Immigrant Visas

Please use our Visa Services Navigator for more information on immigrant visa services at U.S. Embassy Cairo. The navigator will ask a series of simple questions to direct you to online information on the most common topics OR provide instructions on how to contact us by email for less common questions and direct assistance.

Our capacity to expedite cases is limited. If you need to request an expedited appointment and your case remains with NVC, please contact NVC. If you/one of your children will soon turn 21 or you have an urgent need to travel to the United States for a medical or other emergency, please contact us through our online contact form with a detailed explanation of your circumstances so we may assess your case.

If you were issued a visa in any category except DV and were unable to use the visa before it expired, we may be able to reissue your visa upon receipt of updated documents and new fees. Contact us through our online contact form with any questions about reissued visas.

For all applicants whose cases are documentarily qualified and are pending an appointment date from the National Visa Center (NVC) and Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), you will receive your appointment date on a first-in, first-out basis. There are currently backlogs in every visa category. If you have a serious medical emergency, you may contact NVC directly to request an expedited appointment.

Update for Diversity Visa Applicants: The Department of State conducts a random selection of Diversity Visa candidates or “selectees.” Selection does not guarantee that a person will receive a visa or a visa interview. Being selected means that the person is eligible to participate in the DV program.

The Department of State’s policy is to use as many as possible of the 55,000 diversity visas available worldwide each year, which must be issued by the fiscal deadline of September 30. In order to issue as close to 55,000 visas as we can, the Department of State has to select more diversity visa entries than there are visas available. This means that many selectees may not be able to obtain an interview appointment.

Those who receive a Diversity Visa interview must come prepared. Individuals who miss or reschedule their visa application appointments, or who attend their appointment without all required documents, increase the risk that a visa may not be available or issued. Such actions also result in the use of an appointment that might have otherwise benefited a qualified selectee.

Immigrant visas to the United States are processed for citizens and residents of Egypt at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You may wish to review the Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps for the Immigrant Visa Process or the Diversity Visa Process to begin applying for an immigrant visa.

Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and next steps.

*** Important Note:  We advise applicants not to make any travel arrangements before they physically receive their visas. ***

Immigrant Visas

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo offers limited services to U.S. Legal Permanent Residents, such as Returning Resident Visas and Boarding Foils.