How do you apply for an immigrant visa?
- Be arriving on designated carrier that is signatory to a Visa Waiver Program Agreement, if applicable;
- Have a machine-readable passport valid for 6 months beyond the period of intended stay, or essentially 9 months (90 days + 6 months). ...
- Complete an Arrival/Departure Form I-94W. ...
Why are immigration visa wait times so long?
We’ve established that visa wait times grow because there is a statutory limit on the number of green cards the government may issue each year. But there’s more. In addition to that, U.S. immigration law says no more than seven percent of all immigrant visas can be given to people of one country in a given year.
How to legally immigrate to the US?
- Obtain the Police Clearance Certificate from the authorities that issues passports in your country. Without this you won’t even be allowed to enter the consular premises.
- Complete a medical examination from a panel of physicians approved by the Embassy of your country.
- Complete the DS-260 online, available from the website https://ceac.state.gov/ceac. ...
How do I get a visa to the United States?
- A scanned copy of host’s ID / passport
- Evidence of means of subsistence (if the host will financially support the guest)
- Proof of home / flat ownership or rental contract
- Flight itinerary for US visa application – You can submit dummy ticket as proof of flight itinerary.
What are the types of US immigrant visa?
Immigrant Visa CategoriesImmediate Relative & Family SponsoredVisa CategoryIntercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. CitizensIR3, IH3, IR4, IH4Certain Family Members of U.S. CitizensIR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F4Certain Family Members of Lawful Permanent ResidentsF2A, F2BEmployer Sponsored – Employment11 more rows
What are the 4 kinds of immigrants?
To begin with, let's look at the four types of immigration status that exist: citizens, residents, non-immigrants and undocumented. The characteristics of each status are explained below.
Is an immigrant visa a green card?
Green cards are technically a type of visa that allows for permanent residence. Green cards are issued after arrival in the United States. To qualify for a green card, the applicant must have an immigrant visa already, and applications are made to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
What is an example of an immigrant visa?
Foreign nationals can apply for various kinds of immigrant visas, including immediate relative visas, family preference visas, diversity visas, and employment-based visas.
How can I get US immigrant visa?
Essential Steps to Get an Immigrant VisaIn most cases, someone must sponsor you or file an immigrant petition for you.Wait until the petition is approved and a visa is available in your category. Then apply for an immigrant visa. ... Get a medical examination.Go to an interview.Wait for a decision on your application.
Is h1b immigrant visa?
What is the H-1B Visa Category? The H-1B is a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa category that allows employers to petition for highly educated foreign professionals to work in “specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent.
How long is an immigrant visa valid for?
six monthsAn immigrant visa is usually valid for up to six months from the date of issuance unless your medical examination expires sooner, which may make your visa valid for less than six months.
Can you work with an immigrant visa?
If you have the right combination of skills, education, and/or work experience, you may be able to live and work permanently in the United States by seeking an employment-based immigrant visa.
How long does it take to get US immigrant visa?
Generally speaking, a fair timeframe is approximately 6-10 months from the filing of the immigrant petition to approval at the U.S. Consulate. Timeframes can vary depending on backlogs of cases at both the USCIS and the U.S. Consulate abroad.
What is B1 and B2 visa?
B1 and B2 visas are generally referred to as “B visas”, and they are the most common types of visa issued for a wide range of uses in the United States. The B1 visa is issued mainly for short-term business trips, while the B2 visa is issued mainly traveling for tourism purposes.
Who can sponsor an immigrant?
All sponsors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be at least 18 years old, and be living in the United States (including territories and possessions) when they file the affidavit of support. When and how do I file the affidavit of support? You do not need to file it with your I-130 petition.
How many types of US visa are there?
twoThere are two general types of US visas: non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas are travel documents that enable foreigners to travel to the United States for a finite temporary period of time.
What are the different types of immigrants?
There Are Many Different Types Of Immigration Status. As An Immigrant, You Might Be One Of The Following:United States Citizen. If you were born in the United States, you are a U.S. citizen, even if you were raised in another country. ... Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) ... Temporary Visitor. ... Undocumented Immigrant.
What are the five classes of immigrants?
INA § 101(a)(15). The primary classes of persons seeking permanent residence are family-sponsored, employment-based, diversity immigrants, and refugees. Refugees are discussed in chapter 10, infra.
What are the 4 types of immigrants in Canada?
The four main categories of immigrants to Canada are: the Family Class members (closely related persons of Canadian residents living in Canada), Economic Immigrants (Canadian experience class, skilled workers and business people), Humanitarian and Compassionate applicants (people accepted as immigrants for humanitarian ...
Who is considered an immigrant?
Simply put, an immigrant is a person living in a country other than that of his or her birth. No matter if that person has taken the citizenship of the destination country, served in its military, married a native, or has another status—he or she will forever be an interna- tional migrant.
What is a visa?
A visa is a stamp or document in your passport that gives you the right to travel to the US. We help handle application processing for US Immigrant Visas, reducing errors and boosting your chances of visa acceptance.
What is a spouse visa?
The two types of spouse visas include: Conditional Resident (CR-1) Visa: Your permanent resident status will be considered conditional if you have been married for less than two years at the time you enter the US on an Immigrant Visa.
How long is a green card valid?
Some Immigrant Visas do not contain an expiration date, but the majority are valid for 10 years.
How many F-1 visas are there?
F-1 Visa: The F-1 visa is given to unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and their minor children. There’s an annual cap of 23,400 visas available, which is why there’s a long waiting list than other visas.
