Welcome to the Immigrant Visa homepage

Immigrant visas are required for all persons who plan to travel to the United States to reside. You should be able to find information and answers to many of your questions about the immigrant visa process on this website, which also links you to the Department of State website.

Days and Hours of Operation

Immigrant Visa Unit is open to the public by appointment only between 8:00 am – 12 noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. However Inquiries may be made by email at any time to AucklandIV@state.gov or in person on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The Immigrant Visa Unit interviews immigrant visa applicants who are residents of our consular district, including Samoa, in Auckland only. The National Visa Center will notify applicants of their appointments in Auckland, and once the immigrant visa file arrives from the National Visa Center we will confirm the date (or alter the appointment if necessary), and send the applicant the Medical Examination forms.

How to Qualify/Apply for an Immigrant Visa

You cannot begin an application for an immigrant visa at The U.S. Consulate General Auckland, or other Posts. The process for ALL immigrant visas, other than the Diversity Visa Lottery process, begins with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The family member or employer in the U.S. through whom you wish to qualify, must begin the process by filing an I-130 petition or I-129F Fiancé petition, OR the I-140 employment petition with the DHS/USCIS office in the United States, as per the instructions on the forms. See further visa information below, or on the Department of State’s travel website. www.travel.state.gov

General Information

Persons immigrating to the United States are divided by U.S. immigration law into two general categories:

1. Those who may obtain legal permanent residence status without numerical limitation, and;
2. Those who are restricted by an annual limitation on the number of persons who may enter as permanent residents. The latter category is further divided into (A) family sponsored immigrants, (B) employment based immigrants, and (C) diversity immigrants.

Immigrants Not Numerically Limited

Immediate Relatives of United States Citizens: The spouse and minor unmarried children of a United States citizen, and the parents of a United States citizen who is over the age of twenty-one.

Returning Residents: Immigrants who lived in the United States previously as lawful permanent residents and are returning to live in the United States after a temporary visit of more than one year abroad.

Immigrants Subject To Numerical Limitations

Family Sponsored Immigrants:

1. First Preference: Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and children if any;
2. Second Preference: Spouses, children and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent resident alien;
3. Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and children;
4. Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of United States citizens, and their spouses and children provided the U.S. citizens are 21 years of age or over.

Employment Based Immigrants:

1. Priority Workers: persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics; outstanding professors and researchers (applicants in this category must have extensive documentation showing sustained national or international acclaim and recognition in the field of expertise.); and certain multinational executives and managers;
2. Members of the Professions: Professionals holding advanced degrees, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, and business;
3. Professionals, Skilled and Unskilled Workers: Professionals holding baccalaureate degrees, skilled workers with at least two years of experience, and other workers whose skills are in short supply in the United States;
4. Special Immigrants: Certain religious workers and ministers of religion, certain international organizations employees and their immediate family members, and specially qualified and recommended current and former employees of the United States Government;
5. Investors: Persons who create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing capital in a new commercial enterprise in the United States. The minimum amount of capital required is between $500,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the employment rate in the geographic area.