Frequently Asked Questions

Residents of Denmark may visit the panel physicians located in their home country. The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm will accept results from these visits. Residents of Sweden will continue to visit the physicians in Sweden.

As part of the standard immigrant visa process, the National Visa Center will coordinate with you to schedule your interview appointment at the appropriate post (now Stockholm) upon receiving your immigrant visa application and supporting paperwork. Similarly for diversity visa applicants, your case interview will be scheduled by the Kentucky Consular Center as part of the standard diversity visa process. If you wish to interview for your immigrant or diversity visa at another immigrant visa processing post besides Stockholm, you may make the request to the National Visa Center or the Kentucky Consular Center, respectively, prior to the time your appointment is scheduled in Stockholm.

Passports and documents will be returned to applicants via registered mail. Applicants residing in Sweden need to bring 127 SEK in postage with them on the day of their interview. Applicants residing in Norway or Denmark need to bring 295 SEK in postage with them on the day of their interview. Please note that stamps cannot be purchased at the Embassy.

No, the services listed in this question will continue to be carried out by the Embassies in Oslo or Copenhagen.

Applicants who have already interviewed for their immigrant or diversity visa should contact the post at which they interviewed until December 31, 2011, or the Visa Office’s Public Inquiries’ Division at 202-663-1225. After December 31, all questions should be directed to Embassy Stockholm at STKIVInfo@state.gov.

Applicants whose appointment has not yet been scheduled or who are requesting information about applying for an immigrant visa should contact the National Visa Center by email at nvcinquiry@state.gov and by phone at 603-334-0700.

Applicant whose cases are to be transferred to Stockholm will be notified by Embassy Copenhagen or Embassy Oslo with more instructions.

After October 1, all inquiries regarding new cases should be directed to Embassy Stockholm at STKIVInfo@state.gov.

The National Visa Center can be reached by email at nvcinquiry@state.gov and by phone at 603-334-0700.

The Kentucky Consular Center can be reached by email at kccdv@state.gov and by phone at 606-526-7500.

Given the relatively low demand for immigrant visa services in Oslo and Copenhagen, we are consolidating services in Stockholm to make more efficient use of our resources. Because of resource limitations we were forced to make cuts in our services and identified the immigrant visas in northern Europe as an area where our changes would impact the fewest number of applicants.

The document often referred to as Green Card, or Alien Resident Card (ARC), or Alien Registration Receipt Card, is Form I-551. Form I-551 is a credit-card sized document issued to legal permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States. It is proof that the holder is authorized for employment and permanent residence in the U.S. Form I-551 is no longer green-colored but still widely called the "Green Card". It does not affect your citizenship, and it does not mean you are an American citizen. More information on permanent resident card holders' rights and responsibilities can be found at: www.uscis.gov.

Please visit the "Employment Based Immigration" section on this website. See Employment Based Fifth Preference (category E5). If unable to qualify under category E5 (or any of the other employment preference categories), and unable to qualify for any of the "Family Based Immigration" categories, then your only other option is the annual Diversity Visa Lottery.

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 U.S. The U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: Immediate Relatives, Family Based Immigrants, Employment Based Immigrants, and Diversity Visa ("Green Card") Lottery Winners. You must qualify for an immigrant visa in one of these categories in order to be able to move permanently to the U.S. Information regarding each category can be found in the Immigrant Visa section of this website.

In order to join the U.S. Military you need to either be an American Citizen, or to be a Permanent Resident of the United States who holds an I-551 "Green Card". An immigrant visa will not be issued on the basis of intention to enlist or intention to qualify for government employment upon arrival in the United States.

Individuals who consider themselves refugees and who claim they cannot return to their home country apply for asylum or assistance in the country where they are physically present. It is up to that country to determine whether the individual will be granted asylum and/or residence. If you are in Denmark then please contact: Danish Refugee Council, Borgergade 10, DK-1300 Copenhagen K. Telephone: [+45] 33 73 50 00. Individuals outside the United States may apply for inclusion within the U.S. refugee program.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is responsible for processing refugees for entry into the U.S. In most circumstances, persons seeking refugee status are referred to USCIS by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) or by international voluntary agencies that help refugees to complete applications and find a country of refuge. The main UNHCR website with links to its regional offices can be found on the internet at www.unhcr.org. The nearest UNHCR office is in Stockholm, Sweden: United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic Countries, Ynglingagatan 14, 6th Floor, S-113 47 Stockholm, Sweden. Telephone: [+46] 8 457 4880, Fax: [+46] 8 457 4897, E-post: swest@unhcr.org. There is no USCIS office in Scandinavia that handles U.S. refugee processing. For further information please see www.uscis.gov.

Interpreters and translators of Iraqi or Afghan nationality who have worked directly with the United States armed forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter for a period of at least 12 months and meet the requirements outlined in the special immigrant programs for such applicants may submit an application directly to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For applicants living overseas, see Special Immigrant Visas for
Iraqi and Afghan Translators/Interpreters - Frequently Asked Questions for information about criteria, documentary requirements, filing the Form I-360, and more. Also, see USCIS Fact Sheet on Afghan and Iraqi Translators for information including instructions for applicants who are filing in the U.S.

There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form from the one and only official website for the lottery: www.travel.state.gov. The U.S. Government employs no outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV casework for applicants do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Use of any outside intermediary or assistance to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the applicant's discretion. A qualified entry submitted electronically directly by an applicant has an equal chance of being selected by the computer at the Kentucky Consular Center, as does an entry submitted electronically through a paid intermediary who completes the entry for the applicant at his or her request. Every entry received during the lottery registration period will have an equal random chance of being selected within its region. However, receipt of more than one entry per person will disqualify the person from registration, regardless of the source of the entry. Please note: The Embassy cannot advise you on whether the private company you have hired has submitted your Diversity Visa lottery entry, or not. Entrants may check their status using the Entry Status Check function on the E-DV website between May and July. Please note: U.S. Embassies and Consulates will not be able to provide a list of successful applicants.

No, it does not prevent you from applying for any other types of immigrant or nonimmigrant visas.

The time it takes to process a visa application varies with each individual case. However, in general, a fiancé(e) visa application may be slightly quicker than an application for an immigrant visa, as immigrant visa petitions tend to take longer to process and be approved by the USCIS in the United States. If the time factor is of importance, you should contact the USCIS where you will file the petition to ascertain processing times before deciding on applying for a fiancé(e) or immigrant visa.

On marriage, you must contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for further information. If you leave the United States without first obtaining permission from them to re-enter the country, you will be required to apply for an immigrant visa in order to return. This could delay your return by many months.

A person traveling to the United States to marry a U.S. citizen with the intention of returning to his/her place of permanent residence abroad may apply for a visitor (B-2) visa, or if eligible, travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. Evidence of a residence abroad to which the B-2 visa holder or visa free traveler intends on returning should be carried for presentation to an immigration inspector at the port of entry.

U.S. immigration law does not recognize common-law marriages/"Registered Partnership". A U.S. citizen cannot file an immigrant visa petition for a partner in the immediate relative category as the spouse of U.S. citizen, or a fiancé (e) visa petition. You will be required to apply for an immigrant visa either in one of the employment based preference categories or through the Diversity Visa Program commonly known as the Green Card Lottery.

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 Lawful Permanent Resident who is married to a U.S. citizen may apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen after three years residence in the United States. Questions concerning this process should be addressed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States. Please visit www.uscis.gov for further information.

You will not require a visa for your child if: he/she is under two years of age; it is his/her first entry into the United States since birth; and he/she is being accompanied by the parent who is applying for readmission as a permanent resident upon the parent's first return to the United States after the child's birth. Your child will require his or her own passport and his/her long form birth certificate, listing both parents' names (please note: The child's birth certificate must be translated into English). In the event that one parent is a citizen of the United States, the foregoing information should be disregarded and an application must be made for a U.S. passport (for U.S. passport issues, please contact our American Citizen Services Unit at CopenhagenACS@state.gov).

