Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Yaounde, Cameroon

Step 1: Register your appointment online

Immigrant and Diversity visa applicants must register their appointment date and time online to confirm their attendance and enable the Embassy to contact them. If you do not register your appointment, you will not be allowed to enter the Embassy on the day of your interview. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to register.

Register >>

Step 2: Schedule a medical exam in Cameroon

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

NOTE: Medical examinations conducted in connection with immigrant visa applications have a maximum validity of six (6) months. Therefore, we strongly advise that you have your medical examination performed at least three (3) weeks before your interview date as we cannot issue a visa without a satisfactory medical report.

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents and photocopies 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.

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

All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of of a visa. Only an Embassy approved physician can perform this exam. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy.  Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.

Approved Physicians:

Dr. GUELA née WAWO YONTA
Centre Médical de l’Hippodrome
P.O. Box 10102, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Phone: (237) 673 711 212 / 653 202 020 / 699 588 888
Email: edvinewawo0@hotmail.com
centremedicalhippodrome@gmail.com

Location: Hippodrome, on the last road. Entrance by Montée Anne Rouge, first entrance on the right opposite MOABI Voyages, the yellow house after the Agence de Regulation des Télécommunications (A.R.T).

Consultations are done in English and French, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm without appointment (registration from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), and Saturday by appointment only. 

Dr. KAMDEM SIPOFFO Clémentine
Christi Care Center - Douala
726 rue Paul Monthe Bonapriso, Douala
Phone: (237) 654 89 81 82 / 692 95 99 21
Email: kamdem_s@ yahoo.fr

Consultations are done in English and French, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on appointment.

We cannot issue a visa without a satisfactory medical report. The medical report must be less than six (6) months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant. Therefore, we recommend scheduling your medical exam three (3) weeks before your interview date.

Items to bring to your medical examination

The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:

• Your visa interview appointment letter,
• Your passport,
• Four (4) recently taken passport-sized color photographs, and
• A copy of your immunization records.
• DS-260 confirmation page.
  

Any medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the examining physician.

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 visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC.Gov. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements on Travel.State.Gov.

After the medical exam

When your examination is completed, the doctor will either provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope or send them 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. 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. 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 (6) 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. Please note that any documents that are not in either English or French must be accompanied by a certified English translation:

• A copy of your visa appointment letter (does not apply to 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.

• Two (2) color photographs of each person applying for a visa (5cm x 5cm, 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, English translation, 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 below should bring these additional documents

For family based visa applicants:

• 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).
  
  
• If you are married:  Your original marriage certificate, English translation, and a photocopy.
  
  
• If you were previously married:  Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate, English translation, and a photocopy.
  
  
• 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 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.
      

For employment-based visa applications: A 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, 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.

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

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Interview Guidelines

Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy Yaoundé

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 following your interview.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment, please email consularyaounde@state.gov.  There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please endeavor to attend your initial appointment. 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 Yaoundé 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 are unable to speak English, French or pidgin during an interview.
• Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview.

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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 U.S. dollars or the equivalent in FCFA. We accept cash only. Payment made with U.S. dollars must be on bills printed within the last 10 years. We do not accept bankers' drafts, pay orders or personal checks. 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 Cameroon

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the Embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa in your passport. The consular officer will provide document delivery instructions during your interview. If you have planned travel while your visa case is pending at the Embassy, you may request to withdraw your passport, and your visa case will be suspended until you return from your trip. After you return from your trip, you must notify the Embassy via email and you will be provided with instructions to drop off your passport to resume processing of your visa case. A consular officer can decide 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.

After Your Visa Interview

A consular officer can decide 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 decide on a visa application because he or she needs to review additional documents or the case requires further administrative processing. When additional documents are required, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter that requests you to submit additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the embassy. Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days. However, the timing varies based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 60 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. In some cases, 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-rays during your medical exam and a copy of Form DS-3025, Vaccination Worksheet, carry those with you as well.

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 this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague or Orphan Process; children under the age of 18 entering the United States through the Child Citizenship Act and who acquire U.S. citizenship automatically; returning residents; and K visa holders.

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. 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 21st 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 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. 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, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custody papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will need these papers (translated into English) 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 - Additional Information

If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all 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 (GCE Advanced Level with at least two subjects passed – Baccalaureat) OR have 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 online). Please bring the original and two (2) photocopies.
  
  
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee for each applicant.

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).

Additionally, you must have listed ALL your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old, unless your child is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident. This includes your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country.

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 online.

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