Immigrant Visas
Immigrant Visa Types
Family-Based Immigration Cases
For family-based petitions, a U.S. family member (spouse, parent, child, brother or sister) – the petitioner -- must file a petition to have their relative –the beneficiary -- join them in the United States. If the family member resides in the U.S. then the petition should be filed at the nearest Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office. If the family member is overseas, the petition should be filed at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Once a filed petition is approved by the DHS an approval notice (form I-797) will be issued and the petitioner and beneficiary will be given further instructions regarding required documentation and the visa interview. This time frame varies from country to country and could be as short as six months or as long as several years depending on the volume of immigrant from that particular country. The beneficiary will work with the Consular Section to provide all the necessary documents such as birth or marriage certificates, financial support, police and medical reports. After all documentation is complete a visa interview will take place with a consular officer.
Diversity Lottery Visa Cases
Diversity Visa Lottery winners will have been first notified by the Department of State that their applications were among those selected for possible issuance that year by post. DV winners are never contacted by e-mail. The file is then transferred to the National Visa Center, which issues a form I-797. The file is then transferred to the Consular Section in Kinshasa, which contacts the beneficiary with instructions on the necessary documents needed to proceed to the interview.
Refugee/Asylee Cases
Like family-based immigration petitions, eligible refugees must be the beneficiary of a close relative in the United States who has already been granted refugee or asylee status. A petition is filed in the United States and an I-797 approval notice is issued by the Department of Homeland Security. The petitioner and beneficiary are then given instructions on required documentation and the visa interview.