Once a petition is received by USCIS, an I-797 Receipt Notice will be sent to the petitioner. Once USCIS has approved the petition, an I-797 Approval Notice will be sent to the petitioner. If Consular processing has been requested, USCIS will forward the petition to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will contact the petitioner and applicant with further information on how to proceed applying for the immigrant visa. Once NVC has completed its part of the processing and scheduled the applicant for an interview at the Embassy in Copenhagen, NVC will transfer the case to the Embassy. Please note: NVC is in charge of scheduling all immigrant visa interviews at the Embassy in Copenhagen. Prior to sending the case file to Copenhagen, NVC assigns a Copenhagen case number (e.g. CPN2009XXXXXX) and notifies the petitioner directly. Please mention the case number in all communications with both the NVC and the Embassy. Only an applicant whose case has been received from the USCIS/NVC can be assisted by the Immigrant Visa Unit at the Embassy in Copenhagen. The Immigrant Visa Unit has no way of checking on cases still pending with the USCIS. If you case is still at the NVC, you must correspond directly with NVC.

There is no USCIS representative at the Embassy in Copenhagen. The Immigrant Visa Unit does not have access to the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS database and therefore the Immigrant Visa Unit cannot assist you in having your biometrics taken. If unable to appear for your scheduled biometrics appointment with USCIS in the U.S., you may wish to consult with the USCIS office at the American Embassy in London, U.K.: http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/index.html

Mailing address from outside the U.S.:
USCIS Field Office
American Embassy (DHS/USCIS)
Post Office Box 2444
London W1A 5WT

If you intend taking up permanent residence in the U.S., you are required to wait until the immigrant or fiancé(e) visa is issued. You cannot reside in the U.S. on a tourist visa or visa free under the Visa Waiver Program while waiting the issuance of an immigrant or fiancé (e) visa. However, if you wish to make a temporary visit at the end of which you will return to your permanent residence outside the United States, you may travel on a tourist (B-2) visa, or visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, if qualified. Your entry into and length of stay in the U.S. will be determined at your first U.S. port-of-entry. No one can be guaranteed, prior to their arrival at a U.S. port-of-entry, whether or not they would be granted permission to enter the U.S. You should be sure to carry with you for presentation to a consular officer (if applying for a B-2 visa) and to an immigration inspector at a U.S. port-of-entry evidence of your residence outside the U.S. Although a pending immigrant or fiancé(e) visa application is not necessarily conclusive evidence of intent to abandon a Danish residence, it is a factor considered. If the immigration inspector is not convinced that you are a bona fide visitor for pleasure, you will be denied entry into the United States. Refused entry to the U.S. could result in your involuntary return to Denmark and prolong your application for an immigrant or fiancé(e) visa.

If, on the day of your interview, you are found to be fully documented and eligible to receive a fiancé(e) visa, or nonimmigrant K3 visa, or immigrant visa, the visa will be issued within seven days. If you have provided the immigrant Visa Unit with the required amount of stamps and an address label, the visa will be mailed to you. If you wish to pick-up your visa at the Embassy during walk-in hours, you must wait until you have been notified by e-mail or phone that your visa is ready. The current walk-in hours can be found under "Contact Info" (please see the Immigrant Visa section on this website).

You can travel as soon as you receive your visa. Immigrant and fiancé(e) visas are valid for 6 months. Therefore, you must enter the U.S. with your visa within 6 months of its issuance. In some cases, visas can be limited to expire before the 6-month period. In this instance, you are required to enter the U.S. before the expiry date of your visa.

Immigrant and fiancé(e) visas cannot be extended. If the visa is not used within its period of validity, you must return it to this office for cancellation, along with a note explaining the reasons why the visa was not used. Upon return of the visa and explanation, we will inform you of the requirements for issuance of a new visa. This involves the repayment of visa fees.

U.S. law does not specify how long one must remain in the U.S. after first entering. Immigration officials, at the time of your return to the U.S., will look very closely at the amount of time spent away from the U.S. If they determine that you have been spending more time out of the U.S. than in the U.S., they are empowered to revoke your lawful permanent resident status. You would then have to re-qualify for permanent resident status.

