What is an Immigrant Visa Number?
Obtaining an immigrant visa number is an essential step
in the
immigration process,
and it means that an immigrant visa has been assigned to you.
The immediate relatives of U.S. citizens,
which includes parents, spouses and unmarried children under the
age of 21, do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to
become available once the immigrant visa petition filed for them
is approved. An immigrant visa number will be immediately
available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.
Other relatives
and all people who want to become immigrants based on employment
must wait for a visa to become available according to the preference
system.
U.S. law limits the number of immigrant visa numbers that are
available every year, so you may not get an immigrant visa number
immediately after your immigrant visa petition is approved. In
some cases, several years could pass between the time the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves your immigrant visa
petition and the State Department gives you an immigrant visa
number. Because U.S. law also limits the number of immigrant visas
available by country, you may have to wait longer if you come
from a country with a high demand for U.S. immigrant visas.
How
Do I Apply for an Immigrant Visa Number?
You do not directly apply for an immigrant visa number.
In most cases, your relative or employer sends a visa petition
to the USCIS
for you (the beneficiary) to become an immigrant. (Certain applicants
such as priority workers, investors, certain special immigrants,
and diversity immigrants can petition on their own behalf.) USCIS
will tell the person who filed the visa petition (the petitioner)
if the visa petition is approved. USCIS
will then send the approved visa petition to the Department of
State's National Visa Center, where it will remain until an immigrant
visa number is available. The Center will notify you (the beneficiary
of the application) when the visa petition is received and again
when an immigrant visa number is available. You do not need to
contact the National Visa Center, unless you change your address
or there is a change in your personal situation that may affect
your eligibility for an immigrant visa. You may contact the National
Visa Center by writing to: The National Visa Center; 32 Rochester
Avenue; Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801-2909.
How Can I Find Out When an Immigrant Visa Number
Will Be Available for Me?
Each approved visa petition is placed in chronological
order according to the date the visa petition was filed. The date
the visa petition was filed is known as your priority date. The
State Department publishes a bulletin that shows the month and
year of the visa petitions they are working on by country and
preference
category.
You can estimate of the amount of time it will take to get an
immigrant visa number by comparing your priority date with the
date listed in the bulletin. For instance, suppose you look under
your country and preference category, and see that the State Department
is working on applications they received in May 1996. If your
priority date is May 1998, then you may have to wait several more
years for an immigrant visa number to become available.
How
Can I Get the Visa Bulletin?
Access the
Visa
Bulletin online, by email, by telephone, by fax, or by mail.
- Telephone: (202) 663-1541,
for a 24-hour recording that gives the monthly priority dates
that are currently being processed. The recording is updated
in the middle of each month with information on cut-off dates
for the following month.
- Fax:
From your fax, dial (202) 647-3000. Follow the prompts
and enter code 1038 to have the Visa Bulletin faxed to you.
- Mail: To be placed on
the Visa Bulletin mailing list (or to change an address),
write to:
Visa Bulletin
Visa Office
Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20522-0106
Only addresses within the U.S.
postal system may be placed on the mailing list. When reporting
changes or corrections of address, include a recent mailing
label. The Postal Service does NOT automatically notify
the Visa Office of address changes. (Obtaining the Visa
Bulletin by mail is a much slower option than any of the
alternatives mentioned above.)
The
information provided in this website is not legal advice and should
not be interpreted as legal advice. This website is intended to
provide a basic understanding of this information in summary form.
This information may not be comprehensive, is subject to change,
and may not apply to all individual circumstances. Any information
received here should be confirmed with the appropriate government
agencies or with an attorney, particularly as it relates to your
individual circumstances. Your use of this website indicates your
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