Immigrant Visas

We look forward to serving you at our new location at 1480 Sokak No. 1, Çukurambar Mahallesi 06530, Çankaya, Ankara as of September 1, 2022. When you reach the embassy, please proceed to the consular entrance at the corner of Öğretmenler Caddesi and 1480. Sokak.

Immigrant visas to the United States are processed at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. If you already have an appointment scheduled and need information on the interview process, please review the Interview Guideline.

For more information on our current operational status, please visit:  https://tr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/consular-operations-updates/

Current Operations:

U.S. Embassy Ankara is processing all categories of immigrant and fiancé(e) (K1 and K2) visas. As a result of the suspension of routine visa services associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a backlog in all types of visa categories.

Please note that the National Visa Center (NVC) is responsible for scheduling immigrant visa appointments. For more information on NVC’s role in the immigration process, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/national-visa-center.html

If your case is at NVC, and you have an urgent medical or humanitarian emergency, you may request an expedite by emailing NVCExpedite@state.gov

Diversity visas are scheduled by the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC). For more information on their process, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/diversity-visa-submit-entry1.html?wcmmode=disabled

Fiancé(e) visas applicants and applicants wishing to file a returning resident petition (DS-117) may schedule their appointments directly at: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-tr/iv Appointments are limited, please continue to monitor the website for additional appointment availability. New appointments are opened regularly.

As of May 18, 2022 the U.S. Embassy in Ankara has resumed DNA sample collection and is currently scheduling DNA test collection appointments for either U.S. immigrant visas or U.S. passport and citizenship services. This includes DNA testing for cases referred from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  For more information, please visit: https://tr.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/consular-operations-updates/DNA-Testing

Important Note on Visa Interviews:

Interviews are conducted in English, Turkish and Persian. An applicant must bring an interpreter if he or she does not speak English, Turkish or Persian well enough to participate unassisted in the visa interview. If you need to conduct your interview in another language, please contact us and provide us your language preference and we will provide you further instructions.

Emergency Travel

If you have an emergency and need to travel immediately, please contact one of the following, depending on the where your case is pending:

At U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service:  https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter

At the National Visa Center: NVCExpedite@state.gov

At U.S. Embassy – Ankara and you have not been scheduled for an appointment: Contact Us

Fee Payment Extension

All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date. All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee.

Vaccine requirement for Immigrant Visa Applicants:

Effective October 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) technical instructions for panel physicians with limited exceptions require all immigrant visa applicants to receive a full COVID-19 vaccine series as part of their medical exam prior to being issued a visa. For more details on this new requirement please visit:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/covid-19-faqs-for-travel-to-the-us-information.html and https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/panel-physicians/covid-19-technical-instructions.html

An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the United States. U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: immediate relatives, family-based, employment-based, and Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, also known as the “green card” lottery.

To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS). You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories  to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process to begin applying for an immigrant visa.

Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.

For further information please visit the links below:

Please visit our website to learn more about Other Visa Categories, Medical Requirements and Administrative Process Status.