Applying for a US visa from Zimbabwe involves several steps, from completing the application form to attending an interview at the US Embassy in Harare. This guide provides a detailed overview of the process to help you navigate it successfully.
Types of US Visas
To begin, determine which type of visa you need.
- Non-Immigrant Visas: For short-term visits to the United States for tourism, business, education, and more, you can go directly to the online application (form DS-160).
Application Fees
Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please note that if you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. Any fees paid to the U.S. government in support of your visa application(s) are nonrefundable.
The Visa Interview
A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa.
Required Documents for the Interview
It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview. If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence, any countries where you lived for more than 12 months since age 16, and any country where you have been arrested.
Read also: US Nigerian Passport Requirements
Medical Examination
All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa.
MOM прохождение медосмотра для получения визы США
Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available on cdc.gov. Immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa.
Please note that medical exam results are not required prior to your interview. Visa validity is limited by the validity of the medical exam. Therefore, we advise applicants to not complete their medical exam before the interview, in case there is a delay in processing your visa.
X-Rays and Sealed Envelopes
Any x-rays will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis. However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time.
IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE. Instead, bring it to your visa interview. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you. Do not put it in your checked luggage.
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After the Interview
Sometimes a consular officer is unable to make a decision on a visa application because the officer needs to review additional documents or the case requires further administrative processing. When additional documents are requested, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter that asks you to submit additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to send those documents to the embassy.
Administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days. However, the timing varies based on the circumstances of each case.
Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet
We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. You must carry it with you. Do not put it in your checked luggage. You must carry it with you for presentation to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time.
USCIS Immigrant Fee
All new immigrants must pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card.
Traveling to the United States
You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six (6) months from the date of your medical exam. Your visa cannot be extended and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are in compliance with their rules. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year.
Read also: Transit Visa Requirements: Nigerian Citizens Germany
Information for New Immigrants
Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to reside in the United States.
Diversity Visa (DV) Applicants
If you are interviewing for a Diversity Visa (DV), all of the above instructions apply to you. Prior to your DV interview, we recommend that you review the data on your initial E-DV entry. On your initial E-DV application, you must have correctly entered your marital status. Additionally, you must have listed ALL of your living children who were unmarried and under 21 years old at the time you completed the application. Failure to have listed an existing spouse or children at the time of your entry in the Diversity Visa lottery will result in the denial of your visa and visas for your family.
Embassy Security Procedures
U.S. Embassy Harare must follow certain security procedures. Embassy security personnel will be unable to enter the embassy. Attorneys are not permitted to accompany clients into the waiting room or to their interview.
Payment Methods
We accept cash and credit cards only.
Rescheduling Appointments
There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview.
Additional Considerations
Children’s Issues
In the United States, children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. If your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custody papers from the authoritative court in your home country.
Presidential Proclamation Restriction
Presidential Proclamation Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, issued on September 19, 2025, restricts the entry of aliens into the United States as H-1B nonimmigrants if they are seeking to perform services in a specialty occupation.
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