How to Apply for an Immigrant Visa
Immigration to the United States can be a long and complex process. It can take anywhere from a year to more than a decade, and refusals are common. The two most common ways to immigrate to the US are through a family relationship and through employment. A basic understanding of the immigration process will help you avoid time-consuming errors that might delay your application.
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Things You'll Need
- USCIS Form I-130
- USCIS Form I-140
- USCIS Form I-693
- USCIS Form G-325
- USCIS Form I-864
- Form DS-230
- Form DS-156
- Form DS-157
- Police clearances
Instructions
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Determine your basis of immigration. If you have a spouse or immediate relative (other than a child under 21) who is a US citizen or permanent resident, this person can sponsor you using Form I-130. If you are an international manager who has obtained a job offer, your US employer may sponsor you using Form I-140. If you are particularly accomplished in a particular professional field, you may be able to sponsor yourself.
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Have your sponsor complete the appropriate form, fill out Form G-325 (Biographical Data) yourself, and submit this package to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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Wait for the USCIS to approve your petition. This should take several weeks.
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Wait until the USCIS notifies you that your petition has become "current". Unless you are immigrating based on marriage to a US citizen or another high-priority immigration category, your petition will be placed at the bottom of a large stack of petitions as soon as it is approved. You may have to wait more than ten years if your immigration classification is considered low priority (if you are being sponsored by a relative who is not a US citizen, for example) Once your petition has become current, the USCIS will send you a packet of documents, including Form I-693 and Form I-864, and a set of instructions.
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Obtain police clearances from every location that you have resided since your 16th birthday. You will need these even if you have never been arrested. A misdemeanor arrest will not necessarily disqualify your petition.
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Make an appointment with a USCIS-approved medical clinic in your home country and have a medical examination conducted (a list of these will be included in your instruction packet). The examining physician will fill out Form I-693 and return it to you in a sealed envelope.
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Have your sponsor fill out Form I-864 on your behalf, in order to guarantee your financial support while you are in the US. If you can demonstrate sufficient financial resources or have a job offer in the US, you will not need a financial sponsor.
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Make an appointment for an immigration visa interview with the nearest US consulate or embassy in your home country.
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Attend the interview. You will need to bring your documentation to the interview, along with your passport and several passport-sized photos.
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Fill out Form DS-230 and Form DS-156. You will also have to fill out Form DS-157 if you are male and between the ages of 16 and 55.
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Submit your passport and all documentation to the US embassy or consulate along with a processing fee. The processing fee amounts to several hundred US dollars (it varies according to immigration classification). Your passport will be returned to you with a US immigration visa stamped onto one of its pages.
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Enter the US with your immigration visa. Your permanent residence card will be mailed to you several weeks after your entry.
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Tips & Warnings
Immigration is a complex process with many nuances. You might want to consider retaining an experienced immigration lawyer to help you through the process.
Even after you receive your immigration visa, you may be denied entry to the US at the airport if immigration officials have reason to believe that you do not qualify (if you have a serious infectious disease, for example).
