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General
1.
What is the difference between an immigrant and a nonimmigrant
visa?
An immigrant
visa grants the privilege of living and working permanently in
the United States. A nonimmigrant visa is issued to persons with
permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish to be in the
U.S. on a temporary basis, for example, tourism, medical treatment,
business, temporary work, or study. For more information, see
our Immigration
Home Page, our
Temporary
Visitor Home Page,
or FAQs
for Temporary Visitors (Nonimmigrants).
2.
How do I get forms?
Most forms
are available online at Forms,
Fees & Filing Locations. If
you have questions about a Packet 3 or Packet 4, you need to call
the National Visa Center at 603-334-0700.
3.
In
the U.S., whom can I call for information on immigrant visa cases
and what can they do about specific visa cases?
You may contact
your nearest USCIS District Office or Sub Office. To
check the status of a visa petition you have made, contact the
USCIS office that received it, and be prepared to provide the
USCIS staff with
specific information about the petition. For more information,
see Checking
the Status of My Case.
4.
What about immigrant visa denials?
If the visa
petition you filed is denied, the denial letter will tell you
how to appeal. For more information, see Appealing
the Denial of My Petition or Application.
5.
I'm traveling to another country. Where do I get my visa?
From the embassy
or consulate of the country you are planning to visit. See Foreign
Embassies & Consulates in the U.S.
6.
I need
to find a foreign embassy or consulate in the U.S. Where can I
find the numbers?"
See Foreign
Embassies & Consulates in the U.S.
Permanent
Residency
7.
How can I enter the visa or green card lottery?
See The
Diversity Visa Lottery Program
8.
How can I become a legal permanent resident or green card holder?
To become
a legal permanent resident (or green card holder), you must first
be admitted as an immigrant. The most common methods for obtaining
an immigrant visa are: 1) through family relationship with a U.S.
citizen or legal permanent resident, or 2) through employment.
For more details, see The
Immigration Process
and Green
Cards.
9.
How do I become a U.S. citizen?
A person may
become a U.S. citizen (1) by birth or (2) through naturalization.
Naturalization is the way immigrants become citizens of the United
States. In most cases, you must be an immigrant (permanent resident)
with continuous residence in the U.S. for a number of years before
you may apply for naturalization. For more information, see Naturalization
or The
Immigration Process.
If you were born in the United States (including, in most cases,
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), you are a U.S.
citizen at birth (unless you were born to a foreign diplomat).
Your birth certificate is proof of your citizenship. If you were
born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, you may also be a citizen
at birth. For more details, see: Birth
Abroad.
10.
What is the process for obtaining an immigrant visa?
See The
Immigration Process.
11.
What documents are required for the immigrant visa interview?
Basic requirements
include: a passport, three photographs, birth and police certificates,
marriage, divorce, or death certificates, proof of financial support,
and medical examination. You may also bring supporting information.
For details on your specific situation, see your nearest U.S.
Consulate or Embassy.
12.
What is the waiting time for an immigrant visa after the National
Visa Center or the Foreign Service post receives the approved
petition?
Several factors
influence how long the process may take. Immigrant visa numbers
are made immediately available for immediate relatives of U.S.
citizens, so processing will begin upon receipt. However, preference
visas (see The
Preference System)
are limited in number, and processing will not begin until the
priority date on the petition is available. Long waits may occur
for preference visas because each year more people apply for them
than can be satisfied under the annual limit. Certain categories,
such as the family fourth preference, are heavily oversubscribed.
For more information, see Immigrant
Visa Numbers.
13.
What is a priority date?
The priority
date, in the case of a relative immigrant visa petition, is the
date the petition was filed. In the case of an employer-sponsored
petition, the priority date is the date the labor certification
was filed with the Department of Labor. The State Department Visa
Bulletin is a monthly publication that gives the changes in
availability of priority dates. (See question below for more information.)
Visa Services also has a twenty-four hour recording that gives
the monthly priority dates. Dial (202) 663-1541.
14.
