Please follow all the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

Step 1: Register online

Before your interview, you must register a delivery address for your passport’s return with the embassy’s online service. Registration is free. To register, click this button.

Register >>

Step 2: Get a medical exam in Thailand

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Thailand. Click the Medical Exam Instructions button (below) for a list of authorized doctors’ offices in Thailand. Schedule and attend a medical exam with one of them before your interview

Medical Exam Instructions >>

Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview.  Click the Pre-Interview Checklist button (below) for a checklist that tells you what to bring.  

Complete everything in the checklist. Then, print it and bring it to your interview with the required documents.

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 4: Review interview guidelines

Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions 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 can be issued.

Only a doctor authorized by the U.S. Embassy can perform this exam.

It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors in the list of Approved physicians (below) before your visa interview.

• Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.
• Your visa expiration date will be the same as the expiration date of your medical exam (usually six months from the date of the exam. However, for certain medical conditions, it may only be three months.).

IMPORTANT: Schedule your medical exam so it takes place at least 10 business days before your interview date to make sure the exam is complete and your visa is valid.

WARNING:  No medical exam - No visa interview

If your medical examination report will not be finished in time for your interview (due to ongoing testing, treatment, or other reason), you cannot attend your visa interview.

• Your interview appointment must be rescheduled until you receive your completed medical examination report.
• You can contact visasbkk@state.gov to make a new appointment.

Approved physicians

Bumrungrad Hospital (Bangkok)

33 Sukhumvit Soi 3 (Soi Nana Nua), Bangkok
Tel. (02) 667-1000
email: info@bumrungrad.com
Dr. Watcharaphong Saechere
Dr. Wiwat Wongsirisak

Examination Fee:
Under age 2 years old - 3,250 THB
2-14 years old - 9,900 THB
15-17 years old and age over 45 years old - 11,000 THB
18-24 years old - 15,750 THB
25-44 years old - 12,000 THB

Bring these items to your medical examination

You should present your complete medical and immunization records to the physician at your exam appointment. 

Bring these documents to your exam:

1. Passport: Make sure it will remain valid for more than 6 months
2. Photographs: Four (1.5 x 2 inches) photographs that were taken within the last 6 months
3. DS-260 or DS-160 Confirmation Page
4. Visa interview appointment letter: Issued by National Visa Center (NVC), or US Embassy Bangkok’s Consular Section, or Global Support Strategy (GSS) 
5. Information for Completing Medical Exam Forms: Include your visa category, visa case number, your current address and U.S. addresses
6. Vaccination records
7. Medical History Information:

• If you are taking any medications, know their names and composition.
• If you have or had any illnesses, major surgeries, trauma, or physical or mental impairment; bring documentation from the treating doctor or medical institution.  

8. Criminal Record or Court Records (if any).

Note: If you do not provide this information during your medical examination it will delay your visa process. Please understand that the information given to the doctor is confidential.

Medical Examination Forms (DS-2054, DS-3025, DS-3026, and DS-3030) will be provided by the hospital because the panel physician must control them.

Medical Examination Fees:

• You must pay all medical examination fees (including x-ray and blood tests) directly to the examining physician.

During the medical exam

The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, and chest X-ray 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.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO IMMIGRANT AND FIANCE(E) K VISA APPLICANTS CONCERNING VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

United States immigration law requires immigrant and fiancé(e) K visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations (listed below) prior to the issuance of a visa.  Panel physicians who conduct medical examinations are now required to verify that visa applicants have met the new vaccination requirements, or that it is medically inappropriate for the visa applicant to receive one or more of the listed vaccinations:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
• Measles, rubella, and mumps
• Polio (inactivated)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib)
• Varicella
• Pneumococcal for adults
• Pneumococcal for children
• Meningococcal
• Influenza
• Rotavirus

To assist the panel physician and avoid processing delays, all immigrant and fiancé(e) K visa applicants should have their vaccination records available for the panel physician's review at the time of the medicalexamination.  Here are the steps you should follow:

• Obtain Vaccination Records: Consult with your regular healthcare provider to obtain a copy of your immunization record.
• No Vaccination Record?: If you do not have a vaccination record, the panel physician will work with you to determine which vaccinations you may need to meet the requirements.
• Vaccination Waivers: Certain waivers of the vaccination requirements are available upon the recommendation of the panel physician.

Only a physician can determine which of the listed vaccinations are medically appropriate for you, given your age, medical history, and current medical condition.

