what is a immigration visa

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 do I obtain a visa?

Steps to Apply for a US Visa

• Check if you need a visa.
• Choose the type of US visa you will apply for.
• Fill in the Non-immigrant visa Application Form DS-160.
• Pay your application fee.
• Schedule visa interview.
• Compile the document file.
• Attend the visa interview.
• Wait for processing. ...

Do I need a visa to travel to the USA?

You will need to get a visa or an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver to enter or transit the USA as a visitor. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which you will need.

Is an immigrant visa the same as a green card?

The key difference between the two is that US visas allow the bearer to enter the country and stay for a certain period of time for a specific purpose, while a Green Card is a permit for immigrants that grants permanent residency in the United States.

Who is eligible for immigrant visa?

To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa.

Is immigration and visa the same thing?

Nonimmigrant visas are temporary visas which allow someone to enter and live in the U.S. for a specific purpose and given a period of time. Immigrant visas allow someone to enter the U.S. on a permanent basis.

What are the 4 kinds of immigrants?

When people ask “what are the four types of immigration?” what they actually mean is “what are the four immigration statuses?” and not “what are the four types of immigration?” The four immigration statuses include citizens, residents, non-immigrants, and undocumented immigrants.

How long does immigrant visa last?

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.

How long is the immigrant visa process?

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 are the 3 types of immigrant visas?

Immigrant Visa CategoriesImmediate Relative & Family SponsoredVisa CategorySpouse of a U.S. CitizenIR1, CR1Spouse of a U.S. Citizen awaiting approval of an I-130 immigrant petitionK-3 *Fiancé(e) to marry U.S. Citizen & live in U.S.K-1 *Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. CitizensIR3, IH3, IR4, IH411 more rows

Can you travel with immigrant visa?

If your visa has the annotation “IV Docs in CCD”, you will NOT receive a sealed packet. This is because your case is an electronic immigrant visa application, and you may travel with just your passport and valid visa.

What type of visa is an immigrant visa?

The type of visa is determined by the purpose of your travel to the United States. An immigrant visa (IV) is issued to a person wishing to live permanently in the United States.

How many visa types are there for us?

Types of Visas offered by USVisa TypePurposeAForeign government officials and diplomatsA1, G-1, NATO1-6Visa renewalsA-2, NATO1-6Military personnel of a foreign country stationed in the U.S.B-1Amateur and professional athletes who are competing for prize money Business visitors Nannies or domestic employees31 more rows

How long does it take to immigrate to the US?

In usual circumstances, the immigration process takes six weeks at best but can realistically take months or in some cases, even years to process.

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 are the 3 types of immigration?

When immigrating to the US, there are four different immigration status categories that immigrants may fall into: citizens, residents, non-immigrants, and undocumented immigrants.

How much money do you need to immigrate to USA?

around $4000 to $12,000The cost to immigrate to the US including the entire process will be around $4000 to $12,000. When an individual applies with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), you need to pay several fees. The fee for applying depends on the type of your residency application.

What is the easiest way to immigrate to USA?

Immediate relatives are spouses of US citizens, parents of US citizens, and unmarried minor children of US citizens. There is no limit on the number of visas available each year for immediate relatives. Being a US citizen's spouse is the fastest, easiest way to immigrate to the US.

Can I sponsor an immigrant that is a non family member?

Can a U.S. citizen sponsor a non-family member for immigration? Unfortunately, no, you can't petition for a foreign national's visa or green card if they aren't a family member.

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;

How Can I Use a Visa to Enter the United States?

Having a U.S. visa allows you to travel to a port of entry, airport or land border crossing, and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector to enter the United States. While having a visa does not guarantee entry to the United States, it does indicate a consular officer at a U.S.

What Types of Visas Are There?

The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. There are two main categories of U.S. visas:

Additional Resources

Please visit these webpages as well as selections on our website's left toolbar:

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 is a nonimmigrant visa?

“Nonimmigrant” means a person has no intention of staying in the United States permanently. Visas are obtained at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

What is the purpose of a visa?

A visa allows a nonimmigrant to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry (airport, for example) and present themselves to a U.S. Immigration Inspector. The Inspector will ask some questions about their intent for coming to the United States and check to make sure that the nonimmigrant has an appropriate visa. Once admitted, an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record will be created. This indicates which nonimmigrant status they have been admitted to and the amount of time they are allowed to stay.

Does a visa expire?

Although a visa has an expiration date, it does not determine how long one can remain in the United States. (Remember, a visa is an ENTRY document only.) Once in the United States, there are other factors that determine the allowed length of stay.

What does U visa mean?

If the Visa Bulletin shows “U” in a category, this means that immigrant visas are temporarily unavailable to all applicants in that particular preference category and/or country of chargeability.

When is a visa available?

