Interview scheduling and prep
Get an interview date, book the medical exam, and prepare your documents.
Not legal advice
This roadmap is general information to help you organize your own preparation. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Rules differ by consulate and change over time - always confirm against the official travel.state.gov, ceac.state.gov and uscis.gov guidance for your case.
Interview date assigned
After DQ, NVC schedules your consulate interview and emails the date.
1-5 months after DQOnce you have a date, complete the mandatory courier/passport-delivery registration: your NVC letter links to nvc.state.gov/prep - at Step 10 choose "Register for Courier Service / Other Pre-Interview Instructions", pick your consulate from the alphabetical list, register, then print the final sheet. To choose or move your consulate, compare post workloads via the monthly immigrant-visa issuance statistics.
To do (0/3)
Research and learn
- If you want to choose or move your consulate, compare post workloads using the monthly immigrant-visa issuance statistics (and the workload table on this step) before you act - some posts schedule slowly after DQ or have a higher administrative-processing rate.
- The courier registration is mandatory - without it the consulate cannot return your passport with the visa. Print the final sheet and keep it with your interview documents.
Common questions
Do I need a fresh DS-2019 / valid SEVIS for a (re)scheduled interview?
If your DS-2019 or SEVIS is close to expiry, request a fresh DS-2019 from your sponsor before the date - the consulate will turn you away with an expired one, and a DS-2019 is typically valid for at most a year. Do not wait: if administrative processing drags on, the document can lapse while the case itself has not moved, and people have had to send a new DS-2019 long into the wait. A sponsor can usually issue it within about a week, and the consulate treats a fresh DS-2019 as confirmation that you are still expected.
From Russia, where does the third-country EB-1 interview take place?
For EB-1 immigrant applicants who are Russian citizens, the case is generally routed to Warsaw, the standard third-country post since interviews inside Russia stopped. Moving it elsewhere (for example Kazakhstan) usually requires a reason - a Schengen refusal that blocks entry to the assigned post, or already living somewhere legally on a residence, work or student permit. The interview is always in person; an attorney cannot attend, though an interpreter is often allowed. (O-1 non-immigrant cases are more flexible and have no fixed post.)
How long after DQ until the interview is scheduled?
It varies widely by consulate - roughly 1-5 months. Low-load posts schedule quickly after DQ; busy posts (e.g. some in the workload table) are slower. The monthly issuance statistics help you gauge a post before deciding whether to transfer.
Can I move my interview to a different country?
Often yes, but rules differ by post - some require a residence permit for everyone on the case, and a few (like Cyprus) must be chosen from the start and cannot be transferred into. Check the workload table on this step and confirm with the target consulate.
Screenshots from the roadmap
Reference tables
Consulate workload by country
Country Workload Notes Cyprus low A residence permit via a bank is easy. Fast RF and US embassies. Low cost of living. The case cannot be transferred here - you must list Cyprus in the case from the start. Indonesia low Transfer requires a residence permit for everyone on the case. Low cost of living in Bali. An Indonesian permit is easy via an agency. The US consulate is not busy and schedules interviews quickly after DQ. A tourist visa allows a 6-month stay with a visa run to Malaysia. Georgia high Kazakhstan very high A Kazakhstan temporary residence permit is enough to transfer. The interview may be in Russian. A notarized translation of documents is required. Many reports of difficult consular officers, which has raised the administrative-processing risk. Armenia high Interviews are scheduled slowly after DQ. Kyrgyzstan Warsaw (Poland) very high Abnormally high rate of cases sent to administrative processing. Interviews in Poland are auto-assigned to RF citizens. Costa Rica low Turkey normal Community experience; rules change - verify against official sources.
My notes
savedMedical exam (IOM)
Book the IOM medical once you have an interview date.
0/3 docs1-2 weeksSchedule the medical exam at iom.int once you have an interview date, and get your exam date. Bring 3x4 white-background photos for each family member (the number varies by IOM country). The medical result is valid 6 months from the IOM date.
To do (0/3)
Research and learn
- Always ask the doctor for TWO sealed envelopes in case one is lost. Do the medical only once you have an interview date - medicals expire (valid 6 months from the IOM date), and you may have to redo it if administrative processing drags on.
- The medical exam must be done at an accredited IOM panel clinic in the interview country (not early in the US). Bring your passport, photos and all vaccination records. Applicants report roughly $180-850 per adult depending on the country and missing vaccines; some shots can be given on the spot.
Common questions
Can I do the medical early in the US before I travel?
No. The exam must be done at an accredited IOM panel clinic in the interview country, and only after you have an interview date. The result is valid 6 months from the IOM date, so doing it too early risks expiry if administrative processing drags on.
How much does the medical cost?
It depends on the country and on how many vaccines you still need. Applicants report roughly $180-850 per adult; some missing shots can be given at the clinic on the spot. Pay at the clinic, usually by card.
Reference tables
IOM medical clinics by country
Country IOM site Notes Indonesia indonesia.iom.int The exam is done at Premier Bintaro Hospital (Jakarta). A past-chickenpox record is not accepted - the vaccine is required. Pay by card in local currency at the clinic. Georgia georgia.iom.int Kazakhstan kazakhstan.iom.int Armenia iom.int/countries/armenia Warsaw (Poland) poland.iom.int Medical-exam instructions for Warsaw are on travel.state.gov (WRW-Warsaw page, medical exam instructions section). Uzbekistan iom.int/countries/uzbekistan Pick your interview country and book an accredited IOM clinic in advance. Full clinic list at mymedical.iom.int.
My notes
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