So what is the application process of IR1 visa, what the eligibility criteria for applying IR1 visa is, and how much it costs; we will look at all these aspects in this article.
Visa application process
Filing petition- The first step to obtain an IR1 immigrant visa for your foreign spouse is to file a Petition for Alien Relative with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Approval by USCIS- Petition is received by USCIS, and after reviewing your petition, USCIS approves the petition and send it to the National Visa Center (NVC).
Application sent to NVC for the next processing phase- USCIS forwards case to NVC. Once your petition is received by NVC, a case number is assigned for the petition, and NVC instructs the applicant to complete required forms. NVC will start processing the applicant’s case and provide the applicant and petitioner with instructions on how to submit the appropriate processing fees. After you pay the fees, the NVC will request you to submit the necessary immigrant visa documents, application forms, civil documents, Affidavit of Support, and other documents required for processing the application ahead.
NVC Contacts U.S. embassy or consulate- After the applicant successfully submitted or mailed the documents, NVC determines whether the file is complete with all the required documents. If they found everything as required, they schedule the applicant’s interview appointment. NVC will contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the applicant will be interviewed for a visa and sends the file containing the applicant’s petition and required documents.
Embassy proceeds with the visa application process- The applicant, petitioner, attorney or third-party agent will receive all the details of the appointment, including the date and time of the applicant’s visa interview along with instructions on emails or via letters. Applicants need to bring their valid passports and documents mentioned at the time of the visa interview. Applicants will receive their original civil documents back at the time of interview. If you are issued an immigrant visa, you will be given your passport containing the IR1 immigrant visa by the consular officer in a sealed packet. You are not allowed to open the sealed packet as it can only be done by the U.S. immigration officials when you enter the United States. You are supposed to enter the United States before the expiration date printed on your visa.
Entry to the U.S. – IR1 visa allows foreign citizen spouse of a U.S. citizen to travel to the U.S. and request permission to enter the U.S., but it does not guarantee entry into the U.S. The DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials can deny permit or deny admission to the U.S. Therefore, the applicant should review important information about admissions and entry requirements on the CBP website.
Eligibility criteria of IR1 visa
• The U.S. petitioner must be 18 years old
• The petitioner must be a citizen of the U.S.
• The petitioner must be legally married to the alien beneficiary for more than 2 years
Fee charged
• Filing an immigrant Petition for Alien Relative. This fee is charged by USCIS.
• Processing fee of immigrant visa application
• Medical examination and vaccinations fee
• USCIS Immigrant fee for translations; photocopying charges; fees for obtaining the documents you need for the immigrant visa application (such as passport, police certificates, birth certificates, etc.); and expenses for travel to the U.S. embassy or consulate for a visa interview.
So this is all you need to know about an IR1 visa. I hope this post has provided you the basics information on the IR1 visa.
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