Embassy of the United States

Immigrant Visas

General Information

To enter the United States to reside permanently, you need an immigrant visa, even if you do not plan to seek employment.  To obtain an immigrant visa, you must be sponsored by either:

1. A U.S. employer (employment-based immigrant visas), or
2. A close family relative who is an American citizen or a legal permanent resident (family-based immigrant visas).

Once a person enters the U.S. on an immigrant visa, he or she is issued a so-called “green card” by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which identifies the person as a legal permanent resident.  To maintain status as a legal permanent resident, a person generally cannot be outside the U.S. for more than one year at a time.

Employment-based immigration

There are five categories of employment-based visas.  For a further description of each one, click here for more.

The Embassy cannot process these kinds of visas until a petition has been filed with and been approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Family-based immigration

The spouses, children, parents, brothers and sisters of American citizens are eligible for family-based immigrant visas.  Only the spouses and children of legal permanent residents, however, are eligible for such visas.

The Embassy cannot process these kinds of visas until a petition has been filed with and approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. more.