IR-5 Self-Schedule

[beatrice25 3]

Hello! Are there any IR-5 applicants here who have not received their interview letter from the U.S. Embassy in Manila and were instructed to schedule their own interview? My parents were DQ’d in June 2025. I called the embassy’s hotline and spoke with several representatives, all of whom gave me the same instructions. I was able to schedule an interview, but I’m just a bit worried they might ask for the interview letter at the VAC or during the medical appointments.

[JeanneAdil 7,286]

when talking to the embassy,  did you specify this was IR5 for immigrant visa?

or did they think you were asking about tourist visa ?

As far as i understand the process,  NVC and embassy work together to schedule IR5 

 

How did you reach a site to schedule?

this is interesting if you are able to complete the process this way

[appleblossom 5,110]

22 hours ago, beatrice25 said:

but I’m just a bit worried they might ask for the interview letter at the VAC or during the medical appointments.

 

You are supposed to take it to both - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MNL-Manila.html 

[beatrice25 3]

10 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

when talking to the embassy,  did you specify this was IR5 for immigrant visa?

or did they think you were asking about tourist visa ?

As far as i understand the process,  NVC and embassy work together to schedule IR5 

 

How did you reach a site to schedule?

this is interesting if you are able to complete the process this way

 

Yes, I was very detailed in my description of the type of visa my parents need. I even tried calling four times, on different occasions, just to speak to different representatives- and ultimately, a supervisor - because I did not believe what they were all telling me. They said that as long as I had received an email stating that my case is now at the embassy in Manila, I could go ahead and schedule the appointment.

 

So, against everything I understood and believed, I tried to schedule an immigrant visa appointment through the USTravelDocs website. And it went through. The system asks you to choose the type of visa, and there is an option for IR-5.

[beatrice25 3]

4 hours ago, appleblossom said:

 

You are supposed to take it to both - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MNL-Manila.html 

 

Yes, this is also my understanding. That is why I had been patiently waiting for the interview letter, and only called after I saw that the embassy is now processing applications that were DQ’d  later than my parents’.

[Lil bear 4,650]

Being DQ and the case being in the hands of the Embassy  are not the same thing   The transfer of the case to the embassy  can be held up for months waiting for an interview date to be set. . 

[beatrice25 3]

Hi, yes, I understand that. That’s exactly why I came here- because I still have doubts and was hoping to find someone who received the exact same instructions from the embassy.