults (age 15 years and older) is USD $250.00. For children (age 14 years and younger), it is USD $125.00. There may be additional fees for vaccinations or other tests, such as tuberculosis or DNA.

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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 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

The results of the examination will typically be forwarded directly by the panel physician to the U.S. Embassy; however, in some cases, the panel physician may instruct you to carry the sealed results to the Embassy, and, if so, you must NOT open the envelope and must take the envelope with you to your appointment. 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. Any documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation:

FAILURE TO BRING THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MAY CAUSE A DELAY IN PROCESSING YOUR VISA.  PLEASE SHARE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THE BENEFICIARY.

• 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 and a photocopy of the biographic page (where your name and photo are located).
  
  
• 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 a photocopy.

• Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).

• Original or certified copies of 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, letters, or emails).
  
  
• Your petitioner's birth certificate (if you are the parent of the petitioner)
  

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. 

If the petitioner was previously married and you are the spouse, fiancé, or stepchild of the petitioner: Your petitioner’s original divorce or prior spouse’s death certificate, and a photocopy

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild:  The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your parent, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.

If you are older than 16 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:

1. You are older than 16 years;
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.

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

If you have ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records that show the disposition of your case, 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.

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Interview Guidelines

Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy

If the U.S. Embassy requests additional information or documentation from you, the consular officer will provide instructions on how to submit those to the embassy.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please email support-liberia@ustraveldocs.com as soon as possible. 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.

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Embassy 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.

Accompanying Persons

The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English 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.
  Note: The person chosen to accompany MUST bring a government-issued identification document, such as a passport or national identification card.

Attorneys are not permitted 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.

The payment is made by cash only, in U.S. Dollars. 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 Liberia

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 have to travel within Liberia 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 the officer 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 submit those documents to the Embassy.

Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Some administrative processing is resolved within 60 days, whereas other cases take longer. However, the timing varies based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 180 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 may 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.

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 varies from case to case, but can be no later than the expiration date of your medical examination results. 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 21^st 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 custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will likely need these papers (translated into English) in the United States 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 Applicants - 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 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 last five (5) years immediately prior to application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available on our online).
• Originals and photocopies of each applicant’s civil documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.)
  
• Evidence of each derivative applicant's relationship to the principal applicant.
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee for each visa applicant. Please ensure that you bring crisp US dollar bills that have not been damaged. 
  

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) and even if you do not intend for your spouse to immigrate with you.

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 even if you do not intend the children to immigrate with you.

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 the online.

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