Helpful Info
Visa applicant may now get immigrant or Non Immigrant Visa information by dialing 900-6011*
*US 1.87 per minute plus IVA
Immigrant Visas
How to Apply
Appointments
Beginning March 1, 2008, all immigrant visa applicants will be required to appear at the Embassy in San Salvador for two separate immigrant visa appointments. Applicants will be scheduled for a morning appointment to submit the required case documentation, and will automatically be scheduled for a second appointment one week later in the afternoon for an interview with the Consular Official.
Example schedule:
Monday, May 5th, 7:30 am – First appointment for document submission
Monday, May 12th, 12:30 pm (noon) – Second appointment for interview with Consular Official
All applicants, regardless of whether their appointments were scheduled by the National Visa Center or our regional Visa Information Center (Call Center), will be required to appear for both appointments in order for their Immigrant Visa case to be processed.
To accommodate U.S. and local holidays and Embassy closings, an applicant’s second appointment may be scheduled two weeks following the first appointment. Applicants may contact the regional Visa Information Center or Call Center for details. (See “Visa Services” for instructions about contacting the Call Center.)
Once we make an appointment we will notify you or your registered agent by mail, or by e-mail if you so choose. You can check on your appointment time, or request changes by calling the regional Visa Information Center.
Preparing for the Interview
All applicants for immigrant visas must appear in person at the Consular Section for an interview.(See the appointments section for specific details.) Prior to the scheduling of an interview, the NVC or the Consular Section will send a packet of information instructing the applicant to gather and send to the Consular Section all of the documents that will be necessary for the interview.
Once the Consular Section has received all of the preliminary documentation, we will mail you the Appointment Package for Immigrant Visa Applicants and schedule an interview.
Prior to the interview, all immigrant visa applicants must undergo a physical examination by one of the local doctors authorized by the Embassy to conduct such examinations. Only Embassy authorized doctors may complete this examination. A list of authorized doctors is included in the Appointment Package For Immigrant Visa Applicants. Click here to learn about requirements for obtaining Visas for children under 16.
Immigrant Visa Fees
At the time of the interview, each immigrant visa applicant must pay a $400 visa processing fee, effective January 1, 2008 . For applicants whose files have all of the required documents during the interview and who have a qualifying sponsor in the U.S., an immigrant visa will be issued. The visa will be delivered to the applicant via our courier service. The cost of this service is $13.
Additional Documents Submitted by Courier
All immigrant visa applicants who have been interviewed, and have been asked to submit additional documentation to complete their application, will be asked to arrange two-way courier service with the courier service: first, to send the additional documentation to the Embassy, and second, for the Embassy to either send the approved visa or inform the applicant that more information is needed.