Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate in Sydney, Australia.

Step 1: Register Online

Before your interview, you must register online, whether you plan to pick up your issued visa in person or pay for delivery. We no longer accept express post satchels for visa delivery.

Register >>

Step 2: Schedule a medical exam in Australia

Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” link below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Australia. You must schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Prepare for your visa interview

The U.S. Embassy in Canberra and the U.S. Consulates General in Perth and Melbourne do not process Immigrant and K visa applications. These applications are only processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney.

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

All immigrant visa applicants, no matter their age, must have a medical examination before a visa is issued. Only a physician approved by the U.S. Consulate General can perform it.

• It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with an approved physician.
• Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.
• Medical examinations cannot be given in the United States.

Please click this button below for a list of approved physicians in Australia.

List of approved Physicians

New South Wales

Dr. Celina Rappaport
MedClinic CBD
Ground Floor, 70 Pitt St
Sydney, NSW 2000
(02) 9235 0099
doctor@sydneyvisamedical.com

Dr. Rosemary Aldous
MedicalOne
31 Hunter Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
(02) 9235 4444
usvisa@medicalone.com.au
 

Victoria

Dr. Charles Okraglik
Toorak Village Medical Centre
Level 1, TOK H 459 Toorak Road
Toorak, VIC 3142
(03) 9826 8811
visas@tvmc.com.au

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Items to bring to your medical examination

• Appointment letter
• Valid passport
• Immunization records (copy only)
• DS-260/DS-160 confirmation page
• Four (4) passport-sized photographs – Diversity (DV) and Fiancé (K) applicants only.

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

During the medical exam

The medical examination includes:

• Medical history review
• Physical examination
• Chest X-ray
• Gonorrhea testing
• Blood tests (for applicants 15 years and older)
• The United States also requires tuberculosis (TB) testing for all applicants two years and older
• Be prepared to discuss your medical history, medications you are taking, and current treatments you are undergoing.

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to get certain vaccinations before a visa is issued.

• Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC's website. 

You can find more information about general medical requirements by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements at Travel.State.Gov.

After the medical exam

Medical Report Validity and Visa Issuance:

• Medical reports are valid for either three (3) or six (6) months from the date of your examination. The validity period depends on the results of your medical exam.
• Your visa, if approved, will be limited to the expiration date of your medical exam. This means you must enter the country before your medical report expires.

How to Know Your Medical is Complete: You will know your medical examination is complete when you receive one of the following from the panel physician:

1. A copy of your eMedical Information Sheet by email: This confirms your medical is complete and has been submitted electronically to the relevant office.
2. A sealed envelope containing your medical exam results: If you receive this, you must mail the sealed envelope to the office when you submit your visa application.

Action Steps:

• If you receive the eMedical Information Sheet by email, keep it for your records and ensure your application references this completion.
• If you receive a sealed envelope, do not open it. Mail it directly to the office as instructed.

Recommendation:
If you have not yet received confirmation that your medical is complete, follow up with the panel physician.

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Interview Guidelines

Important information

Process Overview:

• After your case is received, the office will notify you by email about the next steps.
• The email will provide instructions for mailing your documents to the office for review.

Action Required:

• You must follow the instructions and mail your documents within twenty (20) days of receiving the email.
• If you do not act within this timeframe, your appointment may be cancelled.

Recommendations:

• Check your email regularly, including your spam or junk folder, to ensure you do not miss the notification. The email will be sent from, “DoNotReply_SYD@state.gov” you can add this to your contacts.
• Prepare your documents in advance, if possible, so you can respond promptly.
• If you anticipate any issues meeting the deadline, contact the office as soon as possible to explain your situation and seek guidance.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, and the Diversity Lottery Program, a visa becomes available within the month your interview was scheduled.

Important: If you reschedule your interview, there is no guarantee that a visa will still be available. Carefully review the Visa Bulletin before you ask to reschedule your interview.