After the medical exam

When your examination is finished, the doctor will either:

• Give you the exam results in a sealed envelope or
• Send them directly to the U.S. Embassy

If the doctor gives you a sealed envelope to carry to your interview, DO NOT OPEN IT!

• Bring the sealed envelope to your visa interview.
  
• If the doctor gives you a digital radiography CD, bring it with you to the interview.

For eMedical examinations, the panel physician will submit the result through the eMed system. In that case, you do not need to bring the medical exam to the interview.

IMPORTANT:

1. You must carry your radiography CD (x-rays) with you when you travel to the United States for the first time.
2. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States.

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Please review the detailed guidance (below) to schedule an interview and prepare the required documents.  

Applications that are incomplete at the time of the visa interview will cause a delay of at least 10-15 business-days for a decision. 

1. Arrange your documents in the order listed and separate all original documents from the photocopies.

2. If you do not have the original, a certified copy can be accepted instead of the original. The original documents will be returned to you after we review them.

3. Translations: All non-English documents must have a certified English translation. Bring a copy to the interview.

• It must include statements by the translator that, “The translation is accurate” and “The translator is competent to translate.”
• In Thailand, you can ask for civil registration documents (such as birth and marriage certificates) in English at any local district office (Thai Amphur). If you get the English version of a required document directly from the Thai Amphur, an English translation of will not be necessary.

Note: If you do not submit ALL the required documents on this checklist, your visa interview will be cancelled and you will have to reschedule it.

Photographs: Two (2) COLOR front view photographs that were taken within the past six months. Please review the photo requirements.

Passport: Original and Copy. Your passport must be valid for travel to the United States and it must be valid for at least eight (8) months after the date your visa is issued. Your visa will be issued in the same name that appears on your passport.

Previous Passports: Submit all previous passports, or police reports for any lost or missing passports or U.S. visas. This is particularly important if the passports contained other U.S. visas or if they were used to travel to the United States.

Confirmation of Form DS-260 Online Immigrant Visa Application: To complete this online form, visit https://ceac.state.gov/IV/Login.aspx and follow the directions for the DS-260 Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application. 

• Be sure you create a new profile and DS-260 for the current immigrant visa application. Do not use profiles from old applications.

Confirmation of Global Support Strategy (GSS) Registration: Every applicant must create their own profile and register a mailing address in the GSS system at www.ustraveldocs.com/th. 

• Print your GSS Confirmation Page showing the UID Barcode and bring it to the Embassy.

Police Certificates: Original and copy. Applicants that are 16 or older get police certificates from every countries they lived in according to these instructions: 

Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates. Instructions for obtaining a Thai police certificate can be found on our website. Applicants should review the Reciprocity Schedule for information about getting police certificates from other countries.

Court and Prison Records (if any): Certified copies. If you were convicted of a crime, you MUST obtain a certified copy of every court and prison record, even if you were later granted amnesty, a pardon, or other act of clemency.

• You must also submit the section of the law under which you were found guilty, and it must show the maximum penalty, along with certified English translations.

Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).

Birth Certificate: Original and copy. You and each family member immigrating with you must obtain an original birth certificate or certified copy.

• If you cannot obtain an official Thai birth certificate, submit a Certificate of Birthplace (original and copy).
• If you were born outside of Thailand, please see the Reciprocity Schedule for information about how to request a birth certificate. Include an English translation of this document and place it on top of the original.

Name Change Certificates: Original and copy. If you changed any of your names, you must submit all name change certificates.

• Please arrange the certificates in order from oldest to newest. The interviewing officer must be able to clearly track the name changes from the name on your birth certificate to the name on your passport. Include English translations and place them on top of the original.
• If you cannot get individual name change certificates, you must submit an original Certificate of Same Person, issued by the local district office (Thai Amphur), that lists all names since birth.

Marriage Certificates: Original and copy.

• If you are or were married, you must get original marriage certificates or certified copies of EVERY marriage.
• The certificate must be translated into English. Please place it on top of the original.

Termination of Marriage or Death Certificates: Original and copy.

• The petitioner and the applicant must present certificates for the legal termination of all prior marriages or of the death of a prior spouse.
• The certificate must be translated into English. Please place it on top of the original.

Documents Required from the Petitioner

1. If you are applying for an IR5 visa as the parent of a U.S. citizen or for an F4 visa as the brother or sister of a U.S. citizen, you must submit these documents to prove your relationship:

• The original birth certificate (or a certified copy) of your petitioning child or sibling. 
• Any name change certificates for your sponsoring child or sibling that clearly show the link between the petitioner's birth certificate and current name.

