IMPORTANT NOTICE

Beginning October 1, 2021, all immigrant visa (except K visa) applicants must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 for the medical examination to be considered complete. Some waivers for the COVID vaccination will still be applicable, including if the vaccine is not age appropriate. Panel physicians will begin screening applicants for age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccinations on October 1, 2021. Medical exams completed prior to that date will not be subject to this requirement, regardless of when the immigrant or K visa is issued and when the traveler enters the United States. Additional information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Please also note that:

• All applicants with symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested for COVID-19 and must postpone the immigrant visa medical examination until they have met recovery criteria to end isolation.
• Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 should also be tested and must postpone the medical examination until quarantine criteria have been met.
• Screening testing of asymptomatic applicants for COVID-19 as part of the immigrant medical evaluation may be required at the discretion of the panel physician.

COVID-19 Screening Results and Travel Clearance

All international air travelers to the United States aged 2 years or older must be tested within 3 days of the flight and show documentation of a negative COVID-19 result to the airline before boarding their flight. Applicants who have recovered from COVID-19 will not need to be retested for travel if they travel within 3 months of their positive test and can provide appropriate documentation.

After you have completed the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process on usvisas.state.gov, including paying the necessary fees and submitting the required immigrant visa application form (DS-260) and supporting documents to the National Visa Center (NVC), they will review your file for completeness.  Once your case becomes qualified for an interview, NVC will work with the Immigrant Visa Unit in Seoul to schedule an interview appointment for you.

You can learn more about the interview process on usvisas.state.gov.