Last Updated: August 28, 2025
- The Department of State is now requiring immigrant visa applicants to interview in the consular district designated for their place of residence, or in their country of nationality if requested, with limited exceptions. Effective November 1, 2025, the National Visa Center will schedule immigrant visa applicants in their country of residence or, if requested, country of nationality.
- Residents of countries where routine visa operations are suspended or paused should apply at their designated immigrant visa processing post, unless the applicant is a national of another country with ongoing operations. See the designated posts listed below.
Immigrant Visa Designated Processing Posts
| RESIDENT OF | DESIGNATED POST(S) |
| Afghanistan (except Special Immigrant Visas) | Islamabad |
| Belarus | Warsaw |
| Eritrea | Addis Ababa, Nairobi |
| Haiti | Nassau |
| Iran | Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Yerevan |
| Libya | Tunis |
| Niger | Abidjan |
| North Korea | Guangzhou |
| Russia | Warsaw, Almaty (IR-5), Tashkent (IR-5) |
| Somalia | Nairobi |
| South Sudan | Nairobi |
| Sudan | Cairo |
| Syria | Amman, Beirut (for Palestinians with Syrian Travel Documents) |
| Venezuela | Bogota |
| Yemen | Djibouti |
| Zimbabwe | Johannesburg |
Applicants should note the following:
- Existing Appointments: Existing immigrant visa appointments will generally not be rescheduled or cancelled.
- Post to Post Transfers: 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 should contact the National Visa Center. The applicant should not contact the consular section directly. Applicants should use the National Visa Center’s Public Inquiry Form.
- Residence Requirement: 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.
- Exceptions: Rare exceptions may be made for humanitarian or medical emergencies or foreign policy reasons.
- Diversity Visas: These changes will be applied to Diversity Visa applicants in the DV-2026 program year.
Applicants should check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about visa application requirements and procedures, and to learn more about the embassy or consulate’s operating status and services.
This supersedes previous guidance on visa application requirements, including designated visa processing posts.