If your visa is refused under the provisions of Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for lack of documentation, you will have twelve months from the date of refusal in which to present the missing documents and enter the United States on the immigrant visa. PLEASE NOTE: This does not apply to persons applying for an immigrant visa under the Diversity Visa Lottery (Green Card Lottery).

You will be required to reapply for an immigrant visa paying new visa application and issuance fees, and medical examination fees.

If you are divorced and you are applying for a visa for your child(ren) by a previous marriage, you will be required to present on the day of your visa interview proof that you have been awarded custody of the child(ren) by the court and that permission has been given for the child(ren) to be taken out of Denmark.

Yes, unless your children are already U.S. citizens. Children, regardless of age, who are applying for immigrant or derivative fiancé(e) visas, must attend the interview.

No. There is no requirement that the U.S. citizen attend the immigrant visa interview. There is also no requirement that your spouse remain in Denmark until your immigrant visa is issued; he or she may travel to the United States ahead of you.

Waiting times may vary according to our caseload on the day. In general, you should be available to spend up to three hours at the Embassy.

Yes.

Immigrant visa applicants may apply for a social security number at the time of their application. Fiancé(e)s and nonimmigrant K3 visa applicants cannot and must apply in the United States.

Bearers of immigrant visas can work upon entry into the U.S. Fiancé(e)s and nonimmigrant K3 visa recipients must first obtain permission to work from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please visit www.uscis.gov for further information.

Within 12 months of your entry into the U.S. the Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form I-551 (in popular terms called the "Green Card") will automatically be mailed to the U.S. address you wrote on your immigrant visa application form DS-230. Prior to receiving the "Green Card", you will upon entry on your immigrant visa receive temporary evidence (in the form of a stamp in you passport) of your status as a permanent resident of the U.S. The temporary evidence is valid for 12 months.

Your spouse will be required to obtain police certificates, even if she resided there as your dependent.

Police certificates are required from every visa applicant aged 16 years or older for the country of the applicant’s nationality or current residence where the applicant has resided for at least six months since the applicant's sixteenth birthday. Police certificates are also required from all other countries where the applicant has resided for at least one year.

Information on how to obtain police certificates from various countries is on the Department of State's website. Find the Reciprocity Tables, select the country, and look under "Police Record".

Each applicant requires a medical examination. Instructions regarding the medical examination will be provided along with your appointment notice. Medical examinations can only be completed by an Embassy approved panel physician based in Denmark (Copenhagen and Aarhus).

The panel physicians must comply with U.S. health regulations to perform medical examinations for our visa applicants. These panel physicians, when accepted and approved to provide this service, are issued with U.S. medical handbooks. Each country can only have a limited amount of qualified and approved physicians to provide this service for the U.S. government.

You are not expected to have X-rays taken when you are pregnant. The panel physician will advise you when, after you’ve given birth, it will be appropriate to have the X-ray done.

Should you not wish to receive any of the required vaccinations, you will be found ineligible to receive an immigrant visa. You may apply for a waiver of that ineligibility, but must establish that compliance with the vaccination requirements would be contrary to your religious beliefs or moral convictions.

To qualify for a waiver you must show that:

• You are opposed to vaccinations in any form;
• The objection is based on religious beliefs or moral convictions (whether or not as a member of a recognized religion); and
• The religious belief or moral conviction (whether or not as part of a recognized religion) is sincere.

A fee is applicable for a vaccination waiver and will be advised at the time of application. The waiver will be sent to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office for their consideration. These waiver applications can take several months to process.

Frequent Questions

My Green Card was lost/stolen, but I need to travel. What now?

I received an e-mail saying that I won a Green Card. Is it true?

Embassy of the United States Copenhagen, Denmark

Visas

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions From The Public

Frequent Questions

My Green Card was lost/stolen, but I need to travel. What now?

I received an e-mail saying that I won a Green Card. Is it true?