How can I get the Visa Bulletin?
Access the
Visa
Bulletin online, by email, by telephone, by fax, or by mail.
Online:
http://travel.state.gov/visa_bulletin.html
Email:
VISABULLET@SA1WPOA.US-STATE.GOV
(you may contact the Bulletin by email, but it is not distributed
by email)
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.)
15.
When I filed a petition for my relative I was a legal permanent
resident (green card holder). I recently became a U.S. citizen.
How can I upgrade the petition?
Make a copy
of your Naturalization Certificate. Send the copy - NOT
the original - to the National Visa Center, 32 Rochester Avenue,
Portsmouth NH 03801-2909, with a letter containing the beneficiary
name and case number of the petition you want to upgrade. The
National Visa Center will send the beneficiary any additional
forms and information that may be required.
16.
I moved.
How do I give the National Visa Center my new address?
Write to The
National Visa Center, 32 Rochester Avenue, Portsmouth NH 03801-2909,
or fax your new address to 603-334-0759. Be sure to include your
case number or your USCIS
receipt number.
17.
I have been waiting for a very long time for my relative to get
an immigrant visa. Now there is a family emergency and I need
my relative to immigrate soon to the U.S. Can the National Visa
Center help me?
Unfortunately,
if your relative's case is not current, there is nothing that
the National Visa Center can do to expedite visa processing. Immigrant
visa processing is governed strictly by law, which controls visa
categories, priority dates and the availability of visa numbers.
Immigrant visa numbers are made available only in the order of
priority dates. There is no provision within the law that would
allow the National Visa Center to waive these requirements in
any individual case.
18.
Can a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident file a petition
at any Foreign Service post for the immigration of a relative?
Petitions
must be filed in the petitioner's place of residence. Therefore,
if the petitioner resides in the U.S., the petitioner must file
at his/ her local
USCIS office; if the petitioner resides abroad, the petitioner
must file at the U.S.
embassy or consulate
that has jurisdiction.
19.
What Foreign Service post handles approved immigrant visa petitions
for persons who last resided in a country where there is no American
consular representation?
Persons from
countries that do not have an American embassy or consulate are
considered "homeless" because they cannot return to their home
country to be interviewed for the immigrant visa. When the National
Visa Center receives an immigrant visa approved petition on a
"homeless" case, it assigns the case to an embassy or consulate
that has been determined is capable of handling the additional
workload. The petitioner or beneficiary will be informed by the
National Visa Center of the post that was chosen. You may contact
the National
Visa Center by writing to: The National Visa Center; 32 Rochester
Avenue; Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801-2909. For additional assistance,
contact the State Department's Visa Office at 202-663-1225.
20.
How do I obtain a police certificate?
Each country
has its own requirements for obtaining police certificates or
clearances. Specific information is available from the U.S.
consulate
processing your case.
21.
What fees are involved in obtaining an immigrant visa?
The cost of
an immigrant visa is $260 (U.S.) for application and $65 (U.S.)
for issuance per person, regardless of age. There may also be
other fees to obtain required documents, for certifying or notarizing
documents, and for the medical examination. You will be informed
of fees by the processing post. The fees are payable in U.S. and
equivalent local currency. Cash is acceptable at all posts; other
methods of payment must be determined by the processing post.
22.
How long is an immigrant visa valid? What if I must delay my arrival
in the U.S.?
The consul
may issue an immigrant visa with a maximum validity of six months.
If you must delay travel to the U.S. beyond six months, you should
contact the U.S.
consulate
and arrange to have the interview scheduled closer to your possible
departure. If an immigrant visa has already been issued and circumstances
force you to remain abroad longer, you should contact the U.S.
consulate
and request an extension of your immigrant visa's validity. If
the validity of your immigrant visa expires, a new one may be
issued upon payment of the application and issuance fees (U.S.
$260).
23.
I lost my "green card." What should I do?
If you are
inside the U.S., file Form
I-90 with your local USCIS office. Detailed instructions are
on the form. If you are outside the U.S., contact your nearest
U.S.
