Immigrant Visas

Visa Application Process

Scheduling an Appointment

All immigrant applicants must appear at the consular section for a personal interview. The fee for applying for an immigrant visa service depends on the service requested. This non-refundable fee is either paid in advance (if the petition was filed in the United States) or must be paid on the day of the interview at the embassy’s cashier (if the petition was filed locally and for fiancé(e) visas).

For more information on the visa issuance fees and other service fees, please visit the Fees for Visa Services page.

For more information on the petition fees, please visit the Immigration Forms and Fees page.

If the petition was filed in the United States, appointments are scheduled through the National Visa Center (NVC). NVC will advise the applicant once the appointment has been scheduled.

If the petition was filed locally, appointments are scheduled at the Embassy. To make an appointment, please call 021-200-3300, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

If a refugee/asylee has received an application packet for a following-to-join refugee/asylee, please call 021-200-3300, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, to schedule an interview.

Please do not bring any electronic devices, metal objects, large bags, liquids, weapons, and/or any other items as instructed by the embassy’s security guards.

Note – Applicants’ attorneys are not allowed to participate in or accompany the applicants to the immigrant interview. All children are required to accompany the parents to the initial interview.

Immigrant Petitions Filed Locally

The consular section may only accept immigrant petitions filed by U.S. citizens who have been residents in Romania for at least the preceding six (6) months and have Romania’s permission to reside in the consular district (as evidenced by their U.S. passport showing date of arrival and Romanian residency card).

For more information about accepting immigrant petitions (I-130) locally, please see the US State Department’s press release.

Petitions may also be filed at the Embassy for U.S. service members serving overseas on orders and facing imminent transfer, or true emergencies and national interest cases. All other immigrant petitions must be filed with USCIS in the U.S. Family reunification or new marriages alone are not considered emergencies.

Medical Examination

All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, are required to complete a medical examination prior to issuing the visa. The medical examinations may only be done by the institutions authorized the by the U.S. Embassy. For a list of those institutions, please click here.

For more information on the medical examination, please visit the Medical Examination page.

Visa Processing Time

In most cases, the consular officer will make a decision at the conclusion of the visa interview. If an applicant qualifies for a visa, the visa and passport will usually be ready the same day. If the applicant does not qualify for a visa, the passport is returned at the conclusion of the visa interview along with a letter explaining the legal basis for the refusal. In some cases, visa applicants are asked to come back at a later date with additional documentation.

If your visa is approved, you may pick it up at the interview window on the same day. If you are not able to pick up your passport in person, you may use a courier service to have it delivered to you. If you wish to use this service, you must fill out a mailing slip immediately after the interview. Mailing slips and instructions are available in the waiting area next to the cashier.

The cost depends on the zone in which you live. See the courier’s website for additional information. The charge is paid upon delivery of the passport. Delivery takes approximately 2 – 3 business days after the interview. The U.S. Embassy bears no responsibility for lost passports, if you decide to use the courier service.

Definitions

Immigrant Visa Numerical Limitations - The State Department is required to make a determination of the worldwide numerical limitations, as outlined in Sections 201(c) and (d) of the INA, on an annual basis. These calculations are based in part on data provided by the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) regarding the number of immediate relative adjustments in the preceding year and the number of aliens paroled into the United States under Section 212(d)(5) in the second preceding year.

Cut-off Date: The date that determines whether a preference immigrant visa applicant can be scheduled for an immigrant visa interview in any given month. Applicants with a priority date earlier than the cut-off date can be scheduled. However, if your priority date is on or later than the cut-off date, you will need to wait longer, until your priority date is reached (becomes current). To find out whether a preference case is current, see the Visa Bulletin or call the Department of State at (202) 663-1541.

Priority Date: The priority date decides a person's turn to apply for an immigrant visa. In family immigration the priority date is the date when the petition was filed at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office or submitted to an Embassy or Consulate abroad. In employment immigration the priority date may be the date the labor certification application was received by the Department of Labor (DOL).

For any visa-related question not answered on the consular section’s website, applicants may refer to the A-Z Subject Index or send a message to the following email address: VisasBucharest@state.gov. In most cases, the message will be answered within 3 business days.

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