How to Expedite a Visa for a Citizen

Expedite a visa in the name of a U.S. citizen.

The only people who are guaranteed entry into the United States are U.S. citizens. Citizens have the right to live and work in the U.S., and do not require a visa. However, a visa can be expedited in the name of a U.S. citizen. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) promotes family unity and allows for an expedited green card application for certain relatives of the U.S. citizen.

Instructions

1. Determine whether or not you and your relative are eligible for expedition. The relative must be a foreign national that is your spouse, unmarried child under 21 or your parents. You must be over 21 to file the visa petition.

2. Visit the website of USCIS (uscis.gov). Click on the link to "Green Card Through Family" in the center of the homepage, under the larger heading of "Green Card (Permanent Residence)." Click on the top link for "An Immediate Relative of a U.S. Citizen."

3. Click the link to form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative. Print the application and the instructional booklet. Read the instructional booklet carefully.

4. Click the link to form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Print the application and instruction booklet and read carefully.

5. Make a list of all documents needed for both petition and application. Gather the documents. Documents may include birth certificates, marriage licenses and certified copies of foreign passports.

6. Fill the paperwork out completely in black ink with the help of your immediate relative. Provide an "N/A" for questions that cannot be answered. Check the boxes alerting USCIS of your joint expedited application.

7. Mail the applications with their respective documents to the appropriate lock-box facility listed on each form. Include a payment of fees, $420 for form I-130 and $1,070 for form I-485, in the form of a U.S. Postal money order made out to the Department of Homeland Security.

8. Receive a judgment on your visa application and cooperate. The visa may require an interview with USCIS or a biometrics exam, where the foreign national will be fingerprinted and photographed.

References

• United States Citizenship and Immigration Service: Green Card for an Immediate Relative of a U.S. Citizen
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Service: Form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Service: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status