Do I need a police certificate from every country I have lived in for my visa interview?

Yes, and this genuinely surprises a lot of people. If you're going through consular processing (an immigrant visa interview at a U.S. embassy), the rule isn't just "get a police certificate from your home country."

The actual rule: you need a police certificate from every country you lived in for 12 months or more since turning 16 — including countries where you're not a citizen, and including countries you've since left. This applies whether that country is your home country, a place you studied, or a place you worked abroad.

Each country has its own agency that issues these, and the process to get one varies quite a bit:

• India — issued by local police stations, generally free
• Philippines — the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) clearance, not local police
• Nigeria — the Nigeria Police Force's Police Clearance Certificate, issued through a specific office
• Many other countries have their own equivalent national agency

Some countries also require the certificate to be apostilled or authenticated before a U.S. embassy will accept it, which can add real time — this is especially common for countries not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, where the process (called consular legalization) can take several extra weeks.

The practical takeaway: if you've lived abroad anywhere for a year or more since age 16, start figuring out that country's process early. These certificates usually have their own validity window too (commonly around two years), so timing matters — getting one too early in your case can mean it expires before your interview.