The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Department of State (DOS) have official reference materials which indicate what documents (e.g., Birth and Marriage Records) are available in each country and how those documents may be obtained. If these reference materials reflect that a specific document exists, then the document must be provided at the time the case is filed. You can find more information regarding what documents are available at the Department of States Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder website.
An affidavit is a sworn statement before an official, usually a notary, in which the person states certain facts to be true. The following is general guidance on the topic:
- The affiant must have personal knowledge of the events at issue, meaning that he/she must have been present at the event.
- The affiant must identify himself/herself and recite how he/she knows the facts to be true. For example: “I am [Name], the aunt of [John Smith]. I was present at his birth and can state the following: He was born in (location) on (date) and his parents are (names).
- The affidavit can be handwritten or formally prepared, but must be made under oath and witnessed by an official (typically a notary).
- In the event the document is written in a foreign language, an English translation is required.
All individuals seeking to immigrate to the U.S. must complete a medical examination. The medical examination is utilized by the relevant U.S. government agency to confirm that an applicant is not inadmissible to the U.S. pursuant to public health grounds.
If you are filing an Adjustment of Status application with the USCIS, the medical examination must be completed by a designated Civil Surgeon.
If you are pursuing your immigrant visa through a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate abroad, the medical examination must be completed by a Panel Physician. The following websites provide further information on this topic: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/medical-examination-faqs.html
It is strongly recommended that an applicant bring proof of his or her vaccination history to the medical examination appointment. Otherwise, the physician may need to administer any vaccinations that cannot be verified. If a vaccine is not age appropriate or an applicant has a medical condition that prevents administering a vaccine, as medically appropriate the Civil Surgeon or Panel Physician may waive such vaccines.
You and each of your family members immigrating with you (spouse and dependent children under the age of 21, not U.S. citizen children) will need to complete a medical examination for each AOS application that will be filed. Note however that medical examination results must be submitted to USCIS within 60 days of the date they are signed by the USCIS-approved physician.
Please also note that physicians set their own fees, so when the time comes to proceed with the medical exams we recommend calling different physicians to compare fees before scheduling an appointment. You can download the Medical Examination Form (Form I-693) and find instructions for the Medical Examination here: http://www.uscis.gov/i-693. Please download ALL pages of the form for each applicant.
At the time of filing a case, it is likely that passport-type photographs will be required. The specific number of photographs is case specific. Please click here for photo specifications information.
After the filing of an Adjustment of Status application with the USCIS, the USCIS will issue an appointment notice for an applicant to appear at a local Application Support Center (ASC) to have his/her photograph and fingerprints taken (biometrics). In the event an applicant is not able to attend the scheduled appointment, the applicant must timely reschedule or the case may be denied.
The Affidavit of Support is utilized by the U.S. to ensure that new immigrants will not need to rely on public benefits to support their presence in the U.S. If you are pursuing U.S. permanent residency based on your relationship to a family member in the U.S., an Affidavit of Support will be required as you must have a financial sponsor. For those immigrating to the U.S. through employment, an Affidavit of Support is not generally required. As this is a complex topic, seeking guidance from legal counsel is advised. For further information on this topic, please click here.