what is us immigrant 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. ...

How to apply for an immigrant visa?

• Print and keep the DS-160 barcode page. (You will not need to print the full application.)
• You must schedule a visa interview appointment. (The U.S. Embassy or Consulate does not schedule an appointment for you.) Visit the U.S. ...
• Pay the visa application processing fee. Review country-specific instructions on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website.

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. ...

Why do people migrate to America?

People immigrated to America for a variety of reasons, most of which involved seeking personal, religious or economic freedom. The largest reason for immigration, however, was poverty. People left their home countries, where they had low wages and poor living conditions, to go to America and attempt to create a better life for them and their families.

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 are the immigrant visa Types?

Immigrant Visa CategoriesImmediate Relative & Family SponsoredVisa CategoryFiancé(e) to marry U.S. Citizen & live in U.S.K-1 *Intercountry Adoption of Orphan Children by U.S. CitizensIR3, IH3, IR4, IH4Certain Family Members of U.S. CitizensIR2, CR2, IR5, F1, F3, F412 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.

How long does a US immigrant visa last?

An 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.

Who can apply for US 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.

Can I work with my immigrant visa?

Once you have received your immigrant visa, you must enter the United States within the visa validity period to obtain an alien registration receipt or “green” card (Form I-151 or I-551) that will allow you to live and work in the United States.

Who is considered a US immigrant?

An immigrant is anyone living in the U.S. who is not a U.S. citizen. Some immigrants have documents like green cards, or work visas, or other kinds of visas. Other immigrants are undocumented.

Can I extend my US immigrant visa?

If you want to extend your I-94 date or extend US visitor visa stay in the United States, you must file a request with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on the Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Non-immigrant Status before your authorized stay expires.

How many types of visas are there in USA?

Visas. While there are about 185 different types of U.S. visas, there are two main categories: Nonimmigrant visa, for temporary stays such as for tourism, business, family visits, study, work or transit; Immigrant visa: for permanent residence in the United States.

How long does it take to get a 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.

How long does it take to get US immigrant visa after interview?

If you are found eligible to receive a visa on the day of the interview you should allow approximately 10-15 working days for your application to be processed. Your documents will be returned to you in a large envelope. DO NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE, if you do so, you will invalidate the visa.

What happens after the immigrant visa interview?

At the end of your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application is approved or denied. Visa approval - When approved, you will be informed how and when your passport and visa will be returned to you.

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.

What does visa Type R B1 B2 mean?

temporary visa for business and tourismThe U.S. nonimmigrant visa Type B1/B2 is a temporary visa for business and tourism. When you see 'R B1/B2' as your Visa Type, the letter 'R' simply means a regular visa instead of a Diplomat or other visa type. If you are traveling for temporary business, it may be conducted with a U.S. B1 Visa.

What are 3 types of nonimmigrant visas?

What are the nonimmigrant visa types? There are three primary nonimmigrant visa categories. You can visit the United States for temporary tourism or business, study, and work.

Is H1B an 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.

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 is an Immigrant Visa?

Immigrant visas give its holders the right to stay in the US permanently. Whereas with a US nonimmigrant visa, the person is required to return to their home country when their visa expires, an immigrant visa does not expire. It allows you to live, work, and study in the US or engage in any activity you like.

What is a visa in the US?

Visas are stamps in your passport that give you the right to travel to various countries. A U.S visa allows you to make plans to visit or live in the U.S. A U.S visa does not grant you entry into the U.S. This is determined by the officials at any U.S point of entry who can detain and return you if they have a reason.

How to find US Immigration Services?

When you decide to apply for a US immigrant visa, you will have to go through different institutions and services to complete this task. The services and institutions you will have to go through depending on your visa can be as follows:

What is the second type of visa?

The second type of US visas, the immigrant visas have a different type of US visa application requirements. They too start at a US consulate or embassy and you have to follow these guidelines for application for US visa which is of an immigrant type.

How far in advance do you have to schedule a visa interview?

Based on your current date, the NVC will schedule your visa interview with you and any accompanying family members. This is usually done one month in advance to give applicants time to prepare documents and prepare for the interview. At the interview, you will be asked questions by an official and it will be determined whether you are eligible and meet all the requirements for a US immigrant visa.

What is an employer sponsored visa?

The US employer sponsored visas are immigrant visas which allow its holders to work permanently in the U.S. The U.S government limits the number of employment based visas that they give to around 140,000 per fiscal year. The table below shows the different types of employment based visas.

What are the two categories of immigrant visas?

There are two major categories of immigrant visas: Immediate Relative and Family Sponsored. Employer Sponsored.

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:

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How to apply for an 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. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services  (USCIS). You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process to begin applying for an immigrant visa.

Can a foreigner apply for an 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.

What is the DOS visa bulletin?

Section B contains a chart showing the current month's visa availability in the Diversity Immigrant category. The chart shows when the Diversity Immigrant cut-off is met. When the cut-off is met, visas will be available in that month for the applicants with Diversity Immigrant lottery rank numbers below the specified cut-off numbers for their geographic areas.

When is the adjustment of status for diversity visas?

The adjustment of status process for diversity visa winners must be completed by September 30 of the fiscal year the lottery pertains to. Visas cannot be carried over to the next fiscal year.

How long does it take to adjust status for a diversity visa?

This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated. This gives USCIS additional time to determine your eligibility for adjustment of status before the end of the fiscal year.

How do I get a green card?

To obtain a Green Card, you must file Form I-485.

What is a nonimmigrant visa?

A nonimmigrant visa is the visa issued to foreign nationals, or aliens, with permanent residence outside the United States, but who wish to, visit, study, live and or work in the U.S. for a specific temporary period of time. A nonimmigrant visa is issued based on a specific category. However, it does not guarantee admission into the United States, ...

How long is a nonimmigrant visa valid?

A nonimmigrant visa can be valid anywhere from 30 days to 10 years. Visas may be limited to a single entry or may be valid for multiple entries during the period of their validity. The period of time which an alien is allowed to stay on a nonimmigrant visa is indicated on Form I-94 (Departure Record) which is stapled into the foreign national's passport. There are a large variety of nonimmigrant categories, and each exists for a specific purpose and has specific terms and conditions. Nonimmigrant classifications include:

What are nonimmigrant categories?

Nonimmigrant classifications include: Foreign government officials; Visitors for business and for pleasure; Foreign nationals in transit through the United States; Treaty traders and investors;

Who pays for USCIS immigration fee?

If you cannot pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee, a family member, friend, employer, attorney, or accredited representative can pay for you. If someone pays the fee for you, they will need your Alien Number (A-Number) and Department of State (DOS) Case ID. You may also pay the fee after you arrive in the United States.

How long does it take to get a green card if you don't pay the immigration fee?

If you do not receive your Green Card within 90 days of paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee or entering the United States (if you paid the fee before you arrived) please submit our online help form to request assistance. You can also submit an inquiry online using our e-request tool.

How to update address with USCIS?

If you move after you arrive in the United States, please update your address with USCIS by visiting our Change of Address page or by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283. Also, we recommend that you update your address online with the U.S. Postal Service.

What happens if you don't pay the immigration fee?

If you do not pay the fee within the time listed in the notice, you will not receive your Green Card. Failure to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee will not affect your status as a lawful permanent resident. However, you will only have evidence of your lawful permanent status for one year from the date of your admission, as shown by the temporary I-551 stamp CBP placed in your passport when you entered the United States.

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...

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Other Immigrant Visa Qualifications