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For a Diversity Visa (DV) interview, every applicant should bring the appointment information printed from Entrant Status Check, the DS-260 confirmation page, an unexpired passport, two identical color photographs, and original or certified copies of applicable civil documents. Each applicant must also complete a medical examination with an authorized physician before the interview. Add documents triggered by your education or work qualification, family history, residence and police history, criminal or military service, adoption or custody, and any prior immigration records. The embassy or consulate conducting the interview can impose additional local requirements, so its instructions control when they differ from the general checklist.
The U.S. Department of State warns that failing to bring every required document can delay a case. Organize the file for each person separately, keep originals in your carry-on, and do not make non-refundable travel or financial commitments until the immigrant visa has actually been issued.
Universal documents every DV applicant should prepare
These items form the baseline file for the principal applicant and every family member applying for a visa. Requirements apply individually unless a document is specifically family-wide.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Document | What to bring | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Interview appointment | Printed appointment information from Entrant Status Check on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website | Print the current appointment notice for the post where the interview is scheduled. |
| DS-260 | Printed confirmation page for the online immigrant visa application | Bring a page for each applicant with a submitted DS-260. |
| Passport | Original, unexpired passport and one photocopy of the biographic-data page | The passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the intended date of entry into the United States. Check local instructions for extra copies. |
| Photographs | Two identical color photographs for each applicant | Use the Department of State’s current immigrant-visa photo specifications; do not substitute informal passport photos that fail those rules. |
| Civil documents | Originals or certified copies for the applicant and each applying family member | Bring every applicable birth, marriage, prior-marriage termination, custody, and adoption record. Originals are generally returned after the interview, while photocopies may be retained. |
| Medical examination | Medical results from an authorized panel physician, plus vaccination documentation if requested | Complete the exam before the interview. If the physician gives you a sealed envelope, carry it unopened; some physicians transmit results directly to the post. |
| Translations | Certified English translations when required | Follow the interview post’s language and translator-certification rules; a translation prepared under another post’s rules may not be accepted. |
Make a separate packet for every applicant even when relatives share a household record. A spouse’s birth certificate, for example, does not replace the principal applicant’s own birth certificate.
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Build the file in the order the interview process requires
1. Confirm the appointment and post instructions
Print the appointment notice from Entrant Status Check and identify the exact embassy or consulate listed. Read that post’s current DV or immigrant-visa instructions before ordering records. Local directions can specify where to pay, whether documents must be uploaded or photocopied, accepted translation formats, courier arrangements, and additional passport photographs.
2. Submit and print the DS-260 confirmation
Every person immigrating through the case needs a completed DS-260. Print the confirmation page after submission and check that names, dates of birth, and passport numbers match the identity documents. If a correction is needed, follow the post’s procedure rather than bringing an unexplained handwritten alteration.
3. Schedule the medical exam early enough to receive results
Only a physician authorized for immigrant-visa examinations may perform the required exam. Each family member applying for a visa must attend, complete required vaccinations or provide acceptable vaccination records, and follow the physician’s instructions. Medical processing times vary; an appointment too close to the interview can leave the case incomplete.
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4. Obtain records and certified translations
Request civil, police, court, and military records from the official issuing authorities, not informal summaries. If a record is not in English and the post requires a translation, obtain a certified English translation and bring both the original-language document and the translation. Keep photocopies together with each original.
Civil documents: what each life event requires
Birth certificates
Bring an official long-form birth certificate showing your full date and place of birth and both parents’ names. A short-form extract that omits parent information may not satisfy the supporting-document requirement.
If the issuing authority cannot provide a birth certificate, obtain its certified statement explaining why the record is unavailable. Add secondary evidence, such as an early baptism record, adoption decree, or a properly executed affidavit from a close relative who has personal knowledge of the birth. The post may evaluate the reliability of the substitute evidence under the country-specific reciprocity guidance.
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Marriage and termination of prior marriages
A married applicant should bring an original marriage certificate or a certified copy bearing the issuing authority’s seal or stamp. Anyone who was previously married must document the legal end of every prior marriage with the final divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers. A separation agreement or informal statement is not the same as a final legal termination.
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Adoption and custody
For an adopted child, prepare the certified adoption decree. If legal custody preceded adoption, include the prior custody decree and a statement showing the dates and places the child lived with the adoptive parents. When a child was adopted at age 16 or 17, the instructions also require evidence that the adoption occurred together with or after the adoption of a natural sibling under 16 by the same adoptive parents, in the circumstances specified by the Department of State.
Proving the principal applicant’s DV qualification
Education route
The principal applicant must document either a qualifying education or qualifying work experience. The education alternative is completion of a 12-year elementary and secondary course, or a comparable foreign course that qualifies the student to seek admission to college. Bring the diploma-equivalent completion certificate, transcripts, or other institutional records identifying the completed course of study.
A GED-style equivalency certificate and a vocational credential that does not qualify its holder for further academic study are not accepted as the high-school alternative under the Department of State’s DV guidance. If your schooling followed a nonstandard system, obtain records that clearly explain the level completed and its academic equivalence.
Work-experience route
If you qualify through employment rather than education, bring evidence of at least two years of qualifying work experience during the five years immediately before the DV application. The occupation must meet the Department of Labor definition of a qualifying occupation: Job Zone 4 or 5 and Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) of 7.0 or higher.
Useful evidence can include employer letters, contracts, payroll or tax records, licenses, and other official records that establish the occupation, dates, and level of responsibility. A generic résumé alone does not establish the DV requirement. These qualification documents apply to the principal applicant; derivative family members do not use a separate education-or-work test under this guidance.
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Police certificates, arrests, court cases, and military service
When a police certificate is required
Applicants aged 16 or older must provide police certificates when the applicable residence or arrest trigger is met. The general triggers are:
- The country of nationality, when the applicant lived there for more than six months.
