Guide · Medical and interview preparation
What to Take to the Interview, and in What Form
Uploading documents does not replace bringing them to the interview. Check the embassy or consulate’s list for originals, certified copies, translations, and updates. Use this guide to organize the folder, not to confirm it is complete.
For: Couples with an interview scheduled or expected, on the CR-1, IR-1, F2A, K-1, or K-2 route.
Written from official U.S. government sources. Last reviewed August 2026. Sources and limits. 1 source awaits review.
At a glance
- Applicant: check the embassy or consulate’s document list before the interview.
- Uploads do not replace requested originals or certified copies.
- Check translation rules for your route and keep each required certification with its translation.
- Record changes and missing items. A well-organized folder is not confirmation that the case is complete.
Uploaded is not the same as brought
Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources
The applicant must bring the documents required for the interview even if copies were uploaded earlier. Check the embassy or consulate’s instructions for originals, certified copies, and any updates.
- The interview stage is described on the immigrant visa interview page.
- Preparation, including documents to bring, is on the interview preparation page.
- What was submitted earlier is described on the National Visa Center (NVC) document page.
The four forms a document can take
Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources
Upload or scan
- What it is
- The copy submitted for processing before scheduling.
- Who decides whether it is enough
- The office reviewing the submission, for processing purposes only.
Original
- What it is
- The document as issued by the authority that issued it.
- Who decides whether it is enough
- The embassy or consulate, at the interview, under its published instructions.
Certified copy
- What it is
- A copy attested by the issuing authority or another body the embassy or consulate recognises.
- Who decides whether it is enough
- The embassy or consulate, under its published instructions and the country's rules.
Certified translation
- What it is
- For immigrant-visa civil documents: a certified translation when the document is in neither English nor the official language of the country where you apply. The translator signs a statement of accuracy and competence.
- Who decides whether it is enough
- The office or officer it is presented to.
Categories, and who decides
| Form | What it is | Who decides whether it is enough |
|---|---|---|
| Upload or scan | The copy submitted for processing before scheduling. | The office reviewing the submission, for processing purposes only. |
| Original | The document as issued by the authority that issued it. | The embassy or consulate, at the interview, under its published instructions. |
| Certified copy | A copy attested by the issuing authority or another body the embassy or consulate recognises. | The embassy or consulate, under its published instructions and the country's rules. |
| Certified translation | For immigrant-visa civil documents: a certified translation when the document is in neither English nor the official language of the country where you apply. The translator signs a statement of accuracy and competence. | The office or officer it is presented to. |
For immigrant-visa civil documents, follow the Department of State’s translation instructions. These differ from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing rules. K-1/K-2 applicants must follow their route-specific and local instructions. The receiving office decides whether an individual document is acceptable.
When something changes after submission
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
If a job, address, passport, name, family detail, or document changes after submission, record the change and check the interview instructions.
1. Note what changed and when
RecordWrite the change and its date where both partners can find it.
2. Find the document that shows it
DocumentFind the issued document and check whether a translation is needed.
3. Check your embassy or consulate’s instructions
Embassy or consulate authorityRead the interviewing embassy or consulate’s document and format requirements.
4. Add it to the folder rather than replacing anything
FolderKeep the earlier version in your records so you can identify what changed.
5. Decide who carries it
OwnershipThe applicant carries the requested documents. The partner can help assemble them.
What only your embassy or consulate can tell you
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
Use the interviewing embassy or consulate’s instructions for the details below. If Togetherward has no reviewed information, open the official page rather than relying on another applicant’s list.
- Which documents the embassy or consulate asks to see on the day, and in which form.
- Whether originals are returned, retained, or inspected only.
- Local certification and translation practice.
- What may be carried into the building at all.
- How the passport and any courier arrangement is handled afterwards.
Another applicant’s experience does not replace the official instructions.
Organising the folder as a couple
Origin: suggested action. Suggested actionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and required by nobody.
- Agree one folder order and use a short index.
- Keep each translation and its certification with the relevant original.
- Use the index to find each requested document quickly.
- Keep private backup copies separately.
- Record any missing item and why it is missing.
- Check the folder against the official list; organization does not confirm that the case is complete.
What comes next
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
- Country rules for civil documents: civil documents and police certificates.
- What the day involves: what happens at an immigrant visa interview.
- The medical step alongside it: the immigrant visa medical exam.
- Your embassy or consulate’s own instructions: embassies.
Common questions
We uploaded everything already. Do we still need the paper?
Does a certified translation have to come from a professional service?
How do we know the folder is complete?
What if a document changed after we submitted it?
