Immigrant Visas
- Translation:
- عربي
*** NEW STATUS CHECK TOOL AVAILABLE FOR IV AND SIV APPLICANTS ***
Applicants who currently have a pending Immigrant or Special Immigrant Visa (IV or SIV) case can now check the status or their applications online. For more information, please click here.
General Information
Welcome to the Immigrant Visa Unit of the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
Our office is responsible for processing all immigrant visa applications for Iraq. An immigrant visa is a document which allows you to travel to the United States and apply for admission as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). Once you are admitted into the United States, you will be issued an LPR card, also known as a "Green Card".
Who is a Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident)?
A Green Card holder (permanent resident) is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card, commonly called a "Green Card". You can become a permanent resident several different ways. Most individuals are sponsored by a family member or employer in the United States. In some cases, you may be eligible to file for yourself.
How do I apply for an immigrant visa?
Generally, the process of applying for an immigrant visa begins with the filing of an immigrant visa petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For more information on the process of filing a petition, please click here.
For more information on the immigrant visa application process, or if you would like to see a complete list of types of immigrant visas, please click here.
Immigrant Visa Processing Fees (Effective April 15, 2012):
| Type of Visa | Previous Fee | New Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Relative and Family Preference Applications | $330 | $230 |
| Employment-Based Applications | $720 | $405 |
| Other Immigrant Visa Applications | $305 | $220 |
| Diversity Visa Program Fee | $440 | $330 |
| Determining Returning Resident Status | $380 | $275 |
Small Children Don't Need to Come
Children under the age of 13, who are included in one of the parent's immigrant visa, do not need to come for the immigrant visa interview unless they have their own separate petition. If you are unsure whether you should bring your child to the interview, please contact us.
USCIS Immigrant Fee
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Effective February 1, 2013, all individuals issued immigrant visas overseas must pay a $165.00 USCIS Immigrant Fee before traveling to the United States. Only prospective adoptive parents whose child(ren) is/are entering the United States under either the Orphan or Hague Process, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants who were employed by the U.S. government, returning residents, and those issued K visas are exempt from the new fee. The below USCIS website has more details on the new fee, including contact information for USCIS, if there are further questions:
Diversity Visa Scam Alert
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Many Iraqis are getting e-mails from criminals pretending to be the Department of State.
The Department of State does not notify Diversity Visa lottery winners by e-mail.
Many of these e-mails ask you to send money by Western Union to the following address in London:
24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 2LQ
United Kingdom
This is the physical address of the U.S. Embassy in London, but this is a trick: the money will go to the criminal somewhere else in the world.
To learn more about DV scams and what you can do, please read the Department of State's DV Scam Warning