A visa is available to you when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off date shown for your preference category and country of chargeability in the applicable chart in the Visa Bulletin, as described above in the Acceptance of Adjustment of Status Applications section.

What is the form I-485?

We will accept Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, from family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment of status preference applicants according to the monthly Visa Bulletin that DOS publishes as a guide for issuing visas at U.S. Consulates and Embassies.

What is the DOS visa bulletin?

DOS, working with the Department of Homeland Security, revises the Visa Bulletin each month to estimate immigrant visa availability for prospective adjustment of status applicants. If DOS makes any changes to either chart in the Visa Bulletin after publishing it, we will review those changes and determine if any further action is necessary. Check the latest dates for filing adjustment of status applications .

What is the Immigration and Nationality Act?

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas the U.S. Department of State (DOS) can issue to aliens seeking to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) each year. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited, so they are always available.

What is visa retrogression?

Sometimes, a priority date that is current one month will not be current the next month, or the cut-off date will move backward to an earlier date. This is called visa retrogression, which occurs when more people apply for a visa in a particular category than there are visas available for that month. Visa retrogression generally occurs when the annual limit for a category or country has been exhausted or is expected to run out soon. When the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, a new supply of visa numbers becomes available. Usually, but not always, the new supply returns the cut-off dates to where they were before retrogression.

Can I file an I-485 with an I-130?

In certain instances, you can file your Form I-485 together, or “concurrently,” with the underlying Form I-130 or Form I-140 immigrant petition. You may concurrently file your Form I-485 only when approval of the underlying immigrant petition would make a visa immediately available to you. If you are an immediate relative, you can always concurrently file your Form I-485 application with the underlying Form I-130.

What is an immigration visa?

An immigration visa is a visa that allows a person to enter the United States. There are several types of visas available depending on where you come from and your plans once in the United States. In this article, we will discuss the different visa options for those who plan to live in the United States permanently or temporarily.

Why is it important to be aware of the types of nonimmigrant visas when applying for one to enter the?

It is essential to be aware of the types of nonimmigrant visas when applying for one to enter the country in order to know which one best suits your needs.

How do I pay for the US visa?

Tourist, business, transit, crewman, study, exchange visitor, and journalist visas: USD 160 .

What is the Visa Waiver Program?

Also called Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is the one that allows foreign citizens to travel to the USA for business or tourist reasons for a period of time less than 90 days without having to have a visa, although not all countries participate in this program . The immigration visa is a very broad topic, therefore, it is essential to have valid and updated information on visas to avoid inconveniences when requesting a visa or being approved by the U.S. government.

What does "issued" mean in Spanish?

The word “issued” means “issued” in Spanish, that is, a visa issued is a visa issued or approved.

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:

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.

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 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 long does it take to get an immigration visa after everything is accepted?

That message will state what, if anything, is missing. If nothing is missing, and everything is accepted, then the Beneficiary will be scheduled for an Immigrant Visa interview at a consulate abroad in about 2-8 months, depending on the consulate.

What is the purpose of an immigration interview?

One of the purposes of the Immigrant Visa interview is to confirm information about the case to make sure they have all of the right information when they make a decision. This means that they can ask questions about anything you submitted including all documents and applications.

What is the medical exam for green card?

Any Applicant for an Immigrant Visa (green card) is required to get a medical exam. The medical exam cannot be done by just any doctor. Instead, the exam will be conducted by a government-approved doctor called a “Panel Physician.” The Panel Physician will ask questions about vaccination history, past drug use, and will draw blood. All this must be completed before the day of the consulate interview appointment.

What is the process for applying for an I-130 visa?

Applying outside the U.S. for an Immigrant Visa is known as Consular Processing . So when USCIS approves your I-130 Petition it is sent the National Visa Center (NVC) which is an agency within the U.S. Department of State.

What happens when you file an I-130?

The person who filed the I-130 will receive an email or mail correspondence with a case number and invoice ID number. The Beneficiary will use this information to log in to the NVC’s online case management system, known as Consular Electronic Application Center or “CEAC” for short.

What happens when an immigration officer asks all the questions necessary?

Once the officer has asked all the questions he or she deems necessary, then he or she will decide whether or not to issue the Immigrant Visa to the Applicant.

Why do people file immigration petitions?

Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents) with the purpose of keeping families together. So these individuals can file Immigrant Visa Petitions to give their family members the right to come live in the U.S.

Family-Based Immigrant Visas

Employment-Based Immigrant Visas

• Certain categories of workers may be eligible for permanent residence based on their employment or a job offer. However, unlike family-based visas, all employment-based immigrant visas are subject to limits. That means that the person hoping to become a legal resident will have to wait until an immigrant visa number becomes available. Immigrant vis...

See more on prideimmigration.com

Other Immigrant Visa Qualifications