Related guides
- Civil documents and documentary qualificationCivil Documents, Police Certificates, and TranslationsFind and follow the per-country civil document and police certificate requirements
- Medical and interview preparationWhat Happens at an Immigrant Visa InterviewUnderstand the general shape of a consular immigrant visa interview day
- Medical and interview preparationThe Immigrant Visa Medical ExamUnderstand how the immigrant visa medical examination works as a process step
How Togetherward helps
SuggestionKeep a shared list of documents, formats, owners, and changes since submission. Togetherward records your organization; it does not confirm legal sufficiency or case readiness.
- Look at the sample case — Opens Joe and Kat’s fictional sample workspace.
- See the other guides — Opens the guide library index.
- Apply for the private beta — Opens the beta page, where you can read what the beta covers and apply.
In Togetherward
Sign in to your case to continue where this leaves off.
Sign in to continueThis page explains a published process and the general document categories it uses. It is not legal advice, and whether any particular document satisfies any particular requirement is a question for your embassy or consulate’s instructions or an immigration attorney.
Sources and limits
Last reviewed and verification status
- Last reviewed
- Last recorded source review: . We aim to re-read it every 120 days.
- Review recorded.
- Verification status of the sources behind this page
- 3 of 4 sources are recorded as checked. 1 is awaiting verification. See the note beside each pending source for what remains to be checked.
Verified (3)
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Prepare for the interview — checked as part of the page review.
- VerifiedDepartment of State — The immigrant visa interview — checked as part of the page review.
- VerifiedDepartment of State — The immigrant visa process — checked as part of the page review.
Pending verification (1)
- Pending verificationDepartment of State — Civil documents and certified translations — A direct source read supports the revised wording about consular translation conditions. Full guide review against this source is still pending; the recorded page review date has not changed. Flagged .
About this guide and its review
Guide scope
- Medical and interview preparation
- CR-1 / IR-1 (Form I-130)
- K-1 (Form I-129F)
- F2A (spouse of a permanent resident)
- K-2 (child of a K-1 applicant)
- Who this is for
- Couples with an interview scheduled or expected, on the CR-1, IR-1, F2A, K-1, or K-2 route.
- Stage it covers
- Medical and interview preparation, after documents have been submitted for processing.
- What it helps you do
- Understand the difference between what was uploaded and what is carried, keep originals and translations organised, and know which questions belong to your embassy or consulate.
- What this page cannot tell you
- Which documents your embassy or consulate will ask to see. Embassies and consulates publish their own instructions and they differ.
- Whether a particular copy, translation, or certification will be accepted. That is decided where it is presented.
- Whether a folder is complete. Completeness is not a state anyone here can assign to your case.
- Whether anything further will be requested. It can be, at the interview or afterwards.
How we put this page together
Togetherward analysisBased on Department of State interview-preparation and civil-document guidance. Translation conditions below concern immigrant-visa civil documents; K-1/K-2 applicants must follow their route-specific instructions. Local document and accepted-format rules remain with the interviewing embassy or consulate.
What we did not include
- Any embassy or consulate’s document list, accepted formats, or local certification rules.
- Any statement that a folder is complete, sufficient, or ready.
- Fees, validity periods, and form editions, which move and are read at the source.
- Country-specific civil-document rules, which are covered by the reciprocity schedule and a separate guide.
Review record
- Author
- The Togetherward editorial team. The people who build Togetherward. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice.
- Review
- Reviewed by Togetherward Team
- Scope of review
Read the full review scope
Review scope: a second person on the Togetherward editorial team re-read this page against the official pages listed below and confirmed that every process statement still matches them. That is what our review covers, and it is described in full in our editorial standards. It does not assess legal accuracy, eligibility, or how anything applies to a particular case — for that, speak with a qualified immigration attorney.
- Dates
- Last reviewed · Published .
- Review status: Review recorded.
- How this guide was prepared
- How we review guides.
- What the labels in this guide mean
- Official factStated by a U.S. government publisher on the source page we cite.
- Togetherward analysisOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
- SuggestionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and not a requirement.
- Limitations
- This is an explanation of a published government process, not legal advice, and not a prediction about your case.
- Figures that move — processing ranges, Visa Bulletin dates, fees, form editions, interview availability — are described rather than reproduced here, so you read the current number at the source.
- USCIS, the National Visa Center, the embassy, or the consular officer may ask for something this page does not mention.
- A Togetherward checklist is organisation, not legal completeness or interview readiness. What a post requires to be carried, in original or certified form, is published by that post.
- Commercial independence
- Commercial independence: nobody pays to appear on this page. There are no sponsors, no advertising, no referral fees, no affiliate links, and no paid placement of any attorney, agency, or service. Togetherward makes money from couples who use the product, and a commercial relationship cannot change what this page says, when it was last reviewed, whether it is flagged as out of date, or whether it stays in search results.
- Corrections
- Report a correction using the form below, support@togetherward.app or use the support page.