Follow the steps below as soon as possible to reserve your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa or you may not be allowed to enter on your interview date.

Important Update:

Before your scheduled Thursday interview, the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg requires one member of your applicant group to attend a document review on the Wednesday morning two weeks prior to your interview. If you do not attend the document review, your interview may be canceled.

If you arrive at your interview without completing the document review or without the required documents, you will be turned away and must reschedule your interview. Required civil documents, such as birth, marriage, and divorce certificates, police clearances, and others, are listed for your country on Travel.State.Gov.

You do not need to schedule a separate appointment for the document review, and you do not need to change your interview appointment unless you cannot attend the document review. If you have questions about the document review, email JohannesburgIV@state.gov.

Step 1: Register your appointment online

You MUST create an account online with our customer service provider before you can schedule or reschedule an appointment. Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.

Creating an account online gives us the information we need to return your passport and documents to you after your interview. When your documents are ready for pickup, you will receive an SMS and email notice on the phone number and email address you provided during registration. Make sure your information is accurate. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to get started.

Register >>

Step 2: Schedule a medical exam in South Africa

Once you receive your appointment date, schedule your medical exam in South Africa right away. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below to find a list of approved doctors in South Africa. Make sure to schedule and complete your medical exam with one of these doctors as soon as possible.

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, must complete a medical exam before a visa can be issued. Only doctors approved by the U.S. Consulate General can perform this exam.  You are responsible for scheduling your medical exam with one of the approved doctors listed below before your visa can be issued. The U.S. Consulate General will not accept medical exam results from other doctors.

Approved physicians

Dr. Marcus Brauer MBChB (UCT), Dip PEC, DOH
Dr. Brauer and Associates
Suite 207, level 2, Clock Tower Office Suites
Clock Tower Shopping Centre
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town
Phone: +27 (0)21 419 1888
Fax: +27 (0)21 419 1886
E-mail: marcus@drbrauer.co.za

IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre
25 Nicolson Street, Bailey’s Muckleneuk
Pretoria
Phone: +27 (0) 12 342 2789
E-mail: MHACpretoria_customercare@iom.int
Online appointment: MyMedical

Items to bring to your examination

The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:

• Your visa interview appointment letter,
• Your passport,
• Two (2) recently taken passport-sized color photographs, and
• A copy of your immunization records.
• DS-260 confirmation page.
  

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

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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 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant vaccination requirements are available on CDC's website. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements on Travel.State.Gov.

After the medical exam

When your examination is completed, the doctor will send the results directly to the U.S. Consulate. Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to provide x-rays to the U.S. Consulate General. 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 (6) months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.

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Pre-Interview Checklist

Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview. Any documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation:

• 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 and a photocopy of the biographic page (where your name and photo are located).
  
  
• Two (2) color passport-size photographs of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm, or 2 inch x 2 inch).  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 original birth certificate and a photocopy.

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

• Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).

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

For family based 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 and domicile in the United States (photocopy of both sides of the Lawful Permanent Resident card I-551, Certificate of Naturalization, or U.S. passport).
  
  
• Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, WhatsApp and Facebook chats, financial support evidence, phone records, and emails).

If you are married: Your original marriage certificate and a photocopy.

If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate and a photocopy. 

If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence for six months or more. If you answer affirmatively to the following three questions, you must bring a new or more recent police certificate to the interview:

1. You are older than 16 years;
2. You obtained a police certificate; and
3. You still live in the country that issued the police certificate.

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

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records and a photocopy.

If you have served in any country’s military: Military records and a photocopy.

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

If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.

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Interview Guidelines

Sending documents to the U.S. Consulate Johannesburg

If you need to send us documents, do not mail them directly to us. Visit ais.usvisa-info.com for information about courier services. Only send photocopies, not original documents, through courier or mail. Bring original documents, along with a photocopy for the consulate’s records, to your visa interview.

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you cannot attend your appointment, email JohannesburgIV@state.gov as soon as possible. Then, log in to the appointment website where you registered to reschedule.

There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully consult the Visa Bulletin before requesting to reschedule your interview.

Diversity Visa (DV) applicants should note that visas are limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year.

Security screening procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Consulate must follow security procedures. Visitors who refuse screening by consulate security staff will not be allowed to enter.

To avoid delays for yourself and others, bring only the items needed for your interview. Laptops are not allowed. You must leave your phone with the guards at the entrance and collect it when you leave.

Accompanying Persons

Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview. The following people may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English 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.

Immigrant visa fees

If you have not paid all required fees to the National Visa Center or through the appointment website, you must pay them on the day of your interview. Fees can be paid in South African Rand or U.S. dollars using cash or credit cards only.

Visa application fees are non-refundable, even if you are found ineligible for a visa. For a complete list of fees, visit Travel.State.Gov.

Do not make travel plans outside of South Africa

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the consulate 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). If you must travel within South Africa while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.

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After Your Visa Interview

A consular officer can decide on a visa application only 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

A consular officer may not be able to decide on your visa application immediately if additional documents are needed or if your case requires administrative processing.

If more documents are required, the officer will give you a refusal letter with instructions on how to submit the documents to the Embassy.

Administrative processing takes extra time after your interview. Most cases are resolved within 60 days, but the timeline can vary depending on the case. Please wait at least 60 days after your interview before asking about the status of administrative processing.

What happens after visa approval

Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – Your immigrant visa will be placed on a page in your passport. Check your visa carefully to ensure there are no spelling errors.

You will also receive a sealed envelope with documents for U.S. immigration authorities. Do not open this envelope. Carry it with you and do not pack it in your checked luggage. If you received X-rays during your medical exam, you must also carry them and give them to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States.

USCIS Immigrant Fee – If you are issued an immigrant visa overseas, you must pay the Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before traveling to the United States. This fee covers the processing of your residency status and the printing of your Permanent Resident Card. The following individuals are exempt from this fee:

• Children entering the United States through the Hague Process
• Returning residents
• Fiancé(e) (K) visa holders

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before your visa expires, usually six months from the date of the medical exam. Visa fees are nonrefundable, and your visa cannot be extended. The principal applicant must enter the United States before or at the same time as any family members traveling on visas. Children who receive a visa before turning 21 must enter the United States before their 21st birthday to keep their immigrant status, unless they qualify for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act.

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 following their rules. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year without obtaining advance permission from USCIS. If you do, you may 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 because of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial 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 the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination as soon as possible; 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 your level of education (for the principal applicant only; more information is available Travel.State.Gov).
• Payment in cash of the $330 Diversity Visa Application Fee for each visa applicant.

Review your DV Lottery entry

Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. 

Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable. You can review the eligibility requirements at Travel.State.Gov.

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