Immigrant Visas
What is an Immigrant Visa?
An immigrant visa is a document issued by a U.S. consular officer abroad that allows you to travel to the United States and apply for admission as a legal permanent resident (LPR).
Persons seeking to live and work permanently in the United States should apply for an immigrant visa. In most cases, the applicant must first have either an approved immigrant petition or a selected entry in the Diversity Visa Program. There are three common methods by which a person may seek to immigrate to the United States:
- Family-based Immigration -- including Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens
- Employment-based Immigration
- The Diversity Visa Program (the "Visa Lottery")
The Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau processes visas for persons who are residents of The Bahamas or the Turks and Caicos Islands. Visa interviews appointments are set by the National Visa Center once the petition has been approved and the case is ready for processing.
An immigration inspector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security makes the final decision as to whether or not to admit an immigrant visa recipient as an LPR.
Once you are admitted as an LPR, you generally have the right to live and work in the United States permanently. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security will mail your permanent resident card (often called a “green card”) to your new address in the United States, usually within three months of your entry into the United States.
Please click here to see a complete list of types of Immigrant Visas.
Adobe Reader
-
Download Free
All downloadable documents on this page are provided in PDF format. To view PDFs you must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free version by clicking the link above.
Immigrant Visa Forms
-
• I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
• DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
• I-864P Poverty Guidelines
• I-864 Affidavit of Support
• I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
• I-864W Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption
• I-864EZ Affidavit of Support
• I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
• I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal
• Diversity Visa Instructions
• General information on starting an application for an immigrant visa to live in the United States.