Having a stranger—or in this case a foreign government—go through your entire life with a fine-toothed comb can be a nerve-racking experience for anyone. This guide will help you go through the consular interview including how to prepare, needed documents, tips, and sample questions. By the end of this guide, you’ll feel like you’re entering a calming conversation that will lead to the beginning of the rest of your life instead of an interrogation.
Your first step is waiting to hear from the National Visa Center (NVC).
NVC Interview Letter
After you and your petitioner fill out the necessary forms and submit the requested documents, the NVC will go through processing the application. The NVC will forward your case to the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest to you when it’s done processing. You’ll then receive the NVC interview letter that contains the following important information:
- Date, time, and location of the interview
- Name of the applicants with their date of birth and place of birth and
- Names of the applicants that must attend the interview
- Your case number
- Your visa preference category
- Instructions of what to bring to the interview
Must Do’s Before the Consular Interview
Make sure to allow ample time before your interview to complete your required biometrics appointment and medical exam. The medical exam can only be done after you have your appointment letter.
It is important to remember that the medical exam must be done with an approved physician. To find an authorized physician and instructions for the medical exam, search for your respective U.S. embassy or consulate at the Department of State, and there will be a list of approved physicians. If there are any unmarried children under 21 years old or a spouse that will be immigrating with you, they must also do the medical exam.
After the exam is complete, the physician will fill out form I-693, sign, and seal the form in an envelope. You are to give this envelope to the consular officer unopened at the interview.
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Crunch Time: Studying Your Submitted Documents
It’s the week of the interview, and you’re stressing. Everything will be fine. Stay calm, gather all the documents and forms you submitted, and start going over the information you provided.
Many of the questions the consular officer will ask you will be the same as the questions you answered on your forms and based on the information in your submitted civil documents. Just go over these documents to refresh your memory on important dates, details, and other information you provided.
You’re not expected to memorize all the information you submitted. Also, if you’re asked a question and you don’t remember, it’s essential to just let the officer know you don’t remember. Do not lie. If you lie, you risk making the officer believe there are inconsistencies in your information.
Consular Interview Document Checklist
It may seem odd after already submitting a life’s worth of documents to have to bring even more materials to your interview. However, if you don’t bring the documents outlined below to your interview, you risk a delay or even a denial.
- A valid passport for each applicant
- Two identical passport-style photographs for each applicant
- The interview appointment letter you received from the National Visa Center
- Form I-693, the sealed packet given to you by the approved physician after your medical exam
- The DS-260 confirmation page
- Original or certified copies of all the supporting civil documents you submitted to the Consular Electronic Application Center
- Money for any unpaid fees
During the interview, submit translated versions of any foreign-language documents you have.
Before a U.S. District Judge issued a nationwide injunction on the Trump Administration’s new public charge rules on July 29, 2020, a consular officer might have asked you to bring a completed DS-5540. This form is the public charge questionnaire that helps the government determine whether you might end up being an economic burden. While these new rules are currently not in effect, it is still important to familiarize yourself with the form’s questions and requested documents as the government can still file an appeal.
Photo Requirements for Visa Interview
There are strict requirements for the passport-style photographs you must submit.
Your photos need to include the following:
- Must be in color
- Must be 2 inches by 2 inches
- Must be taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
- Your face must be in full view in front of the camera and have a neutral expression.
- Your head should be shown from the top of your hair to the bottom of your chin.
- Your head should be centered and cover 50 to 69 percent of the image.
- Must be taken in the last six months
- You must wear clothes you would usually wear on a regular basis.
- If you usually wear a hearing aid, it can be included in the photo.
- If you wear religious clothing on a regular basis, you can wear it for the photo.
Your photos can not include the following:
- Uniforms
- Any hat or head covering that covers your hairline unless worn for religious purposes, but your full face must show, and the covering can cast no shadows
- Headphones or anything similar
- Eyeglasses unless needed to be worn at all times for medical reasons and you provide a signed letter from a medical professional
You can view examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos at the Department of State’s website.
What to do the Day Before Your Consular Interview
It is a good idea to arrive in the same city where your U.S. embassy or consulate is located the day before your interview if you do not live near it.
Ensure to have your professional, conservative clothing ready the night before, along with all the requested documents.
Make sure all the family members listed in the interview appointment letter have taken the same precautions the day before the interview.
Arriving for Your Consular Interview
Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time. You might witness long lines, and many other applicants scheduled for an interview at the same time.
After going through security, a clerk will check to make sure you’ve brought all the required people and documents to your interview. When the consular officer is ready, he or she will go through your documents and commence the interview. The interview takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
Sample Questions and Topics Covered at Consulate Visa Interview
Most of the interview involves the consular officer asking questions that ensure the validity of the forms and documents you submitted.
Also, the officer will be asking questions regarding your relationship with the petitioner. The content of these questions will depend on your family-based visa category.
Make sure to be calm during the interview and be truthful.
Sample Marriage-Based Visa Interview Questions
If you’re already married and joining your spouse through an immediate-relative green card, the consular officer’s questioning will cover trying to make sure the marriage is legitimate. If you already have children with your spouse, then most questions concerning legitimacy will be avoided. Below is a sample of some of the questions.
- Where did you meet your spouse?
- Where was your first date?
- What is your spouse’s birthday?
- Where did your spouse go to school?
- What religion is your spouse?
- What are some of your spouse’s hobbies?
- What does your spouse do for a living?
- Where did your spouse work before his current job?
- What are the names of your spouse’s parents?
- How many siblings does your spouse have, and what are their names?
- Who is your spouse’s best friend?
- Have you ever been on vacation together?
- Who proposed to whom? Where and when did that proposal happen?
- When did you and your spouse get married?
- Where was your wedding held, and how many people were in attendance?
- If you had a honeymoon, where did you go?
- How often do you see each other’s families?
- Do you plan on living together?
- How do you spend your holidays together?
Topics Covered in Other Family-Based Consular Visa Interviews
For parents, unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years old, married sons or daughters, or siblings of petitioners, the questions are less direct. Consular officers tend to cover the following topics:
- How genuine your relationship is with the petitioner
- The petitioner’s immigration or citizenship status
- A review of your police clearance certificates
- A review of your immigration data
- Questions regarding drug addiction and alcoholism
- A review of your medical exam
- Questions surrounding your children
Post-Interview Process
After the interview, comes the wait to hear back from the government.
Denial
If the consular officer finds you fall under any of the grounds of inadmissibility, they can deny your application for a visa. They will inform you of your denial and the reason behind it. They will also let you know if you might be able to apply for a waiver.
The consular officer might also request additional support documentation regarding a particular area. The officer will let you know what evidence is needed and how to submit it to hopefully put you on a path for approval
Approval
The Department of State will let you know if you’re approved and when to expect your passport returned with your new visa. Make sure to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee unless you fall within an exempted visa class.
Once you receive your passport and visa, you have until the visa expiration date to travel to the U.S., which is usually within six months of being issued the visa.
It is important to remember to follow all rules regarding entry as the Department of Homeland Security can still deny you entry into the country.
Once you’re through security, it’s time to take a deep breath and celebrate successfully going through the entire immigration process and reuniting with your family.