Please read carefully the steps below before you attend your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal, Canada.

Step 1: Register your interview appointment online with our free courier service before you attend the visa interview

Every visa applicant on your case must separately register his/her appointment online before the interview. Registering your appointment gives us the information we need to return your passport and visa packet after your interview. Registration is free; just click the Register button below. You may only reschedule your appointment after you have registered it online and your initial interview date has passed.

Register >>

Step 2: Get a medical exam in Canada before attending your interview

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam with one of the consulate-approved doctors in Canada. Click the Medical Exam Instructions button below for a list of designated physicians. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of our approved physicians before your interview. Note: It may take up to one (1) week to get the medical results. So, schedule your medical exam accordingly. If your medical is still pending with the panel physician, please attend your scheduled immigrant visa interview.

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist and gather original documents

Print the checklist below and bring it to your interview. You must bring the originals of all required documents, as well as a photocopy of each. You must also upload these documents to your online application. The Consulate will not upload documents for you.

If you do not upload your documents or arrive at your interview with missing documentation, the Consulate may turn you away and require you to reschedule.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 4: Review interview guidelines

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

Interview Guidelines >>

Medical Exam Instructions

Everyone applying for an immigrant visa, no matter how old they are, must have a medical exam before they get their visa.

• Only a physician approved by the U.S. Consulate can do the exam.
• It is your responsibility to schedule and attend a medical exam with one of the following doctors before your visa interview appointment.
• Medical exam results from different physicians will not be accepted.

Approved physicians

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Dr. Gulzar Cheema
7170 – 120^th Street
Surrey, BC, V3W 3M8
Tel: 604-597-6887
Email: panelphysicianusa@drcheema.ca
Website: www.drcheema.ca
 

ONTARIO

Dr. Randall T. Lee
520 Ellesmere Road, Suite 603
Scarborough, ON, M1R 0B1
Tel: 416-266-4543
Fax: 416-267-4050
Website: www.immigrationphysician.ca

Dr. Lyndon Mascarenhas
Clairhurst Medical Centre
1466 Bathurst Street (at St. Clair), Suite 305
Toronto, ON, M5R 3S3
Tel: 416-960-1014
Fax: 866-259-7220
Email: doctorlyndon@bellnet.ca
Website: www.visadoctor.ca

Dr. Ian Zatzman
955 Major MacKenzie Dr. West, Suite 215
Vaughan, ON, L6A 4P9
Tel: 289-553-7711
Fax: 289-553-7722
Website: www.health1stmedical.ca
 

QUEBEC

TELUS Health Care Centres
600 Boul. de Maisonneuve West,
22^nd Floor
Montreal, QC, H3A 3J2
Tel: 514-845-1211
Tel: 1-800-361-3493
Website: telushealth.com
 

ALBERTA

Dr. Hargunbir Toor
1410-6004 Country Hills Blvd NE
Calgary, AB, T3N 1T8
Tel: 403-429-0000
Fax: 403-345-7113
Email: IME@apexskymedical.ca

Items to bring to your medical examination

Bring these items to your medical exam:

1. Your visa interview appointment letter with your case number or confirmation email.
2. Your passport or your travel document
3. One (1) additional government issued ID
4. Five (5) passport-sized color photographs (taken less than 6 months ago and date-stamped)
5. A copy of your immunization records
6. Your glasses or contact lenses (if applicable)
7. Your list of medications (if applicable)
8. The address in the U.S. where you intend to live

You must pay all medical examination fees (including x-ray and blood test fees) directly to the examining physician.

Any required vaccinations and additional tests will be charged separately.

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During the medical exam

The medical examination includes:

1. Medical history review
2. Physical examination
3. Chest X-ray
4. Gonorrhea test
5. Urine and blood tests for applicants ages 15 and older
6. The United States also requires tuberculosis (TB) testing for all applicants ages two and older
7. 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 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (CDC).

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to get certain vaccinations before a visa is issued. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available at CDC.Gov. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements at Travel.state.gov.

