What type of visa do I need if I want to live permanently in the US?
How do I become eligible to apply for an immigrant visa?
What must my employer or relative do to sponsor me for an immigrant visa?
My younger sister wants to sponsor me for an immigrant visa. Is there an age requirement?
My immigrant petition was approved by the USCIS. What happens next?
Will my petition go through immigrant visa pre-processing by the NVC right away?
Why may I put on a waiting list before the processing of my immigrant visa can begin?
If my case isn't current, will the NVC expedite my visa processing in an emergency?
Are there any fees to process my immigrant visa?
What types of immigrants need an Affidavit of Support?
Am I required to undergo an interview to receive an immigrant visa?
Will I have to undergo a medical examination to receive an immigrant visa?
You must be sponsored by a future employer, a relative who's a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the US.
The appropriate petition must be filed with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for approval. If a relative is sponsoring you, an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative must be filed by the relative for you.
Your sister must be at least 18 years old and have a residence in the US.
The petition is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH. It'll undergo immigrant visa pre-processing at the correct time.
It'll depend on if your case is current or not. You visa case can't be processed until it's current. Your case is current if your priority date is before the cut-off date. Your priority date is usually the date the petition is filed. If you're coming to the US based on employment immigration, the priority date may be when the labor certification application is received by the US Department of Labor.
Employment and family preference visa categories have yearly numerical limits. Demand is usually higher than these limits. You may have to undergo a lengthy wait time based on your priority date. However, an immediate relative visa category is automatically current. This category normally includes the child, parent or spouse of a US citizen.
No, the NVC can't expedite the processing of non-current cases. It can expedite cases that are current for life or death medical emergencies.
The NVC will send you an invoice for the immigrant visa processing fee. It'll also send an Affidavit of Support processing fee invoice to your sponsor. The Affidavit of Support is to make sure that the foreign applicant will have financial support and not become dependent on the government for the basic necessities of life.
You'll usually need an Affidavit of Support if you're applying for a family-based immigrant visa. If a relative filed an employment-based visa for you or owns at least 5 percent of a business that filed the petition, you're also required to have an Affidavit of Support.
An interview will be scheduled for you with an officer at a US Embassy or US Consulate. Be sure to bring all the required documents for the interview.
You're required to have a medical examination to receive a visa.