2. If you are applying for an IR1, CR1, or F2A visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident and your petitioning spouse was previously married, you must submit these documents to prove the current marriage is valid:

• Evidence of the termination of EVERY prior marriage your petitioning spouse had. 
• The evidence must be an original or certified copy of a final legal divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers.

3. If you are applying for an IR2, CR2, or F2, as a stepchild of U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, you must get an original or certified copy of the marriage certificates of the petitioner and your natural parent. 

• If the petitioner or your natural parent was previously married, you must obtain evidence of the termination of EVERY prior marriage. 
• The evidence must be an original or certified copy of a final legal divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers.

4. If an intending immigrant child was adopted and if the child’s application to immigrate is based upon a parent-child relationship, you must submit these custody documents:

• A certified copy of the adoption decree
• The legal custody decree if custody occurred before the adoption
• A statement that shows dates and places where the child resided with the adoptive parents
• If the child who was adopted was 16 or 17 years old at the time, you must submit evidence that the child was adopted with, or after, the adoption of a natural sibling under age 16 by the same adoptive parent(s).

Military Records (if any): If you served in the military of any country, you must get a photocopy and an English translation of your military record.  For more information, please see the Reciprocity Schedule.

Immigration Records (If any): Applicants must submit all related documents if they:

• Were denied admission to the United States
• Requested legal status extensions
• Changed U.S. immigration status
• Applied for asylum
• Were deported
• Were granted voluntary departure from the United States 

1. Evidence of Financial Support: Your petitioner must submit evidence that neither the principal applicant nor any dependent applicants (if applicable) will become a public charge in the United States.  

• The petitioner’s income must meet 125% of the Poverty Guidelines
• Please review information about the Affidavit of Support and required supporting financial documents

2. Employment-based (E) cases only: 

• You must submit an original job offer letter signed by the petitioning company on their company letterhead. It must have been issued within 6 months before your interview.
• Form I-864 is required if a the petitioner is a relative or has a 5% or more ownership interest in the business.

3. Diversity Visa cases only: 

• Provide evidence of your high school education, or its equivalent, or two years of qualifying work experience as defined under U.S. law. More information for diversity visa applicants can be reviewed at  travel.state.gov.
• You may submit a Form I-134, Affidavit of Support, for yourself and any family members who will immigrate with you. Including this form with your documents, along with evidence of financial resources, can help show your ability to support your move to the United States.

Evidence of Relationship (for all family-based visas, including IR, CR, and F visas):  You must provide evidence of your relationship with the petitioner. 

• Evidence can include photographs, letters, emails, or anything else that proves your relationship with the petitioner. 
• If the Consular Officer is not convinced of your relationship with the petitioner, you may be asked to submit further evidence.

Submit your documents in this order at the interview: 

1. Photographs
2. Passport
3. Previous passports
4. DS-260 Confirmation
5. GSS Registration Confirmation
6. Thai Police Certificate
7. Other Police Certificates
8. Court and Prison Records
9. Medical Exam
10. Birth Certificate
11. Name Change Certificates 
12. Marriage Certificates
13. Divorce Certificates or Death Certificate of prior spouse(s) 
14. Petitioner Documents
15. Marital Status Certificate 
16. Military Records 
17. Immigration Records 
18. Evidence of Financial Support
19. Evidence of Relationship

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Interview Guidelines

On the day of your interview

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to give you enough time to go through security.

• If you are more than 30 minutes late for your appointment, it may be canceled and rescheduled. 

A consular officer will interview you (and your family member beneficiaries) and decide whether you are eligible to receive a visa.

• As part of the interview process, ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken.

Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok

If the Consular Officer requests additional documents during your interview, bring them to one of the drop-off locations for delivery to the U.S. Embassy.

Address your envelopes like this:

U.S. Embassy Bangkok
120-122 Wireless Road
Lumpini, Patumwan
Bangkok 10330
Attn: CONS/IV

**Note: For cases fully processed through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) only** 

If you were instructed to upload all the required documents and financial forms to the CEAC system before the interview, please make sure they are all uploaded correctly.

Scan all the documents listed above into the CEAC system.

• However, you must still bring them to the interview.

If you do not upload all of the required documents to CEAC before your interview date, it will delay or prevent the issuance of your visa and the visa interview may be cancelled. 

• The U.S. Embassy Bangkok will not upload these documents for you. If documents have not been uploaded correctly, your visa will be denied under INA 221(g) until the documents have been correctly scanned to this website.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you cannot attend your appointment, please email visasbkk@state.gov as soon as possible. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please try to attend on the date you were assigned.