After completing the medical exam

Several days after completing the medical examinations, the doctor will send the results directly to the U.S. Consulate General. The consular officer cannot complete your visa interview until the medical report is received.

PLEASE NOTE: The doctor will provide each applicant with a copy of their vaccinations and may provide lab reports and similar documentation if requested. The doctor cannot provide a copy of the completed Department of State medical forms because such forms are visa records that are confidential under Section 222(f) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Please read this carefully. If you come to your interview unprepared or with incorrect documentation, you may be turned away and required to reschedule your appointment.

• This list outlines the items that every applicant must bring to their interview. 
• Any documents that are not in English must have professional English translations.
• Bring the originals of all required documents, and one photocopy of each.
• You must also upload these documents to your online application for electronic cases. The Consulate will not upload them for you.

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 after the date you plan to enter the United States and a photocopy of the biographic pages (where your name and photo are located).

Two (2) recently taken photos of every person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm). Please see our online photo requirements.

Medical examination results in a sealed envelope from an approved physician, if they are given to you (see Step 2).

Your original birth certificate.

Your petitioner’s 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 coming to the United States).
 

Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below must bring these additional documents:

If you are older than 16 years: All applicants older than 16 must present an original, valid, unexpired police certificate for:

• The country where they currently reside, if they have lived there for at least 6 months.
• Their country of nationality if they have lived there for at least 6 months at any time; and  
• Any other countries where they lived for at least 12 months since they turned 16 years old.
  
  Click here for guidance about requesting a police certificate from any country.

If you are married: The original marriage certificate for each applicant.

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild:

• The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, and
• A photocopy, and
• Divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.

If you were previously married or your petitioner was: All original final divorce or spouse's death certificate(s).

If your name was changed: The original court name change document.

If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents.

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: The original court and criminal records.

If you have served in any country's military: Military records.

If you previously submitted to NVC an I-864 affidavit of support (AOS): Proof of your petitioner’s legal status in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or legal permanent resident card) and their federal U.S. tax return (Form 1040) from the previous year.

If you previously submitted to NVC an I-864EZ affidavit of support (AOS): Proof of your petitioner’s legal status in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or legal permanent resident card) and a copy of the petitioner’s Form(s) W-2 from the previous tax year.

If you previously submitted to NVC an I-864 affidavit of support (AOS) completed by a joint sponsor (not the petitioner): Bring proof of the joint sponsor’s legal status in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or legal permanent resident card) and their federal U.S. tax return (Form 1040) from the previous year. If the joint sponsor’s tax return includes a spouse, then the spouse must complete Form I-864A.

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

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Interview Guidelines

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal must adhere to  security procedures and instructions.

• Any visitor who refuses to be screened by U.S. Consulate General Montreal security personnel will not enter the consulate.
• To expedite security screening and avoid denied entry to the consulate, bring only what is required for your interview. (i.e. no luggage or backpacks, no electronics, no weapons, etc.)
• The Consulate provides security instructions in French and English. If you do not speak French or English, please bring an interpreter. Applicants who do not follow or understand posted and spoken instructions will be rescheduled.

Please click here for the security procedures.

Accompanying persons

Attorneys are not permitted to go into the consulate with clients.

Only these people can go with visa applicants to their interview:

• Interpreter: Applicants may bring one interpreter if they do not speak English or French well enough to participate in an interview. If you cannot speak English or French and do not have an interpreter, you will be required to reschedule your appointment.
• Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring one person to help if they are elderly or disabled.

Immigrant visa fees

The Consulate does not offer daily fee collection services. If you have not paid all required fees to either the National Visa Center or through the appointment website, the Consulate may contact you to reschedule your appointment. Please be prepared to pay any additional fees on the day of your rescheduled interview.

All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent. We accept cash and credit cards only.

