General Information

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 United States.

The Immigrant Visa Unit in Vienna, Austria processes immigrant visa, K and V visa cases for Austrian citizens and third country nationals permanently residing in Austria, as well as Iranian immigrant visa cases.

Processing of Iranian immigrant visa cases will be initiated only upon receipt of proof that the Iranian applicants are in possession of a valid Austrian visa which will allow them to either remain in or return to Austria for at least three months. The Iranian applicants must be able to independently secure the Austrian visa. This Embassy cannot intervene or get involved in that process. Proof of the valid Austrian visa has to be provided before an interview appointment can be scheduled. The actual processing time varies, depending on the immigration category and the administrative processing required, and can take up to several months.

U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories:

• Immediate Relatives (spouses, children under age 21, and parents of U.S. citizens)
• Family-Based Immigrants (sons/daughters, brothers/sisters of U.S. citizens; as well as spouses and children, unmarried sons/daughters of Green Card holders)
• Employment-Based Immigrants
• Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (Green Card Lottery)

FRAUD ALERT: Please read this fraud warning regarding the Green Card Lottery.

Special Immigrants:

• Returning Residents (Green Card holders who lost their status as Lawful Permanent Residents)

K and V Visas:

• The K-1 Visa - Fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen who wishes to travel to the U.S. to marry the U.S. citizen fiancé(e)
• The K-3/K-4 Visa – Spouse/Child of a U.S. citizen on whose behalf an immigrant visa petition is pending with USCIS in the U.S.
• The V Visa

Other:

• Adoption – U.S. citizen who wishes to adopt a child from another country
• Immigration as an Orphan

Visa Bulletin: Current Priority Dates

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants (pdf/1633kb)