Follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Step 1: Register your appointment online

Register your appointment online before attending your interview. Registering gives us the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. Registration is free. All applicants applying for a visa must register. You may not enter the consulate until you register. Select the “Register” button below.

Register >>

Step 2: Schedule a medical exam in Ecuador

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Ecuador. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors 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. 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 a visa. Only a physician accredited by the U.S. Consulate can perform this exam. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa interview at the U.S. Consulate. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.

QUITO
Dr. RODRIGO SOSA
Edificio Citimed
Avenida Mariana de Jesus OE 7-02 y
Nuño de Valerrama
Piso 8, Oficina 803
Telephone:  02-3801601 02-3801602

GUAYAQUIL
Dr. JORGE CHEHAB
Edificio Ágora Centro de Especialidades
Abel Romero Castillo y Avenida Juan Tanca Marengo
Piso 10, oficinas 5 – 6 – 7
Telephone: 04-2532092 / 04-2513663 / 098-4944753 / 099-9874455 / 04-4610064 / 098-4944753

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 valid passport,
• Six (6) recent color photographs, sized 3 by 4 centimeters,
• All available immunization records, and
• Complete questionnaire “Información del Solicitante,”  
• DS-260 confirmation page.
  

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

0-2 years old                      USD$ 80
2-14 years old                    USD$ 220
15-17 years old                  USD$ 420
18-24 years old                  USD$ 470
25-44 years old                  USD$ 435
45 years older and older:  USD$ 420 

During the medical exam

Applicants must have their medical exam performed at least seven (7) days before their immigrant visa appointment. The medical exam will include:

• A medical history review,
• A physical exam,
• A chest X-ray,
• Blood tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older),
• Gonorrhea testing (for applicants 18–24 years of age, or as needed)
• Tuberculosis testing (for applicants two years of age and older).

Your physician may request other tests as needed. Be prepared to discuss your medical history, the medications you are taking, and the current treatments you are receiving. 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 get certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC.Gov. There you can find information on what vaccines you need based on your age. You can also read the frequently asked questions about our medical exam requirements at 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 (TB). 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 months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview.

• A copy of your NVC interview letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé(e), adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants).
  
  
• Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States.
  
  
• One (1) color photograph of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm). 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 birth certificate. Visit Travel.State.Gov for a list of acceptable birth certificate documents.
  
  
• Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).
  
  
• Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
  
  
• If you are older than 16 years of age, you must submit a police certificate from the following locations:
  
  

  From your...	If you...	And resided there...
  Country of nationality  (if Ecuador)	Are at least 18 years of age	At least 6 months
  Country of nationality (if not Ecuador)	Are at least 16 years of age	At least 6 months
  Country of residency (if different from nationality)	Were 16 years of age or older at that tiime	At least 6 months
  Any previous country or countries of residence	Were 16 years of age or older at that time	At least 1 year
  Any country where arrested for any reason	Applicable to all ages	For any length of time

Instructions for getting an Ecuadorian police certificate are online at certificados.ministeriodelinterior.gob.ec/gestorcertificados/antecedentes. Although the validity of the Ecuadorian police certificate is for ninety days, for U.S. immigrant visa process it is accepted for two years. Police certificates from the United States are not required.

• If you have been issued any type of non-immigrant visa to the United States (for example, tourist, student or work visas) bring your passport containing the visa to your interview.

Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:

For family-based visa applications:

• 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 (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card) and domicile in the United States. 
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant. For marital relationship cases: photographs, letters, emails, birth certificates of children born of the marriage, etc. For child, parent, or sibling relationship cases: baptismal, hospital or birth records; childhood immunization or school records; and photographs, letters or emails.

If you are married: Your marriage certificate. Visit Travel.State.Gov for a list of acceptable marriage certificate documents.

If you were previously married: Your divorce certificate or spouse’s death certificate. Visit Travel.State.Gov for a list of acceptable divorce and death certificate documents.

For employment-based visa applications: Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Bring all documents related to previous encounters with law enforcement, regardless of the outcome of the case.

If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, English translation, and a photocopy.

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent. Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and biological parent (such as birth certificates of any children born of the marriage, photographs, utility bills or rent receipts, lease/mortgage and bank/credit accounts held jointly).

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Interview Guidelines

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

There’s no guarantee that a visa will still be available if you reschedule your appointment. Check the Visa Bulletin carefully before you reschedule your interview. If you’re applying for a Diversity Visa (DV), remember that visas are limited in number and must be issued by September 30 of the program year.

Please note: You must register your original NVC/KCC appointment online before you can reschedule it (see Step 1). Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.

Security screening procedures

Everyone visiting the U.S. Embassy must follow security rules. Applicants may not enter the building with anything other than the documents needed for their visa application. Purses, backpacks, cell phones, electronic devices, cigarettes, food and beverages are not allowed. There is no storage at the consulate. If you refuse to go through security screening, you won’t be allowed to enter.

