Interview Guidelines
Receiving your documents from the U.S. Embassy
Residents of France and Monaco: After registering your appointment online at ais.usvisa-info.com, you have the option to receive your documents at the pick-up location in Paris or have the documents sent to a location of your choosing. The delivery preference may only be changed up until the day prior to your appointment and may not be changed after.
Applicants from Portugal and the Azores: Do not register at the website above. The day before you go to your interview, you must purchase a Chronopost envelope size 2kg for “European Union” and bring it to your visa interview. This envelope can ONLY be purchased at a French Post Office. Directions to the closest French Post Office are on page 7
Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy
At the time of interview, some visa applications are refused under section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and must submit additional documents. If additional documents have been requested for your case, please see the information below for sending documents to the U.S. Embassy.
Residents of France and Monaco: Please DO NOT mail documents to us directly. Instead, visit ais.usvisa-info.com and ask for information on courier services.
Applicants from Portugal and the Azores: Do not register at the website above. The documents may be sent directly to the following address:
IV Unit
Ambassade des ETATS-UNIS
18, Avenue Gabriel
75008 Paris
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please go to ais.usvisa-info.com as soon as possible. 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 request to reschedule your interview.
Please note: Residents of France need to register their original NVC/KCC appointment online before they can reschedule it. Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy are subject to security screenings. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. To avoid delays, please bring only what is required for your interview. Do not bring your computer or large baggage to the Embassy. You may bring your phone, but it will be stored in a locked box. You can find a complete list of prohibited items via fr.usembassy.gov.
Accompanying persons
Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview. Only the following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
- Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English, French, or Portuguese 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 either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in U.S. dollars. We accept cash and credit cards only. 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 via travel.state.gov.
Do not make travel plans outside of France
If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the embassy while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. We will return your passport to you later viacourier services only if you are a resident of France. (Residents of Portugal, please see the Chronopost instructions at the top of this page.) If you have to travel within France while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.
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