Foreign
Nationals require a visa to enter the United States.
A visa doesn’t permit entry to the
U.S., however. A visa simply indicates that your
application has been reviewed by a U.S. consular
officer at an American embassy or consulate, and
that the officer has determined you’re eligible to
enter the country for a specific purpose. Consular
affairs are the responsibility of the U.S. Department
of State.
A visa allows you to travel to the
United States as far as the port of entry (airport
or land border crossing) and ask the immigration
officer to allow you to enter the country. Only the
immigration officer has the authority to permit you
to enter the United States. He or she decides how
long you can stay for any particular visit. Immigration
matters are the responsibility of the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security.
VISAS:
Immigrant / Nonimmigrant
Immigrant
Visas are for people who intend
to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant
visas are for people with permanent residence
outside the U.S. but who wish to be in the U.S.
on a temporary basis – for tourism, medical treatment,
business, temporary work or study.
Immigrants to the U.S.
Immigrating to the United States to
live here permanently is an important, and complex
decision. This section provides information to help
foreign citizens desiring to permanently immigrate
to determine the visas, requirements, and related
materials they will need to apply to immigrate to
the United States. For information on who can immigrate
to the U.S., click on Visa Types for Immigrants .
Click on the links below for information on visa
forms, the Affidavit of Support, other requirements,
and related materials for immigrants.
Effective March 20, 2007, consular
posts abroad are again authorized to accept petitions
for immediate relative immigrant classification from
American citizens who are resident in their consular
districts, U.S. service members, emergency cases
involving life and death or health and safety considerations,
and others determined to be in the national interest.
See announcement about consular offices abroad accepting
I-130 immigrant visa petitions.
Immigrant Visa Processing - The National Visa Center (NVC)
After the immigrant petition has been
approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS), the petition is forwarded to the National
Visa Center (NVC) for processing . NVC plays an important
role in the next steps of the U.S. immigration process.
NVC provides instructions to petitioners and sponsors,
and receives from sponsors, the required Affidavit
of Support forms, fees, other required documents,
and much more. For numerically limited family preference
petitions, NVC contacts the petitioner once the petition’s
immigration wait nears end, and the priority date
is about to come current .
Learn more about the Affidavit of Support
information and the National Visa Center .
See Visa Information for Immigrants
for more information about the Visa Bulletin, required
vaccinations, DNA testing and more.
Non-immigrant
Visas
Nonimmigrant
Visas are for international travelers,
(citizens of other countries), coming to the
U.S. temporarily. This visa allows you to travel
to a U.S. port-of-entry (airport, for example)
and request permission of the Department of Homeland
Security immigration inspector to enter the U.S.
A visa does not guarantee entry into the United
States.
International travelers come to the
U.S. for a wide variety of reasons, including tourism,
business, medical treatment and certain types of
temporary work. The type of visa needed is defined
by immigration law, and relates to the principal
purpose of your travel. While in the U.S., temporary
visitors are restricted to the activity or reason
for which their nonimmigrant visa was issued, with
few exceptions. For an overview of the types of nonimmigrant
visas available under immigration law, please see
Nonimmigrant Visa Classifications on the USCIS website.
The Consular Officer at your embassy or consulate
will decide what kind of visa you need, when you
apply.
Advance planning can smooth the visa
application process for you.
Apply for your Visa well in
advance of your travel!
Important
steps to remember:
- Review your visa status, and find out if you
need a U.S. visa or a renewal.
- Review the visa wait times information for
interview appointments and visa processing at
each embassy and consular section worldwide available
on our website at Visa Wait Times. Visit the
embassy or consular section website where you
will apply for your visa to find out how to schedule
an interview appointment, pay fees and any other
instructions.
- Plan on an interview at the embassy or consulate,
which is required for most visa applicants. As
part of the visa interview, a quick fingerprint
scan should be expected. Applicants who need
additional screening are informed during the
application process.
See the links on the right for more
information about visas required for temporary visitors
to the U.S.
It's
easy, fast and economical...
Information
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
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Inc. - All rights reserved |
EZvisa.com,
is a source of information about U.S Visa policy
and procedures related to American immigration
visas and passport. Use this site to learn about
the visa application process, understand current
requirements, and on recent developments. 
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