Immigrant Visa (IV) General FAQs
General Immigrant Visa FAQs
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- Where may I process an immigrant visa (IV) in UAE?
- What are your hours of operation?
- How can contact the consular section regarding an immigrant visa case?
- I want my case transferred to/from Abu Dhabi. How could I do this?
- Do I need English translations for my documents?
- Am I a U.S. Citizen?
- Can the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi help me with refugee resettlement?
- Should I hire a lawyer or visa consultant to help with my visa?
- May my representative in congress or my senator send an inquiry about my case for me?
- Why won't the consular section give me information about my relative's case?
- I received an e-mail message regarding the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. They requested payment for the application and told me that I would be banned from the DV entry for five years if I don't pay. What should I do?
- Can I transmit citizenship to my spouse?
- I have been living in the UAE for more than 6 months. How can I file an immigrant visa petition here?
- Does my child need to attend the immigrant visa interview?
- Can I submit an I-130 petition at the Embassy?
Q1: Where may I process an immigrant visa (IV) in UAE?
A: The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi is the only post in our mission to the United Arab Emirates where immigrant visas are processed.
Q2: What are your hours of operation?
A: The Immigrant Visa Unit is open to the public between 8:00AM and 4:00PM, Sunday through Thursday.
For information about the interview process, please visit our website at: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3731.html.
A glossary of technical definitions of terms for visas can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/glossary/glossary_1363.html.
U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), responsible for adjudicating waivers, processing green cards and granting U.S. citizenship maintains a useful website: www.uscis.gov.
Q3: How can I contact the consular section regarding an immigrant visa case?
A: The Immigrant Visa Unit only accepts written electronic inquiries regarding specific cases on its site: http://www.abudhabiivo.net/ivocontactus0.aspx Please include your case number, full name and exact date of birth of the principal applicant.
By U.S. law and regulation, we may only respond to inquiries from applicants, petitioners, members of Congress, and/or attorneys of record.
Q4: I want my case transferred to/from Abu Dhabi. How could I do this?
A: Please contact us through our online query system at: http://www.abudhabiivo.net/ivocontactus0.aspx
Q5: Do I need English translations for my documents?
A: For documents not originally in English, one must provide an English translation from a certified translation provider.
A: If one of your parents was a U.S. citizen when you were born abroad and he/she lived in the U.S. for a total of five years (two of which were after the age of 14) prior to your birth, you may qualify for U.S. citizenship. To find out if you qualify for U.S. citizenship, submit an application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
If you were born in Iran and are currently under the age of 18, please consult with the U.S. Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran. Their contact information can be found at:http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/asia/virn/fosteh.html.
The U.S. Mission in UAE does not process Consular Report of Birth Abroad applications for applicants born in Iran. This processing is done through the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. However, you may still submit your application to the U.S. Mission in the UAE and we will forward it to the authorized post for processing. Please understand that this may take more time than simply applying directly at the U.S. Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran.
Q7: Can the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi help me with refugee resettlement?
A: The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi is not a designated post for refugee case processing. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has responsibility for assistance to, and protection of, refugees.
Q8: should I hire a lawyer or visa consultant to help with my visa?
A: This is a decision that only you can make. Note that the U.S. Embassy does not endorse any provider of such services, nor does it maintain a "special relationship" with any individual or business offering advice or assistance with the visa process. No one can guarantee the issuance of a visa to you. All U.S. Government forms are free and available on the internet.
Beware: some visa applicants lose money and/or are permanently barred from the United States as a result of misleading information and fraudulent applications provided by “visa consultants”.
Q9: May my representative in congress or my senator send an inquiry about my case for me?
A: Every American citizen may write to Congress about any matter of concern. We reply to all congressional inquiries. Queries you send yourself will receive the same answers we send to members of Congress. As a matter of policy, we ask petitioners to limit inquiries to one channel of communication. If you choose to inquire through Congress, please do not send duplicate inquiries directly to the Embassy. Requesting that your Congressperson or Senator inquire in your behalf will not speed up the processing of your case in any way.
Q.10: Why won't the consular section give me information about my relative's case?
U.S. law mandates that information regarding any immigrant visa application be released only to the applicant, petitioner, attorney of record, and/or relevant Congressional office.
Q.11: I received an e-mail message regarding the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. They requested payment for the application and told me that I would be banned from the DV entry for five years if I don't pay. What should I do?
Diversity Visa (DV) notifications are not sent via e-mail. Any e-mail which states that you have won the lottery or a green card is not legitimate. Diversity Visa Lottery entrants can check the status of their online application free of charge by visiting our website: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/. If a third party made the application for you, you should ask for the entry number.
The only way to apply for the DV Lottery is directly through the official site: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during the specified registration period.
Only internet sites ending in ".gov" are official U.S. government websites. If you receive any e-mail from an address that ends in “.com,” “.net,” “.org,” or anything other than “.gov,” please be aware that it is not a legitimate e-mail from the U.S. Embassy or the Department of State.
Q.12: Can I transmit citizenship to my spouse?
No, a United States citizen cannot transmit citizenship to a spouse. If your spouse wishes to relocate with you to the United States, he/she will require an immigrant visa. A Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) who is married to a U.S. citizen may apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen after three years of residence in the United States. Questions concerning this process should be addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (click on hyperlink to be directed to their site).
Q.13: I have been living in the UAE for more than 6 months. How can I file an immigrant visa petition here?
Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas will no longer be able to routinely file Form I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative, with U.S. embassies or consulates where U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not have a public counter presence. Starting August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas in a country without a USCIS public counter presence will be required to file their Forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox.
Please note: the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi does not host a USCIS public counter presence. Therefore, if you are a resident of UAE or Iran and would like to petition for a an immigrant visa for your relative, you will have to submit your forms by mail to the USCIS Chicago lockbox.
For additional information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago lockbox, please see the USCIS website at: http://www.uscis.gov/ or contact USCIS by phone at 1-800-375-5283.
14. Does my child need to attend the immigrant visa interview?
All applicants registered for immigration are required to attend the interview in person for a formal visa interview with a U.S. Consular Officer, regardless of age.
15. Can I submit an I-130 petition at the Embassy?
Please note that, according to new regulations, the US Embassy is no longer authorized to accept immigration petitions on behalf of USCIS and all petitions must be filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the U.S. Please contact USCIS directly with any questions you may have regarding the petition process or the address you need to mail your petition to. USCIS website: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis