Immigrant Visa Processing Changes
Effective October 1, 2011, Embassies Copenhagen and Oslo will no longer process immigrant visa (IV) or diversity visa (DV) applications. These Embassies will neither schedule nor conduct IV or DV interviews after October 1. As of October 1, 2011, all immigrant and diversity visa interviews and adjudications for residents of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will take place at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Embassies Copenhagen and Oslo will continue to process all cases currently underway until December 31, 2011. After December 31, all pending immigrant and diversity visa cases will be transferred to Embassy Stockholm.
Embassies Copenhagen and Oslo will continue to offer some immigration-related services. For more complete information, please visit the appropriate Embassy website.
Please note this change only affects immigrant visa processing. Embassies Oslo and Copenhagen will continue to process non-immigrant visas for business, tourism, education, and other purposes.
Embassies Copenhagen and Oslo will continue to provide the full range of services to American citizens, including the issuance of U.S. passports, issuance of reports of birth abroad for children born in Denmark and Norway to American citizen parents, provision of emergency services to American citizens, performance of notarial services, and assistance in voting by absentee ballot in U.S. elections.
Below are the answers to frequently asked questions regarding this change.
Q: How many times will I have to travel to Stockholm to complete my immigrant or diversity visa processing?
A: Most cases will only require one trip to Embassy Stockholm. This trip will be for the visa interview.
Q: I know I need to visit an approved Panel Physician as part of my immigrant or diversity visa application. Must I visit the physician in Sweden?
A: Residents of Denmark and Norway may visit the panel physicians located in their home countries. The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm will accept results from these visits. Residents of Sweden will continue to visit the physicians in Sweden.
Q: I have already interviewed for my immigrant or diversity visa at Embassy Oslo or Embassy Copenhagen, but my visa was not issued because I need to submit additional documents or my case was in administrative processing. What happens to my case now?
A: Embassies Copenhagen and Oslo will continue processing cases already interviewed at the respective post until December 31, 2011. Cases not completed by December 31, 2011 will be transferred to Embassy Stockholm for completion. If you need to submit additional documents, we recommend you do so as soon as possible as to avoid having your case transferred to Stockholm. If your case is pending administrative processing, we will make every effort to have the processing completed before December 31.
Q: How do I schedule my appointment for Embassy Stockholm if I live in Denmark or Norway?
A: As part of the standard immigrant visa process, the National Visa Center will coordinate with you to schedule your interview appointment at the appropriate post (now Stockholm) upon receiving your immigrant visa application and supporting paperwork. Similarly for diversity visa applicants, your case interview will be scheduled by the Kentucky Consular Center as part of the standard diversity visa process. If you wish to interview for your immigrant or diversity visa at another immigrant visa processing post besides Stockholm, you may make the request to the National Visa Center or the Kentucky Consular Center, respectively, prior to the time your appointment is scheduled in Stockholm.
Q: How will I get my passport and visa back from Embassy Stockholm after my visa is issued?
A: Passports and documents will be returned to applicants via registered mail. Applicants residing in Sweden need to bring 132 SEK in postage with them on the day of their interview. Applicants residing in Norway or Denmark need to bring 295 SEK in postage with them on the day of their interview. Please note that stamps cannot be purchased at the Embassy.
Q: What do I do if my immigrant or diversity visa interview is scheduled at Embassy Copenhagen or Oslo for a date before October 1, 2011?
A: Interviews scheduled in Oslo or Copenhagen for August or September are not affected. Applicants should attend those appointments as previously directed.
Q: I’d like to apply for a non-immigrant visa, file an application for returning resident status, obtain a travel letter because I lost my green card, apply for parole into the United States, apply as a follow-to-join refugees or asylee, or renounce my U.S. lawful permanent residence status. Must I travel to Stockholm for these services?
A: No, the services listed in this question will continue to be carried out by the Embassies in Oslo or Copenhagen.
Q: Whom should I contact if I have questions about how this change affects my case?
A: Applicants who have already interviewed for their immigrant or diversity visa should contact the post at which they interviewed until December 31, 2011, or the Visa Office’s Public Inquiries’ Division at 202-663-1225. After December 31, all questions should be directed to Embassy Stockholm at STKIVInfo@state.gov.
Applicants whose appointment has not yet been scheduled or who are requesting information about applying for an immigrant visa should contact the National Visa Center by email at nvcinquiry@state.gov and by phone at 603-334-0700.
Applicant whose cases are to be transferred to Stockholm will be notified by Embassy Copenhagen or Embassy Oslo with more instructions.
After October 1, all inquiries regarding new cases should be directed to Embassy Stockholm at STKIVInfo@state.gov.
Q: How do I contact the National Visa Center (NVC)?
A: The National Visa Center can be reached by email at nvcinquiry@state.gov and by phone at 603-334-0700.
Q: How do I contact the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC)?
A: The Kentucky Consular Center can be reached by email at kccdv@state.gov and by phone at 606-526-7500.
Q: Why is the Department of State making this change to Embassy services?
A: Given the relatively low demand for immigrant visa services in Oslo and Copenhagen, we are consolidating services in Stockholm to make more efficient use of our resources. Because of resource limitations we were forced to make cuts in our services and identified the immigrant visas in northern Europe as an area where our changes would impact the fewest number of applicants.