Preparing for a Move
A consular officer can make a decision 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.
Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy
If you have additional documents (such as updated tax documents) you may upload them to your case. If you have any difficulty, contact the Embassy via email.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please email LjubljanaVisa@state.gov to request a new appointment date. 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. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. 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 you decide to reschedule your interview.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy must follow certain security procedures. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview. No large bags or electronics other than a cell phone are permitted.
Accompanying Persons
The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
- Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Slovene 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.
Contact the Embassy via email if you will have anyone accompanying you. 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 in cash (USD or EUR) or credit card on the day of your interview.
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 here.
Awaiting your visa
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we print the visa. We will return your passport to you via the envelope you provided.
If more information is needed
Sometimes a consular officer is unable to make a decision on a visa application because he/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 additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the Embassy.
Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. The timing varies based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 60 days after your interview.
What happens after visa approval
Passport with Visa– We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. If your case is not electronic, 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.
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 Adoption Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a K (fiancé) 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 printing. 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. Children who turn 21 years old after visa issuance must enter the United States before they turn 21 years old; otherwise they will lose 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 DS-260 visa application form. This very important document proves you have permission to reside in the United States. We recommend not traveling outside of the United States until you receive your Permanent Resident Card. 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 – Children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school in the United States. Therefore, we recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. Additionally, if your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with the child’s other parent, we recommend that you bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will likely need these papers (translated into English) in the United States 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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