Appointment and Information Service For Immigrant Visas Applicants

Parole Under the Special Program for Cuban Migration*
Fiancé Visa Applicants / Family-Based Parole

On February 15, 2007, the U.S. Interests Section expanded its successful Visa Information and Appointment Scheduling Service to include immigrant visa applicants, fiancé visa applicants and Cubans eligible for family-based parole.  The service makes it easier for Cubans to schedule a parole or immigrant visa appointment with a U.S. consular official.  Family members or associates in the United States can schedule an appointment on the traveler's behalf by calling a toll free number based in the U.S.  The Interests Section inaugurated this service for non-immigrant visa applicants in May 2005.
 
* The U.S. Interests Section is not currently accepting appointment requests for parole under the Special Program for Cuban Migration, otherwise known as the bombo.  When appointments slots are available for bombo applicants, applicants will be required to use this service to schedule an appointment.  Any change in appointments for bombo applicants will be announced on the U.S. Interests Section website.

What does the service offer?
 
Family members and associates in the United States can obtain visa information and schedule appointments on behalf of immigrant visa and fiancé visa applicants and persons applying for parole as an eligible family member of an immigrant visa holder by calling 1-866-374-1769 from anywhere in the U.S, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST), Monday-Friday.  Callers pay a nominal fee to speak with English and Spanish-speaking operators. Applicants are required to arrive on the day of the interview with completed application forms, any required civil documentation and medical exam results, and a passport-style photograph.  Applicants for parole should also bring the notification letter received from the Interests Section indicating that they have been selected to apply for the Special Program for Cuban Migration or family based parole.
 
How does the service work? 

To use the service family members or associates in the U.S. should call 1-866-374-1769 to purchase a Personal Identification Number (PIN).  PINs can be purchased for 11 USD using Visa or MasterCard.  The PIN will allow the caller to access the service multiple times for information and appointment scheduling for up to a total of 8 minutes.  The PIN is nonrefundable.  In the event it is lost the applicant will have to obtain a new one.  If the time allowed for the PIN runs out, the caller must obtain a new PIN and call the service again.  Up to 5 immediate family members residing in the same household may be scheduled on one call using one PIN.
 
What information do callers need to schedule an appointment for their Cuban relative or contact?
 
Full name of the applicant as it appears in the passport; passport number; date and country of birth; applicant's complete address, including contact phone number in Cuba.  Additional information, as noted below, is required for immigrant visa and parole appointment requests.
 
Immigrant visa and fiancé visa appointment requests must also include the applicant's case number, which will begin with HAV.  The case number should appear on correspondence that the petitioner or beneficiary received from the U.S. Interests Section, the National Visa Center or the Department of Homeland Security.  Only applicants who have been notified by the Interests Section that their case is ready for processing and who are documentarily qualified may request an appointment. 
 
Parole appointment requests must include the applicant's rank number or unique identifying number. Parole applicants under the Special Program for Cuban Migration (aka the bombo) will have a rank number. The rank number is located in the upper right hand corner of the notification letter sent by the Interest Section. It begins with CU98 followed by a unique five-digit number.  Example: CU9812345.  Individuals applying for parole as an eligible family member of an immigrant visa holder will have a unique identifying number provided by the U.S. Interests Section.  That unique identifying number begins with FP followed by a unique six digit code.  Example: FP071234.  Applicants for parole should only request an appointment after they have obtained all necessary civil records and completed a medical exam, as instructed in the information sheet accompanying the notification letter.  
 
When should I request an immigrant visa or parole appointment?

An applicant for an immigrant visa is eligible to schedule an appointment with a consular officer only if the U.S. Interests Section has informed the applicant that his/her case is ready for processing and the applicant is documentarily qualified.  An applicant is documentarily qualified when he/she has obtained all required civil documents, including marriage and divorce records, birth certificate, police certificate, and a valid passport, and completed a medical exam at a designated facility in Cuba.  An instruction sheet provided by the Interests Section to immigrant visa applicants contains a complete list of civil documents and other documentation that must be obtained prior to scheduling an appointment.  Making an appointment before an applicant is documentarily qualified could cause significant delays in processing the applicant's case.
 
Persons selected for parole processing are eligible to schedule an appointment when the applicant is documentarily qualified.  An instruction sheet included in the notification packet sent by the U.S. Interests Section contains a complete list of civil documents and other documentation that must be obtained prior to obtaining an appointment.
 
Note: The U.S. Interests Section is not currently accepting new appointments for applicants participating in the Special Program for Cuban Migration, otherwise known as the bombo.  The Interests Section cannot estimate when appointments will be available in this category. 
 
How do I schedule an appointment to renew an Immigrant Visa?

Immigrant visa beneficiaries whose visas expired may request an appointment through this service.  The family member or associate in the United States requesting the appointment will be required to provide the applicant's name, date of birth, passport number and immigrant visa case number. 
 
What do Cubans with no contacts in the U.S. do to make an appointment?

There will be a limited amount of appointments available to those in Cuba with no contacts in the United States.  Those applicants may fax us at (53)(7) 839-4217 and include their full name, passport number, case number and a contact number in Cuba.