Document Checklist

On the day of the visa interview you will be required to furnish the appointment letter, passport and color photographs (see below) of each person applying for an immigrant visa.

Documents submitted to the National Visa Center will have been forwarded to the Embassy with your immigrant visa file and will be available for review by the consular officer at the time you attend the visa interview.

If any of the documents were missing, however, it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that they are presented to the consular officer on the day of the interview in London. Failure to bring all required documentation to the interview may result in a delay in visa issuance or a visa refusal.

We recommend that you review the following checklist to ensure if the following documents were not forwarded to the National Visa Center at the time they processed your immigrant visa application, you will be able to furnish the original or certified copy plus a photocopy on the day of the interview.

• Passport - endorsed by the issuing authority for travel to the United States and valid for at least eight months beyond the issuance date of the visa. Children may be included on a parent's passport, but if over the age of 16, they must have their photographs attached to the passport.



• Color Photographs - Three color photographs which meet the State Department specifications.



• Birth Certificate* - the original or certified copy of the birth record of each family member (yourself, your spouse and all unmarried children under the age of 21). The certificate must contain the person's date and place of birth and names of both parents. It must be annotated by the appropriate authority indicating that is an extract from the official records. Please note that the so-called British "short form" birth certificate is not acceptable.



• Adoption Certificate* - if applicable, showing date and place of adoption, along with the names of the adoptive parents. This certificate must be issued by a public authority and show that a public record exists for the adoption.



• Deed Poll - or other legal evidence if applicable, showing applicant's change of name (except by marriage).



• Marriage certificate* - the original or certified copy bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority for each of the applicant's marriages.



• Termination of Prior Marriages* - applicants who has been previously married must obtain evidence of the termination of each prior marriage such as final divorce decree, death certificate or annulment. Evidence must be in the form of the original document issued by a competent authority, or a certified copy bearing the appropriate seal or stamp of the issuing authority.



• Police Certificate - Police certificates are required for each visa application aged 16 years or older. A separate certificate is required from the police of each country in which the applicant has lived for twelve months or more after the age of 16; the period is six months if country of birth or current nationality. This certificate must state cover the entire period of the applicant's residence in that area or country and state what the appropriate police authorities records show concerning each applicant including all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each case of which there is a record. Important Notice: If you are 16 years of age or over and were born in the United Kingdom or the UK is your current nationality you will require a police certificate to cover your period of residence of six months or more since reaching the age of sixteen. The period is twelve months for all other nationalities.



• Court Record - If the applicant has been convicted of any crime in any country, a copy of the court record of each conviction is required, even if the applicant has subsequently benefited from an amnesty, pardon or other act of clemency or Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. This is in addition to the police certificate requirement.



• Military Record - One certified copy of any military record should be obtained covering periods spent in military service, including wartime or national service.



• Evidence of Support - Affidavit of Support, a notarized offer of employment, or evidence of assets)



• Custody Decree - If the applicant is applying for a visa for a child or children by a previous marriage and if a court has previously restricted the applicant's custody of these children, he/she should present proof that the applicant has been awarded custody by the court for the children and that they may be taken out of the United Kingdom.



• Family-based applicants: All original documents used to establish the relationship between the petitioner and the applicant



• Employment-based applicants: A recent letter from the prospective employer confirming the essential elements of the job offer

Translations - All documents not in English must be accompanied by certified translations into English. Translations must be in single copy and certified by a qualified independent translator that the translation is accurate.

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