Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manama, Bahrain.
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 or Consulate.
Before your visa interview appointment, register online. Registering gives us the information we need to return your passport and documents after your visa interview. Registration also allows you to cancel or reschedule your interview if necessary.
As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Bahrain. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctors’ offices in Bahrain. Schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.
It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Print the checklist below and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.
Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.
Everyone applying for an immigrant visa, no matter how old they are, must have a medical exam before they 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 examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.
Approved hospital
American Mission Hospital
Telephone: 973-17253447
Bring the following items to your medical exam:
You must pay any medical exam fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician.
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 either provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope or send them directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview.
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.
In the case of DV applicants the panel physician will provide the results to the applicant in a sealed envelope. DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview.
Use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview.
Any documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation:
Appointment Letter: A copy of your NVC interview letter (does not apply to Diversity Visa, fiancé(e), adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants).
Passport: Unexpired passport valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States and a photocopy of the biographic page (where your name and photo are located).
Photographs: Two (2) color photographs of each person applying for a visa (5 cm x 5 cm, or 2 inch x 2 inch). Please review our online photo requirements.
DS-260 Confirmation Page: Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an Immigrant Visa you submitted online at ceac.state.gov/iv.
Birth Certificate: Your original birth certificate and a photocopy.
Additional Birth Certificates: Original or certified copies of birth certificates for all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).
Medical Exam Results: Medical examination results in a sealed envelope (if the physician gives you these results).
Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:
For family-based visa applications:
If you are married: Your original marriage certificate, and a photocopy.
If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate, and a photocopy.
If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview:
1. You are older than 16 years;
2. You obtained a police certificate and submitted to NVC more than one year ago; and
3. You still live in the country that issued the police certificate.
For employment-based visa applications: Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.
If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records, and a photocopy.
If you have served in any country’s military: Military records, and a photocopy.
If you are adopted: Adoption papers or custody documents, and a photocopy.
If you are the petitioner’s stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent, and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.
Sending documents to the U.S. Embassy in Manama
If the U.S. Embassy requests additional information or documentation from you, the consular officer will provide instructions on how to submit those to the embassy.
Rescheduling or cancelling your interview
If you are unable to attend your appointment, email ManamaConsular@state.gov. 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.
Note: Rescheduling is only possible on a date after your assigned appointment.
Security screening procedures
Everyone visiting the U.S. Embassy must follow security rules. If you refuse to go through security screening, you won’t be allowed to enter. To avoid delays for yourself and others, only bring what you need for your appointment.
Accompanying people
The following peoples may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:
Attorneys 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 the National Visa Center, be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview. All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Bahraini dinar equivalent. We accept cash and credit cards only. 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 here.
Do not make travel plans outside of Bahrain
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 notify you by phone or email when your visa packet is ready for collection.
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. We will also give you 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 also 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 printing or from the date of the medical exam. 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. Unless they are eligible for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act, children who are issued a visa before turning 21 years of age must enter the United States before their 21st birthday to avoid losing 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. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before your green card arrives: Consult USCIS’s and CBP’s websites for rules about what documents you need to re-enter the country. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are following their rules. 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 – Children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in a U.S. school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. Additionally, if your child is adopted, or you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custody papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will likely need these papers (translated into English) in the United States for 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. Schedule and attend a medical exam before your visa interview 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 their 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 (unless your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident).
Additionally, you must have listed ALL 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 online.
Last Updated: 3/17/2026
Bldg 979, Road 3119, Block 331
Zinj
Manama
