All U.S. immigrant visa applicants in India must create a profile and schedule a biometric appointment at a Visa Application Center (VAC) irrespective of their age. Detailed information on the steps to prepare for the immigrant visa interview can be found here.  

After the National Visa Centre (NVC) schedules an interview, if the applicant fails to complete this step, the applicant will not be permitted to attend the visa interview and will have to schedule a new biometric and immigrant visa appointment. This will delay the process considerably. 

As we reported in July 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) transitioned immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointment to a new portal USVISASCHEDULING, this should be used to create the profile and schedule the biometric appointment prior to the immigrant visa interview. 

It should be noted that in-person interviews for immigrant visa applicants can currently be scheduled at the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai only.