General Information
Immigrant visa applicants are now generally required to interview in their country of nationality or in the consular district designated for their place of principal residence. Beginning November 1, 2025, the National Visa Center will begin scheduling applicants in their place of residence or alternatively, their country of nationality if requested. If an applicant requests to interview in a location other than the applicant’s assigned consular district or country of nationality, the National Visa Center may request additional information to confirm that location is an applicant’s place of residence, or to confirm whether an exception may be appropriate.
Beginning immediately, if an applicant would like to transfer her or his immigrant visa case to a new consular district after the National Visa Center has scheduled the appointment, the applicant must contact the National Visa Center to request a transfer to a new location, as opposed to contacting the consular section directly. Applicants should use the National Visa Center’s Public Inquiry Form.
Rare exceptions may be made, at the discretion of the consular section or at the direction of the Department, for humanitarian or medical emergencies or foreign policy reasons.
For immigrant visa applicants from countries with suspended or reduced visa operations, applicants should interview in their country of residency, nationality, or the designated U.S. Embassy or Consulate, unless there is an extraordinary circumstance.
These changes will be applied to Diversity Visa applicants in the DV-2026 program year.
To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process, on usvisas.state.gov to begin applying for an immigrant visa.
Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.