How long is a US citizenship visa valid?
A re-entry permit is required If your trip will last longer than 1 year. Immigrant Visas holders can apply for US citizenship after five years of living in the United States as a permanent resident.
What is the visa for adopting a child?
If you’re a U.S. citizen planning to adopt a child from overseas, then you would apply for an IR-3, IH-3, IR-4, or IH-4 visa. These four visas apply to different children in different parts of the world:
How old do you have to be to get a K-4 visa?
A K-4 visa works similar to the K-2 visa: it’s applicable to any unmarried children under 21 years of age. Just like the K-3 visa, it allows your children to reside in the United States while awaiting approval of a spouse visa.
What are the two categories of visas?
There are two categories of U.S. visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant. Immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States.
Who can petition on behalf of an individual?
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Certain applicants such as workers with extraordinary ability, investors, and certain special immigrants can petition on their own behalf.
Can you travel to a foreign country with a round trip ticket?
Be in possession of a round-trip ticket that will transport the individual out of the United States to any other foreign port or place as long as the trip does not terminate in contiguous territory or an ; except that the round trip ticket may transport the traveler to contiguous territory or an , if the traveler is a resident of the country of destination or if arriving at a land border, provide evidence of financial solvency and a domicile abroad to which the traveler intends to return;
What is a U.S. Visa?
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Find out what visa type is appropriate for you
The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel.
Visa Appointment Wait Time
A wait time listed as "999 calendar days" indicates that the Consular Section is only providing that service to emergency cases. Please check the Embassy or Consulate website for further information.
What is USCIS visa?
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offer a wide array of visa options, shifting requirements, eligibility and quotas for those wishing to immigrate to, work in, invest in or otherwise live in the United States. Visa options usually fall under two categories:
How many H1B visas are there?
H1-B visa quota caps are quickly used up within days of release on April 1st of each year. For 2018 Congress mandated a regular cap of 65,000 H1 B visas and a further H1B Master's Exemption cap of 20,000 visas available for Master's degree or higher applicants.
How long can a nonimmigrant stay in the US?
The initial period of stay can be up to 3 years and may be extended upon application.
What is an EB1 visa?
EB1 visa: The EB-1 visa preference is reserved for persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics; outstanding professors or researchers; and multinational executives and managers. EB-1 criteria.
What is E-2 nonimmigrant?
The E-2 nonimmigrant classification allows a national of a treaty country (a country with which the US maintains a treaty of commerce and navigation) to be admitted to the US when investing a substantial amount of capital in a US business. Certain employees of such a person or of a qualifying organization may also be eligible for this classification.
What is the intersection between immigration and criminal law?
The intersection between immigration and criminal law is one of the most complex and technical areas of US law. Chudnovsky Law is recognized as a leader in criminal defense for non-US citizens from all countries and addressing the immigration consequences of criminal charges.
How old do you have to be to get a green card?
US citizens at least 21 years old can apply for their parents (mother or father) to come live in the US as greencard holders. Green card holders (permanent residents) may not petition to bring their parents to live permanently in the US.
How to apply for an immigrant visa?
To be considered for an immigrant visa under some of the employment-based categories below, the applicant's prospective employer or agent must first obtain a labor certification approval from the Department of Labor. Once received (if required), the employer then files an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the appropriate employment-based preference category. (NOTE: Persons with extraordinary abilities in the Employment First preference category are able to file their own petitions.) When filing the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, see the detailed form instructions, as well as more detailed requirements information on the USCIS Permanent Workers webpage.
How long do you have to wait to get an immigration visa?
Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain heavily oversubscribed categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached. Check the Visa Bulletin for the latest priority dates.
What is the third preference for immigrants?
A Third Preference applicant must have an approved Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, filed by the prospective employer. All such workers generally require labor certification approved by the Department of Labor. Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers) receive 28.6 percent of the yearly worldwide limit of employment-based immigrant visas, plus any unused visas from the Employment First Preference and Second Preference categories.
Why do immigration cases take so long?
Employment based immigrant visa cases take additional time because they are in numerically limited visa categories. The length of time varies from case to case and cannot be predicted for individual cases with any accuracy. Some cases are delayed because applicants do not follow instructions carefully. Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the consular officer interviews the applicant.
Where does the NVC send the visa application?
NVC then sends the file, containing the applicant’s petition and the documents listed above, to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the applicant will be interviewed for a visa. The applicant, attorney, and third-party agent, if applicable, will receive appointment emails, or letters (if no email address is available), containing the date and time of the applicant's visa interview along with instructions, including guidance for obtaining a medical examination.
What form do I need to file for an alien worker?
The prospective employer must provide a job offer and file an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the USCIS.
Is the USCIS fee refundable?
Note: Fees must be paid for each intending immigrant, regardless of age, and are not refundable. Fees should not be paid to the NVC or paid at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you have your visa interview unless specifically requested.
What are online forms?
You complete and submit online forms over the internet. There are two online immigrant visa forms:
How to complete an online form
To complete either online form, visit the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website and follow the directions on the website.
Need help?
If you have questions about an online form, review the DS-260 FAQs . If you have additional questions, contact the NVC (IV applicants) or the KCC (DV applicants).
Step 2: Begin National Visa Center (NVC) Processing
Answers to many common questions can be found using our self-service tools. Please log into https://ceac.state.gov for your most current case status and for a list of any documents you are required to submit.
Important Announcement
Answers to many common questions can be found using our self-service tools. Please log into https://ceac.state.gov for your most current case status and for a list of any documents you are required to submit.