• For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month that was scheduled by NVC.
• DV applicants should understand that the number of visas are limited and they must be issued by September 30 of the program year.

If you do not contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate within one year of receiving your interview appointment letter, your case may be terminated and your immigrant visa petition cancelled. Any fees paid will not be refunded.

There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully review the Visa Bulletin before you ask to reschedule.

Security screening procedures

For a list of security regulations, please review our website.

• Cell phones are not allowed inside the embassy.
• You may be required to sit outside in a covered area while you wait.

Accompanying persons

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

These are the only people who may accompany visa applicants to their interview:

• Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Thai well enough to participate.
• Children Under the Age of 18: A parent or legal guardian should accompany the minor to the visa interview. If a parent or legal guardian cannot attend the interview, another adult may bring a notarized letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing him or her to be the parent’s representative for the purpose of the interview.

Immigrant visa fees

For petitions filed locally or if the fee was not pre-paid to NVC, be prepared to pay the required visa fee at the time of the interview. You will be instructed to pay this fee after completing the intake on the day of your interview. If you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded.

Do not make travel plans outside of Thailand

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. We will return your passport to you later via courier services only (see Step 1).  f you have to travel within Thailand while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have another valid picture ID.

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After Your Visa Interview

A consular officer can only make a decision on a visa application after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. The Consular Officer will tell you if your visa is approved or denied.

If your visa application is approved, your passport and visa will be returned to you by a designated courier company.  Delivery usually takes about 10 business days after the interview. Your documents will be delivered to the address you registered with the Global Support Strategy (GSS) system.

Delays are common. Even if you are told that your visa application is approved during your interview, do not make travel plans, resign from your job, or sell your property until you physically receive your passport and U.S. visa.

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 physically receive your immigrant visa

If more information is needed

Sometimes a consular officer cannot make a decision on a visa application because he or she needs to review additional documents, or the case requires further administrative processing.

• When additional documents are requested, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter that asks you to submit them.
• It will include instructions about sending those documents to the embassy.

Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days. However, the timing is different based on the circumstances of each case. Before you inquire 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. 
• 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 it. You must carry it with you. Do not put it in your checked luggage. 
• If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities.
• If your case is processed electronically, your visa will have an annotation such as “IV DOCS in CCD.” In that case, you do not need to carry a visa package to U.S. Immigration. 

USCIS Immigrant Fee: 

Everyone who is issued an immigrant visa overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before traveling to the United States. The fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. 

• The only people who do not have to pay this fee are children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a fiancé(e) (K) visa.

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 it is printed. 

• 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 called 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 live 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 re-enter the country. 
• We also recommend that you check with the airline to make sure you are within their rules. 
• Once your card is issued, do 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 must 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 because of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, bring a copy of all applicable 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.

Information for New Immigrants: Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information about moving to the United States. You can read their publication Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants online

Important Information: The Consular Section does not endorse or have a “special relationship” with any individual or business that offers advice or assistance with the visa process. 

• No one can guarantee that a visa will be issued to you. 
• All U.S. government forms are free. 
• Many visa applicants lose money or are permanently barred from the United States because they were given misleading information or fraudulent applications were provided by visa consultants.

Any document or information presented in connection with your immigrant visa application may be investigated. If you misrepresent a material fact to the consular officer it may make you permanently ineligible to obtain a visa.

• By law, an immigrant visa petitioner may be imprisoned for up to five years, fined up to $250,000, or both, for entering a marriage contract in order to evade any provision of the U.S. immigration laws. 
• In addition, a petitioner may be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned for up to five years, or both, for knowingly and willfully falsifying or concealing a material fact or using any false document when they submit a petition.

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Diversity Visa Applicants - Additional Information

If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all the above instructions apply to you. Schedule and attend a medical examination before your visa interview, enroll in the required courier service; and gather the required documents.

Reminder: Each year, DV visa case processing stops at the end of September.

The following additional instructions 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 OR two (2) years of qualifying work experience in the five (5) years immediately prior to application. (This only applies to the principal applicant. More information is available online).
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee for each visa applicant.

Review your DV Lottery entry

Before your visa interview, review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, your marital status must be correct. 

• If you are legally married you must have listed your spouse, even if you are separated from him or her (unless your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident).
• Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. 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 list an existing spouse or children when you enter 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 applications are nonrefundable. 
• If you did not include a child who was already born, or a spouse you were married to when you entered the lottery, you should not proceed with the visa application. 
• You can review the eligibility requirements online.

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