To reschedule or cancel your appointment, please click here to contact our office.

Security screening procedures

On the day of your interview please go to 50 Miller Street (Street Entrance) in North Sydney.

• Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled interview to clear through the security screening process. The process is similar to airport security.
• Plan on spending up to three hours at the consulate.

Accompanying Petitioners

Petitioners may accompany applicants to the visa interview. Please click or tap here at least three business days before the interview so the petitioner can be approved for access to our office.

Additional assistance requests

Interpreters: If you use sign language or you are not fluent in English, an interpreter may accompany you to your interview.

• Your interpreter must speak your language and English.
• Interpreters who do not meet these requirements will not be allowed to attend the interview.

While some of our staff speak several languages, the U.S. Consulate does not provide an interpreter service. 

If you are a caregiver, friend or family member and would like to help a minor, someone with a hidden disability, issues with mobility or an applicant who is sensory deprived, please let us know at least three business days before the interview.

• While applicants are not required to have someone with them, they may instead choose to self-identify on the day of the interview.
• In your email you must include the person’s full name, date of birth, address, and their relationship to you.
• Please note, valid photo identification will be required upon arrival at the U.S. Consulate. Please notify our office at least three business days before your scheduled appointment.
• For more information, visit: Bring an interpreter/caregiver to my appointment.

Immigrant visa fees

If you have not paid all required fees to the National Visa Center, be prepared to pay them on the day of your interview. Please note: If you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded.

• A list of fees can be found Fees for Visa Services webpage.

Visa processing times

Immigrant visa processing times can be different. There may be unexpected matters that become apparent during your interview that require additional time and processing. Usually, it takes 15 business days to print your visa and prepare your visa package (if applicable) after the consular officer reviews and adjudicates your case.

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After Your Visa Interview

Consular Officers can make decisions on visa applications only after they review the formal application and interview 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 receive your immigrant visa.

If more information is needed

Sometimes Consular Officers cannot make decisions on visa applications because they need to review additional documents, or the case requires further administrative processing.

• When administrative processing is required, consular officers tell applicants at the end of the interview.
• The time the administrative processing takes can be different, based on the individual circumstances of each case.

Except in cases of emergency travel (i.e., serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family), before you make inquiries about status of administrative processing, please wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.

What happens after visa approval

Passport and Visa

Your immigrant visa will be placed on a page in your passport.

• Review the printed information right away to make sure there are no errors.
• If there are any spelling or biographical errors, contact the consulate immediately.

What do I need to do before I travel?

You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after you receive your immigrant visa and before you travel to the United States.

• Only children who enter the United States under the Orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning residents (SB-1s), and those issued K visas are exempt from this fee.
• Please visit the USCIS website for more information and to pay the fee.
• USCIS will not issue a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 or Green Card until you pay the fee.

When can I travel?

The expiration date on your visa is limited!

• Once you receive your passport from our office, check the visa expiration date and start planning your travel.
• You must arrive and apply for admission into the United States no later than the expiration date printed on your visa.

Entering the United States

When you travel to the United States, the primary (or principal) applicant must enter before or at the same time as derivative family members with visas.

• A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States.
• The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP) officials have authority to grant or deny admission.
• Learn about admission and entry requirements on the CBP website.

When you are admitted, you will enter as a Lawful Permanent Resident (also called a green card holder) and you are permitted to work and live in the United States.

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 wrote 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, review the USCIS and CBP websites for rules about what documents you need to reenter the country.
• We also recommend that you check with the airline to make sure you follow 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. 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, bring a copy of all adoption or custody papers from the court with authority in your home country. You will need these papers (translated into English) for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.

When You are a Permanent Resident:  Learn more about your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

• You may also want to review Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants.

Social Security Number: To learn about the U.S. Social Security Administration benefits available to Legal Permanent Residents and how to apply for a social security number card, visit the Social Security Administration website.

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