Immigrant Visa Unit
How to Begin the Immigrant Visa Process
What is an immigrant visa?
An immigrant visa is a
document issued by a U.S. consular officer abroad that allows
you to travel to the United States and apply for admission as a
legal permanent resident (LPR). An
immigration inspector of
U.S. Customs
and Border Protection of the
Department of Homeland Security makes the final decision as
to whether or not to admit you as an LPR. Once you are admitted
as an LPR, you generally have the right to live and work in the
United States permanently.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department
of Homeland Security will mail your permanent resident card
(often called a “green card”) to your new address in the United
States, usually within three months of your entry into the
United States. Please see
22 CFR 42.11 for a list of immigrant visa classification
symbols and a brief description of each.
What are the basic paths that lead to an immigrant visa?
There are three basic methods for obtaining
an immigrant visa: 1) through a family relationship with a U.S.
citizen or legal permanent resident or 2) through employment or
3) through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (the visa
lottery). Most applicants in the Dominican Republic obtain their immigrant
visas via family relationships.
How do I
start the process of obtaining my immigrant visa?
The first step in obtaining a family-based
immigrant visa is for your relative (the petitioner) to file a
Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the
Department of Homeland
Security. Your relative generally must file the petition by
mail at the
USCIS Service Center in the United States with jurisdiction
over his or her place of residence. Once your relative has filed
a petition for you, you may check its status by accessing the
USCIS Case Status Search Page.
You may obtain an immigrant visa through
employment rather than through a family member. More information
on obtaining an immigrant visa through employment rather than
through a family member is available from
USCIS.
Please see the
Instructions for the 2009 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
(DV-2009) for more information on the visa lottery. Note
that natives of the Dominican Republic do not qualify as principal applicants
in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
What documents are required for my interview at the Consular Section?
In the interest of preparing for your interview with a consular officer,
please read the following instructions for
Immigrant Visa applicants. |