• 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 Canada

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the consulate for up to two (2) weeks while we prepare your immigration packet and print your visa. We will return your passport to you via courier services only (see Step 1). If you must travel within Canada while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID and your passport.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you cannot attend your appointment, please go to ais.usvisa-info.com for instructions about scheduling a new appointment date. Absent exigent circumstances, failure to attend your scheduled interview will result in termination of your case and underlying petition after one year.

1. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please make every effort to attend the appointment NVC scheduled for you.
2. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you were scheduled by NVC.
3. Review the Visa Bulletin carefully before you ask to reschedule your interview.

Important: There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled 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 original, assigned appointment.

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After Your Visa Interview

A consular officers can only make a decision on a visa application after he or she reviews the formal application and interviews the applicant.

There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa. We recommend that you do not sell your house, car or property, resign from your job or make non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you receive your immigrant visa.

If more information is needed

Sometimes a consular officer cannot make a decision on a visa application because he or she needs to review additional documents or the case requires further administrative processing.

• When additional documents are needed, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter explaining what is needed to process your case. The letter will include instructions about how to send those documents to the Consulate using a courier service.
• Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days after the interview. However, the time is different based on the facts of each case. Before you inquire about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least six months after your interview.

What happens after visa approval

1. Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet: Our courier service will return your passport and visa to you to the address or pickup location you indicated in Step 1.

• We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please check your visa to make sure there are no errors.
• For some cases, the Consulate will also provide a separate, sealed envelope in this package. This envelope contains documents for you to give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time. DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Do not put it in your checked luggage.
• If you received X-rays during your medical examination, you must also carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities.

2. 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.

An immigrant visa cannot be extended. If you do not use your visa before it expires and you still wish to travel, you will need to request a reissuance. The Consulate will require you to reappear for a follow-up interview. An additional nonrefundable visa fee may also be required.

The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas.

Unless eligible for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act, children who are issued a visa before they turn 21 years old must enter the United States before their 21^st birthday to avoid losing their immigrant status.

3. USCIS Immigrant Fee: With limited exceptions, everyone issued an immigrant visa overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process your immigration case and receive a Permanent Resident Card (commonly known as a Green Card). You will pay this fee directly to USCIS after you receive your immigrant visa from the Consulate. See here for further details.

4. Getting Your Green Card: Your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), also called a green card, will be mailed to the address in the United States that you gave in your immigrant visa application. This document proves you have permission to reside in the United States.

5. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before your green card arrives: Make sure you review the (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for rules about the documents you need to re-enter the United States.

• We recommend that you check with your airline prior to travel to verify your eligibility to board and travel without a green card.

6. After your green card is approved, check your rights and responsibilities, including international travel, at the USCIS website: Rights and Responsibilities of a Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident) | USCIS

7. Once you receive your green card, do not stay outside the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

8. Children’s Issues: In the United States, children must have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school.

• Bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States.
• If your child is adopted, or if you have specific custody arrangements, bring a copy of all adoption or custody papers from the court that has the authority for such matters in your home country.

9. Information for New Immigrants: Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information about 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 before your visa interview, enroll in the required courier service, and gather the required documents that needed for your application.

Additional instructions that apply only to DV applicants follow.

Bring to your interview

In addition to the documents listed on the Pre-Interview Checklist in this package, DV applicants must also bring these 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 diploma OR two (2) years of qualifying work experience in the five (5) years immediately before the application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available online).
• A nonrefundable visa application fee of US $330 for each applicant, payable on the day of your interview in cash or by any major credit card.

Review your E-DV Entry

Before your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your first E-DV entry.

1. You must correctly enter your marital status on your E-DV entry. If you are legally married and your spouse is not a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident, you must list your spouse, even if you are legally separated.
2. You must list ALL living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. This includes:

• Your children
• Your spouse’s children
  
• Children you have formally adopted under the laws of your country.

If you did not list an existing spouse or child at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery, your visa and the visas for your family will be denied.

Fees paid to the U.S. Government for your visa application(s) cannot be refunded.

Review the eligibility requirements for this program online.

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