what is consular appointment

A consular appointment is an interview with a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to determine whether or not an individual is eligible to receive an immigrant visa. During the appointment, the consular officer will interview the applicant and accompanying family members, and take ink-free, digital fingerprint scans as part of the interview process. The appointment is scheduled after the National Visa Center (NVC) sends an interview appointment letter to the applicant, which includes the names of all traveling applicants required to participate in the interview. The appointment is mandatory for the applicant, their spouse, and any qualified unmarried children immigrating with them. If the spouse and/or qualified unmarried children will immigrate at a later date and travel separately from the applicant, they are not required to participate in the interview and will be scheduled for a separate interview appointment. The petitioner/sponsor does not attend the visa interview. The appointment is also required for non-immigrant visa services, such as Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and notarial services. To schedule an appointment, applicants must have the required information and documents available, and can schedule online or through the call center.