Prepare for the Interview
Important Notice
Presidential Proclamation on Healthcare
All applicants - Read the below information carefully. If you do not bring all required documents to your appointment, your case may be delayed. You may need to return to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at another date and your visa may be delayed or denied.
You should prepare for your interview thoroughly and carefully. Failure to be fully prepared for your interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate can result in delay or denial of your visa application.
After you have been notified of your scheduled interview, you will need to take the following important steps in advance of the interview date:
1. Carefully Review your scheduling information in the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website, noting the date, time, and location of your immigrant visa interview.
2. Review U.S. Embassy or Consulate Interview Instructions
There may be additional instructions provided by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will be applying and be interviewed, so please review those instructions carefully. To see this information, select below the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will be interviewed. Please note that some of the information included in these instructions may apply to immigrant visa classifications other than diversity visas. If you have questions about the country-specific information included here, please contact the embassy or consulate where you will apply for your visa.
Please visit the List of U.S. Embassies and Consulates to review Embassy/Consulate instructions.
3. Schedule and Complete a Medical Examination
You (and each family member applying for a visa with you) are required to schedule a medical appointment with an authorized physician in the country where you will be interviewed. You must complete your medical examination, along with any required vaccinations, before your scheduled visa interview date. When your medical exam is completed, if you are given a medical exam envelope, you must bring it sealed (not opened) to your visa interview. Some physicians will send the medical exam results directly to the embassy or consulate.
A list of authorized physicians for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will apply is provided in the dropdown list below. You must contact a physician and schedule your medical appointment. The embassy or consulate will not do this for you. Explain that the examination is for an immigrant visa application and give the physician the date of the interview appointment. The physician will tell you the cost of the examination and tests. Please note that some of the information included in these instructions may apply to immigrant visa classifications other than diversity visas. If you have questions about the country-specific information included here, please contact the embassy or consulate where you will apply for your visa.
Please visit the List of U.S. Embassies and Consulates to review Embassy/Consulate instructions.
4. Gather Photographs and All Remaining Required Documents
Photographs
Each DV applicant will need to bring two (2) identical photos to the interview. Please review the detailed information about photo requirements to ensure that your photos will be acceptable.
Required Documentation
Each applicant will be required to present the following:
- Appointment information printed from the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website.
- DS-260 confirmation page You can print this from the Consular Electronic Application Center any time after you complete your DS-260 application.
- Passport(s) valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the U.S. for you and each family member applying for a visa.
- Original documents or certified copies of civil documents listed here. You should be prepared to present:
Evidence of Required DV Qualifying Education or Work Experience
The principal diversity visa applicant must have a high school education, or its equivalent, OR two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years.
Education: Submit to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at your interview, a certificate of completion equivalent to a U.S. diploma, school transcripts, or other evidence issued by the person or organization responsible for maintaining records, which specifies the completed course of study. The diversity visa selectee must have completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the U.S. or a comparable course of study in another country, sufficient to qualify a student to apply for college admission. The following are not acceptable:
- Equivalency certificates (such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable.
- Vocational degrees that are not considered a basis for further academic study will not be considered equivalent to U.S. high school education.
Work Experience: Submit documentation to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at your interview demonstrating that you have two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years immediately prior to application into the DV program. Qualifying work experience must be in an occupation that, by U.S. Department of Labor O*Net Online Database definitions, requires at least two years of training or experience that is designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher. (See the section on Confirm Your Qualifications for information about using O*Net Online.)
Deportation Documentation
Applicants who have previously been deported or removed at government expense from the United States must obtain Form I-212, Permission to Reapply after Deportation, from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and follow the instructions included on that form.
Marriage Certificate
Married applicants must obtain an original marriage certificate, or a certified copy, bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.
Note: Marriage certificates from certain countries are unavailable. More specific information is available online on our Reciprocity by Country webpage.
Marriage Termination Documentation
Applicants who have been previously married must submit evidence of the termination of EACH prior marriage. Evidence submitted to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate must be in the form of original documents issued by a competent authority, or certified copies bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority, such as:
- Final divorce decree
- Death certificate
- Annulment papers
Custody Documentation
For adopted children, the adoptive parent must provide:
- A certified copy of the adoption decree;
- The legal custody decree, if custody occurred before the adoption;
- A statement showing dates and places where child resided with the parents; and
- If the child was adopted while aged 16 or 17 years, evidence that the child was adopted together with, or subsequent to the adoption of, a natural sibling under age 16 by the same adoptive parent(s).
5. Review Additional Information
Visit the U.S. embassy or consulate website where you will be interviewed for any additional information.
Paying Fees
Before the interview, each applicant must pay the Diversity Visa fee. For DV-2024 applicants the fee is $330 per person. This fee is nonrefundable, whether a visa is issued or not. Learn more about Fees.
Fee payment procedures vary between different U.S. Embassies and Consulates. At a few locations, you should plan to pay your fees before your interview date and time by following the instructions of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will be interviewed. Most U.S. Embassies and Consulates collect fees in the consular section at the time of your interview. Be sure you have looked at the specific instructions for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you will be interviewed so that you can follow the appropriate procedures.
Other fees may apply to other parts of the process, such as medical exam fees, or local government fees to obtain certified copies of records.