Embassy of the United States Brussels, Belgium

If you plan to travel to the United States to make your new permanent home there, you will need an immigrant visa. Upon entry with such an immigrant visa, you will be given the status of legal permanent resident (LPR) by the immigration inspector. You will be issued form I-551, popularly known as the 'green card', as proof of your legal status in the U.S. You are to carry this card with you at all times as it will identify you as a permanent resident when applying for a job, opening a bank account, upon your return to the U.S. from a visit abroad, etc.

The United States Immigration and Nationality Act allows for three principal immigrant visa categories:

Family based immigration: A petition form I-130 (201KB - PDF) must be filed for you by a U.S. citizen immediate relative (father, mother, brother or sister, child over 21 years of age, or spouse). An I-130 (201KB - PDF)petition can also be filed by a relative with permanent resident status for minor unmarried children, unmarried children over 21 years of age or spouse. Some of these categories take a long time before a visa can be applied for after the petition is filed. Please click here for more information.

Employment based immigration: A petition form I-140 (200KB - PDF) must be filed in the United States, with the appropriate domestic field office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Please click here for more information.

Diversity Visa immigration: Each year the U.S. Government allows for an application round in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. When selected in this program you can apply for an immigrant visa without having an employer or relative file a petition for you. Please click here for more information.

What is the U.S. Consular Section's role in the immigrant visa process?

All family and employment based applications start with a petition, filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services through www.uscis.gov. Diversity visa applications start with the aspiring immigrant entering the Diversity Visa Lottery. If you reside in  Belgium or Luxemburg, the U.S. Consular Section in Brussels will process your visa application and, if qualified, issue you your visa.

For spouses or minor children of U.S. citizens, the immigrant visa application process starts when an approved petition is available at the Consular Section and can usually be completed in about four to six weeks from that moment. Please note this is an average.  For other categories the process may take longer. At the end of the process, the visa applicant will be invited for a final interview with the consular officer. At the end of the interview the consular officer determines if a visa can be issued. Immigrant visas are usually valid for six months, during which the visa must be used to enter the United States. Upon admission, the visa will be stamped by the immigration officer and as such serve as an initial, temporary residence permit (green card). In the left hand menu, you will find a link to a description of the visa application process in Brussels.

With few exceptions, a person born in the United States has a claim to U.S. citizenship. Any applicant believing that he or she may have a claim to U.S. citizenship should not apply for a visa until his or her citizenship has been determined. The applicant should inform the consular office immediately of a citizenship claim so that a review can be taken to determine if the applicant is entitled to a U.S. passport rather than an immigrant visa.