Embassy of the United States San Salvador, El Salvador

The Immigrant Visa (IV) Unit is open every business day from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. with the exception of American and Salvadoran holidays and the first Wednesday of each month.  No walk-ins of immigrant visa applicants will be allowed to enter the Consular Section.

All Immigrant Visa applicants must appear for their interview with complete documentation.  Applicants who lack the required documentation will be required to make a new appointment online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/sv or by calling our U.S. Visa Information Service for El Salvador, phone number:  (503) 2113-0344 to continue their Immigrant Visa interview at a later date, once they can appear with ALL of the required documents. From the United States call: 646-259-0557.

General Information

Salvadorans and citizens of other foreign countries who wish to obtain permanent resident status in the U.S. generally must obtain immigrant visas at the U.S. Embassy.

Most immigrant visa applications begin when a family-member who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident submits a petition (Form I-130) on behalf of the intending immigrant to the office of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States that serves the petitioner's place of residence.

Do not attempt to submit the completed I-130 form to the Consular Section, we cannot process this form.

El Salvador does not participate in the diversity visa program. Any offers to receive a diversity visa are fraudulent.

The only place an applicant will need to pay for an immigrant visa in El Salvador is at the Embassy. Also, none of the people outside of the Embassy are NOT Embassy employees. All agencies outside of the Embassy are NOT affiliated with the Embassy. To be clear, all persons standing outside of the Embassy offering assitance are not affiliated with the Embassy.

It is also possible in some circumstances for a U.S. employer to petition to obtain permanent resident status for a foreign national employee. Click here to learn more about US Citizenship and Immigration Services.