General Information

ANNOUNCEMENT
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013 THE CONSULAR SECTION
WILL BE CLOSED FOR SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC

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

1. Immediate Relative of U.S. Citizen (Spouse, Minor Child under 21 years of age and Parent)                                            Applicants for immediate relative visas should request their U.S. Citizen relative to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Chicago Lockbox in the United States.  More......
2. Family Based Immigrants
   Family based immigrants are defined as: brothers and sisters and adult or married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, or spouse of a U.S. permanent resident. There are numerical limitations to these categories of immigrants, meaning there will be a waiting period after your petition is approved and before you can apply for U.S. immigration.
3. Fiancé(e) Visa (K)
   To establish K-1 visa classification for an intended alien spouse, a U.S. Citizen fiancée/fiancé must file the Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), Form I-129F with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) having jurisdiction over the place of the petitioner’s residence in the United States. This petition cannot be filed at an Embassy, Consulate or U.S. Immigration office abroad. 
4. Employment Visa
   The Immigration and Nationality Act provides a yearly limit of 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas, which are divided into five preference categories. They usually require a labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the filing of a petition with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
5. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
   An annual Diversity Immigration Program, commonly known as the visa lottery, makes available each year by random selection 55,000 immigrant visas to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. Eligibility to apply for this Program is determined by a person's place of birth, not citizenship.

Fraud Warning
Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer any assistance in obtaining U.S. visas.  There are many websites which attempt to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites.  Additionally, they may require you to pay for services you will not receive by contacting you by email to take advantage of their false offer to get a U.S. Visa.

If you are seeking a U.S. visa or service, we strongly recommend that you read the Department of State's fraud warning on imposter or fraudulent websites, emails and advertisements before proceeding.