Consulate,
USCIS office, or port
of entry.
24.
If I
become a dual citizen will it affect my U.S.citizenship?
A person who
is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk
losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a
foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship.
In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person
must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice,
and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship. The U.S. Government
does not encourage dual nationality because of the problems it
may cause. Claims of other countries upon dual-national U.S.
citizens can place them in situations where their obligations
to one country are in conflict with the laws of the other. In
addition, their dual nationality may hamper U.S. efforts to provide
protection to its citizens when they are abroad, especially in
the country of their other nationality. For more information,
see Dual
Nationality,
or the Citizenship
and Nationality area of the State Department's website for
American citizens abroad. For advice on your specific situation,
call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 202-647-5226.
25.
Do I Need a Work Permit to Work in the U.S.?
U.S. employers
must check to make sure all employees, regardless of citizenship
or national origin, are allowed to work in the United States.
If you are not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident (immigrant),
you may need to apply for a work permit, formally called an "Employment
Authorization Document" (EAD), to prove you may work in the
United States. For more information, see Obtaining
a Work Permit.
26.
How Long Can I Remain Outside the U.S. without Losing My Immigrant
Status?
If you are
a lawful permanent resident (or conditional permanent resident)
and will be outside of the U.S. for more than a year, you will
need to make special preparations for your re-entry, before you
leave the U.S. See Returning
Resident Aliens.
If you have applied to adjust to permanent resident status, you
should be careful of any trip outside the U.S. - see Have
a Pending Immigration Application? Beware of Foreign Travel.
Children
27.
What should I do if my baby is born abroad?
A baby born
abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as
possible to the nearest U.S.
embassy or consulate.
For details, see Birth
Abroad.
28.
What documentation is required of a child born outside the U.S.
of legal permanent residents?
A child born
abroad of legal permanent resident parents may enter the U.S.
without a visa provided the child is accompanied by a parent upon
that parent's initial return to the U.S. within two years of the
child's birth with documentation showing the parent-child relationship.
For more information, see Birth
Abroad.
29.
The legal permanent resident parents left the child abroad with
family members and returned to the U.S. They now wish to bring
the child to the U.S. What must they do?
The child
must have an immigrant visa to enter the U.S. See Bringing
My Children to Live in the U.S.
30.
I was born abroad to U.S. parent(s). How do I get proof
of my birth and citizenship?
If you were
born in a foreign country to a U.S. citizen parent or parents,
and your parent registered your birth at a U.S. embassy or consulate,
you should request a copy of the Consular Report of Birth.
See Birth
Abroad
for instructions and mailing information.
31.
What if my U.S. parent(s) did not register my foreign birth at
a U.S. Embassy or Consulate?
If you were
born in a foreign country to a U.S. citizen parent or parents
and your parent did not register your birth in the form of a Consular
Report of Birth FS-240, you may apply to a U.S. passport agency
for a U.S. passport (proof of citizenship), or, alternatively,
to USCIS for a
Certificate of Citizenship to document your U.S. citizenship.
See Birth
Abroad
for more details.
Fiancés
32.
What is necessary for me to enter the U.S. to marry a U.S.
citizen?
The
U.S. citizen must file a fiancee petition, Form
I-129F, with the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS). The USCIS
will forward the approved petition to a U.S. embassy or
consulate abroad. The post will then contact you with information
and eventually schedule an interview for a fiancee visa.
You have 90 days from entry into the U.S. in which to marry
the U.S. citizen, and you must leave within this time if
you do not apply to become a permanent resident. See Bringing
My Fiancee to Marry in the U.S.
for important details.
33.
Will my fiancee visa automatically change to a
permanent resident card (green card)?
No. After
the marriage takes place, your U.S. citizen spouse must contact
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to change your status
to legal permanent resident. This information is given to
you when you enter the U.S. For more information, see Bringing
My Fiancee to Marry in the U.S.
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
agreement to be bound by our Terms
of Use.
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