Accompanying people

The following people may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Spanish well enough to participate in an interview.
• Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

Petitioners are not required to attend the visa interview and will only be allowed to attend in the case of a minor who is not otherwise accompanied by an adult.

Visa applicants under 14 years of age, who are not the principal beneficiary of an I-130 petition but are listed as derivative applicants in F visa category cases, do not need to attend the interview.

Unless a child is applying for an immigrant visa, they will not be allowed to access the consulate.

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

Immigrant visa fees

If you have not paid all required fees to either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in U.S. dollars. We accept cash and international credit cards only. 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 at Travel.State.Gov.

Do not make travel plans outside of Ecuador

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 in approximately 10 business days from your interview date at the courier location you previously selected at the time of appointment registration (see Step 1). 
 

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After Your Visa Interview

A consular officer can only decide on a visa application 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 cannot decide on a visa application because they need to review additional documents or the case needs more administrative processing.

For additional documents:

• The consular officer will give you a refusal letter that asks you to submit additional documents.
• The letter will include instructions on how to submit those documents to the embassy.

For administrative processing:

• This means the consulate needs more time to review your case.
• The amount of time this takes depends on your specific situation.

Wait at least 60 days after your interview before asking about your application status.

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 this envelope. 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 required.

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 paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a fiancé (K) visa.

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six (6) 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 21^st 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 are in compliance with 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 as a result of a divorce, 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 Applicants - Additional Information

If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview; enroll in the required courier service; 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 OR two (2) years of qualifying work experience in the five (5) years immediately prior to application (for the principal applicant only; more information is available at Travel.State.Gov).
  
  
• Payment of the Diversity Visa Application Fee for each DV applicant. Please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in U.S. dollars. We accept cash and international credit cards only. 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 at Travel.State.Gov.

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 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 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 Travel.State.Gov.

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K1/K3 Visas - Special Instructions

In order to avoid delays in the processing of your K-1 visa application, please follow the steps below.

Step 1: Complete DS-160 Form

Click the “DS-160 Form” button below to complete the DS-160 Form. Print the confirmation page and bring it to your interview date. Each visa applicant must complete an individual form. Please note that you will be required to upload a photo with your DS-160 Form. Review the photographs requirements here.

Step 2: Schedule an appointment online

Schedule an appointment through our Visa Appointment Service. Click the “Schedule an Appointment” button below and follow the instructions to register an account. This website will allow you to schedule an appointment, pay the K-1 visa processing fee online and select a courier location for passport retrieval.

Step 3: Schedule a medical exam in Ecuador

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

Step 4: Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents 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.

Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the K-1 visa interview.

Any documents that are not in either English or Spanish must be accompanied by a certified English translation:

• A copy of your interview confirmation scheduled at ais.usvisa-info.com.
  
  
• Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States.
  
  
• One (1) color photograph of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm,). Please review our online photo requirements.
  
  
• Confirmation page from the Form DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application you submitted at ceac.state.gov.
  
  
• Your birth certificate. Visit Travel.State.Gov for a list of acceptable birth certificate documents.
  
  
• Original or legalized copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).
  
  
• Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
  
  
• If you are older than 16 years of age, you must submit a police certificate from the following locations:
  
  

  From your...	If you...	And resided there...
  Country of nationality  (if Ecuador)	Are at least 18 years of age	At least 6 months
  Country of nationality (if not Ecuador)	Are at least 16 years of age	At least 6 months
  Country of residency (if different from nationality)	Were 16 years of age or older at that tiime	At least 6 months
  Any previous country or countries of residence	Were 16 years of age or older at that time	At least 1 year
  Any country where arrested for any reason	Applicable to all ages	For any length of time

  Instructions for getting an Ecuadorian police certificate are online at https://certificados.ministeriodelinterior.gob.ec/gestorcertificados/antecedentes/ Although the validity of the Ecuadorian police certificate is ninety days, for U.S. immigrant visa process it is accepted for two years. Police certificates from the United States are not required.

• Form I-134 Affidavit of Support for the petitioner along with a photocopy or report of IRS transcript or most recent U.S. federal income tax return and W-2.
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant: photographs, letters, emails, birth certificates of children born of the relationship, etc.

What happens after visa approval.

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six (6) months from the date of your medical exam. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are nonrefundable. You must marry your U.S. citizen fiancé(e) within 90 days of your entry into the United States.

Rights and Protections – Under all circumstances, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse are illegal in the United States and all people in the country are guaranteed protection under law from abuse. All victims of domestic violence, regardless of their immigration status, may seek and receive help. Please read the Rights and Protections pamphlet to learn about your rights in the United States relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse and protection available to you.

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