- The current country of residence, when different from the country of nationality and the applicant has lived there for more than six months.
- A former country of residence where the applicant lived for more than 12 months.
- Any country where the applicant was arrested, regardless of how long the applicant lived there.
Country-specific reciprocity guidance determines which authority issues the certificate, what form is accepted, and what to do when records are unavailable. A person who previously lived in the United States does not need a U.S. police certificate.
Certificate validity and replacement
Police certificates generally expire after two years. An exception can apply to a former residence country when the applicant has not returned there since the certificate was issued. At the interview, obtain a fresh certificate when all three conditions are true: the applicant is over 16, the existing certificate is more than two years old, and the applicant still lives in the issuing country.
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Arrests and convictions
Anyone convicted of a crime must submit certified court records and prison records, even when a pardon or amnesty later removed the conviction’s practical effects. Court records should describe the circumstances and final disposition. Bring records for every qualifying arrest or case identified by the post’s instructions, and disclose the history consistently across the DS-260 and interview answers.
Military records
Anyone who served in a country’s military should bring a copy of the military record. Availability and acceptable substitutes vary by country, so check the reciprocity instructions for the country of service before assuming that a discharge paper alone is sufficient.
Medical examination documents and sealed results
Do not attend the interview without completing the examination unless the post specifically tells you to do so. Use only a panel physician authorized for U.S. immigrant-visa examinations. Bring the physician’s appointment paperwork, passport or identity documents requested by the clinic, vaccination records, and any prior medical information the clinic requires.
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Some panel physicians send the completed results electronically or directly to the embassy or consulate. If the clinic gives you a physical results envelope, keep it sealed and carry it to the interview. Opening it can make the results unacceptable. Do not place a sealed envelope in checked luggage where it could be lost.
Translations, originals, copies, and document quality
Bring the original or certified copy of each required record, plus the photocopies requested by the post. A scan on a phone is a backup, not a substitute for a required paper original. Ensure names and dates are legible and that seals, stamps, signatures, and certification pages are visible.
When translation is required, submit the document in its original language together with a certified English translation. The post may require a translator’s certification statement, a particular format, or translation by an approved service. Because rules differ by post and language, follow the instructions for the location of your interview rather than relying on a general internet template.
Fees and payment preparation
The State Department’s DV interview-preparation page currently lists a fee of $330 per applicant. This is a nonrefundable fee whether or not a visa is issued. The amount and the timing or method of payment can change, and each post may use a different payment system, so verify the current amount and payment instructions with the interviewing embassy or consulate before the appointment.
What changed for DV-2024 and later cases
For DV-2024 and later programs, the State Department says selectees are not required to submit supporting documents to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC). You still must complete the DS-260 and bring the required originals, certified copies, translations, and conditional records to the interview. Do not mail paper supporting documents to KCC unless a current official instruction specifically asks for them.
Use a personal checklist for conditional documents
The general list cannot determine every applicant’s file because the answer changes with age, residence, family events, qualification route, and prior legal history. Mark each line that applies to you:
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- Principal applicant: education records or qualifying work-experience evidence.
- Every applicant: birth record and passport requirements.
- Married or previously married applicant: current marriage certificate and final evidence ending each earlier marriage.
- Adopted child or custody case: adoption decree, prior custody order, residence statement, and any sibling-adoption evidence required for an adoption at age 16 or 17.
- Applicant aged 16 or older: police certificates triggered by nationality, residence, or arrest history.
- Applicant with a conviction: certified court and prison records.
- Applicant with military service: military record or the country-specific substitute.
- Any document not in English where the post requires translation: certified English translation plus the original-language record.
For each item, write down the issuing authority, issue date, expiration or validity rule, translation status, and whether the post requested a photocopy. This prevents a certificate that is technically present but unusable from being discovered at the window.
Pack for the appointment and protect the case
Use a labeled folder or envelope system with one section per applicant. Put appointment and DS-260 pages first, then passport copies and photographs, followed by civil records, qualification evidence, police and court records, translations, and medical materials. Keep the sealed medical envelope separate and unopened. Carry the originals and the organized copies in hand luggage.
Check the post’s rules for prohibited bags, electronic devices, photography, and document drop-off. Arrive with enough time for security screening and any required document intake. Do not give an original to a courier, translator, or clinic unless you understand when and how it will be returned.
If a document is missing or unavailable
Do not replace a missing official record with an invented substitute. First request the record from the designated authority and obtain a written explanation if it cannot be issued. Then gather the secondary evidence allowed by the country’s reciprocity guidance and contact the interviewing post if its instructions require advance review.
If a record is delayed, bring proof of the request and ask the post what to do before the interview date. An incomplete file can lead to a refusal under administrative processing, a request to return with additional documents, a second visit, or a delayed or denied visa. The State Department expressly cautions that a case may be delayed when required documents are not brought to the appointment.
Final checks before leaving for the interview
- Confirm that the appointment notice names the correct post and that every applicant’s DS-260 confirmation is printed.
- Check passport validity against the intended entry date and make the required biographic-page copies.
- Count two identical, compliant color photographs for each applicant.
- Match every civil record to the correct applicant and verify that certified copies and translations are included.
- Confirm that each required police certificate is still valid under the two-year rule and the country-specific exception.
- Verify that qualification, adoption, custody, court, prison, and military documents are included when triggered by your history.
- Complete the authorized medical exam and keep any physical results envelope sealed.
- Recheck the current fee, payment method, security rules, and any local document instructions published by the interviewing post.
Do not sell property, resign from employment, or book non-refundable travel until the immigrant visa is issued. The interview is a document-verification stage, not a guarantee that a visa will be granted.
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