Many residents of other nations require visas to visit or live in the United States. Visas are stamps in your passport that allow you to travel to different countries, and a U.S. visa allows you to plan a trip to or live in the United States.
A visa to the United States does not grant you access to the country. Officials determine this at any point of entry into the United States, who can hold and return you if they have a justification. Security fears or other suspicions are common explanations. However, if you meet all of the standards and do not pose any threats to the United States, its citizens, or tourists, you will be permitted to enter the country if you obtain a visa.
There are several sorts of visas available in the United States. However, the two most common are:
- U.S. nonimmigrant visas
- U.S. immigrant visas
In this article, we are particularly focusing on immigrant visas.
What Is An Immigrant Visa?
An immigrant visa is granted to a foreign person who plans to reside and work in the United States permanently. In most situations, the individual is sponsored by a relative or employer who applies with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Some applicants, such as workers of exceptional talent, investors, and certain special immigrants, can petition for them instead. The application is then transmitted to a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas for further processing and, if eligible, the issuance of an immigrant visa to the intended immigrant. An intended immigrant must produce the immigrant visa at a U.S. port of entry before the immigrant visa expires. An intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident once a CBP Officer reviews and approves the immigrant visa and related documents.
What Are The Types Of Immigrant Visas?
Immigration visas in the United States are granted based on family relationships, employment, adoption, and the diversity visa.
Family-Based Immigration:
An immigrant visa is required for a foreign national who wishes to live permanently in the United States. To be eligible to apply for it, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by an immediate relative who is either a U.S. citizen or a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident and is at least 21 years old.
There Are Two Categories Of Immigrant Visas For Family Members:
- Immediate Relative: These visas are granted based on a close familial relationship with a U.S. citizen, such as a spouse, kid, or parent.
- Family Preference: These visas are intended for particular, more distant family links with a U.S. citizen, as well as some specified connections with a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). Each fiscal year, the number of emigrants in these categories is restricted.
Employment-Based Immigrant Visas:
Under the requirements of U.S. immigration law, about 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas are made available to qualified applicants each fiscal year (October 1st – September 30th). There are five preference categories for employment-based immigrant visas, and certain wives and children are permitted to accompany or follow employment-based immigrants.
The applicant’s prospective employer or agent must first get Department of Labor certification permission. The employer submits an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the relevant employment-based preference category.
Intercountry Adoption:
One of the Department of State’s top priorities is international adoption. Every year, hundreds of U.S. people adopt kids from other nations, and families who live in other countries too adopt children from the U.S.
Intercountry adoption is the process of legally adopting a kid from a country other than your own and bringing that child to your nation of residence to live with you permanently.
Diversity Immigrant Visa:
During each fiscal year, you can only register for the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program for a limited time. The Department of State offers thorough instructions for entering the DV Program each year. The dates of the registration period during which you will enter are included in these guidelines.
All entries must be submitted electronically on the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website during the designated registration period. During each registration time, each person is only allowed one entry. To catch repeated submissions, the Department of State uses progressive technology. You will be disqualified if you submit more than one entry.
Submitting The Petition:
If you are applying for an immigrant visa for family reunion or employment, your family or employer in the United States must file a petition with USCIS on your behalf. The appropriate authorities will assess this petition, and you will simply have to wait to find out whether or not it will be authorized. You cannot proceed without an accepted petition because all of your efforts and payments will be in vain if it is denied.
If your petition is approved, you will be directed to the National Visa Center (NVC), where you will be required to complete additional processes before your visa interview. The NVC will send you a letter with vital information to guide you through the application procedure. Your NVC Case Number, Beneficiary ID Number, and Invoice ID Number are among the vital details.
What Is The USCIS Immigrant Fee?
If you received an “immigrant visa” to come to the United States as a permanent resident, the (USCIS) would almost certainly require you to pay an “immigrant fee” to obtain your permanent resident card (“green card”).
This cost can only be paid online through USCIS’s website.
You can pay the immigrant fee yourself or have someone else pay it for you. If you don’t have easy access to a computer or a credit card, or a bank account in the United States, you can arrange for a family member, lawyer, friend, or employer to pay on your behalf.
As of early 2021, the USCIS immigrant fee is $220. You can pay using a credit card or debit card number (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are all accepted) or account and routing data from a U.S. bank account.
You can also use a prepaid card (such as a Visa gift card), but make sure it has enough money on it. The payment cannot be split between cards.
