Immigrant Visas
WHAT IS AN IMMIGRANT VISA?
An immigrant visa entitles you to take up permanent residence in the U.S. It means you are going to make the U.S. your principal place of residence for the foreseeable future. An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the U.S.
If you are going to the U.S. on a temporary work assignment or to study, even if such stay is for several years, you should not seek an immigrant visa. Please consult the non-immigrant visa webpage.
CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANT VISAS
U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories:
1. Immediate Relatives
2. Family Based Immigrants
3. Employment Based Immigrants
4. Diversity Visa ("Green Card") Lottery Winners
Most types of immigrant visa petitions must be filed in the U.S. with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (please see www.uscis.gov). In certain cases, some IMMEDIATE RELATIVE based petitions can be filed directly at U.S. Embassy Copenhagen. For further information please click on the following headline to your left: "I-130 Petition Filing on Behalf of a Spouse (husband or Wife), Minor Child, or Parent of a U.S. Citizen".
For detailed information regarding all categories of immigrant visas, please consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services websites. An abbreviated explanation regarding each immigrant visa category can be found by clicking on the appropriate headline to your left.
THE VISA BULLETIN
(The world wide waiting list for immigrant visa categories with numerical limitations)
Applicants registered for immigration in the family and employment-based preference categories are subject to the annual numerical limitation on immigrants admitted into the U.S. and are required to wait for the availability of a visa number before final action can be taken on the application. Immigrant visas will be adjudicated in chronological order until the numerical limit for the category is reached. The filing date of a petition becomes the applicant's priority date. Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.
In certain heavily oversubscribed categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached. For the latest priority dates, please check the Visa Bulletin
HOW TO CONTACT US
The Immigrant Visa Unit can be contacted by regular mail, e-mail, fax, telephone, and by visiting the Consular Section during "Walk-In" hours. For detailed contact information, please see our "Contact Info".
PLEASE NOTE: Inquiries regarding non-immigrant L1, H1B temporary work permits, and tourist visas must be addressed directly to our Nonimmigrant Visa Unit at CopenhagenNIV@state.gov.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
The Immigrant Visa Unit receives numerous inquiries from persons who wish to obtain a work/residence permit for the U.S. Before you contact the Immigrant Visa Unit, you may wish to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions "FAQ" page. There you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions by the general public and persons with pending visa cases.
