Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
If you do not complete each step before your visa interview, the consular section may require you to reschedule.
All applicants must follow the instructions below before going to the U.S. Embassy.
Register online before your visa interview appointment. Registering lets us return your passport and documents to you after your visa interview. It also allows you to cancel or reschedule your interview if necessary. Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned interview date.
As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.
Everyone applying for an immigrant visa, no matter how old they are, must have a medical exam before they can get their visa. Only a physician approved by the U.S. Embassy is allowed to do this exam. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy. Medical exam results from other physicians will not be accepted.
Polyclinic “Eurofarm”
Dr. Eldina Cengic
Butmirska cesta 14
71000 Sarajevo
Phone: +387 61 700 804
IOM Sarajevo
Ms. Danijela Torbica
Zmaja od Bosne bb
71000 Sarajevo
Phone: +387 61 160 398
The doctor will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:
Any medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the examining physician. The total fee for adults ranges from 504 BAM to 639 BAM.
The medical exam will include:
Your physician may request other tests as needed. Be prepared to discuss your medical history, the medications you are taking, and the current treatments you are receiving. More information on general medical requirements for U.S. immigrants is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.
U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to get certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on CDC.Gov. There you can find information on what vaccines you need based on your age. You can also read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about our medical exam requirements at Travel.State.Gov.
When your examination is completed, the doctor will provide your results directly to the embassy. Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis (TB). However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.
Use the list below to determine the items that the applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview.
A copy of your NVC interview letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé, adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants).
Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States and a photocopy of the biographic page.
One (1) color photographs of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm, or 2 inch x 2 inch). Review our online photo requirements.
Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.
Your original birth certificate.
Original birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant.
Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
For family-based visa applications:
If you are married:
If you were previously married:
If you are older than 16 years of age:
For employment-based visa applications:
If you have ever been convicted of a crime:
If you have ever served in the military:
If you are adopted:
If you are the petitioner’s stepchild:
Sending Documents to the U.S. Embassy
If the U.S. Embassy requests additional information or documentation, the letter given to you by the Consular Officer at the interview will instruct you how to complete your application. Follow the instructions in the letter.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, send an email to SarajevoVisas@state.gov to schedule a new appointment date. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so attempt to attend the date already assigned. There’s no guarantee that a visa will still be available if you reschedule your appointment. Check the Visa Bulletin carefully before you reschedule your interview. If you’re applying for a Diversity Visa (DV), remember that visas are limited in number and must be issued by September 30 of the program year.
Security screening procedures
All visitors to the U.S. Embassy must follow certain security procedures. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview.
Accompanying people
The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
Attorneys and petitioners are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview.
Immigrant visa fees
If you have not paid all required fees to either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in U.S. dollars or local currency. If you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. You can find a complete list of fees at travel.state.gov.
Do not make travel plans outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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 via courier services only. If you must travel within Bosnia and Herzegovina while your passport is still with us, make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.
A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa. Do not sell your house, car or property, resign from your job or make non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you have received your immigrant visa.
If more information is needed
Sometimes a consular officer refuses a visa application to review additional documents or for administrative processing.
For additional documents:
For administrative processing:
Wait at least 60 days after your interview before asking about your application status.
What happens after visa approval
Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. In certain cases you will also be given a sealed envelope containing documents that you must give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time.
DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. YOU MUST CARRY IT WITH YOU; DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE.
If you receive X-rays during your medical examination, carry those with you and give them to the U.S. immigration authorities.
USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. The only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa.
When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six months from the date of your medical examination. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. Children who turn 21 years old after visa issuance must enter the United States before they turn 21 years old; otherwise they will lose their immigrant status.
Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you write in your visa application form. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to reside in the United States. Do not travel outside of the United States until you receive your Permanent Resident Card. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.
Children’s Issues – In the United States, children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. If your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will need these papers (translated into English) for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.
Information for New Immigrants – Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. You can read their publication “Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants” online.
If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Please schedule and attend a medical examination prior to your visa interview; enroll in the required courier service; and gather the required documents.
Below are additional instructions that apply only to DV applicants.
Bring to your interview
In addition to the documents listed on the Pre-Interview Checklist in this package, DV applicants should also bring the following items to your visa interview:
Review your DV Lottery entry
Prior to your visa interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, you must have correctly entered your marital status. If you are legally married you must have listed your spouse, even if you are currently separated from him/her.
Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. This includes your natural children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country.
Failure to have listed an existing spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery will result in the denial of your visa and visas for your family. Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable. If you failed to include a child who had already been born, or a spouse to whom you were married when you entered the lottery, you should not proceed with the visa application. You can review the eligibility requirements at travel.state.gov.
Last Updated: 6/9/2026
1 Robert C. Frasure Street
71000 Sarajevo
