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Follow-to-Join Refugees and Asylees
Spouse and Unmarried Minor Children Abroad Following to Join a Refugee or Asylee in the United States
Welcome to the webpage dedicated to follow-to-join refugee and asylee processing. You have come to this webpage if you have a USCIS approved I-730 petition, and have received an email or letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) requesting that you take a specific action. Find the subject in the list below and click to visit that section of the page.
- Overview – Follow-to-Join Refugees and Asylees
- Follow-to-Join Overseas Processing Steps
- Follow-to-Join Refugee and Asylee Processing at the NVC
- Overseas Interview Appointment Scheduling
- Documentation Needed for the Overseas Interview
- Medical Examination and Vaccination Requirements
- How Long Will it Take to Process a Case Overseas?
- Ineligibilities - What if a Beneficiary is Ineligible?
- Fees
- Case Inquiries
Overview – Follow-to-Join Refugees and Asylees
Using a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, a person who has been granted asylum or refugee status in the United States (the petitioner) may petition to have his or her spouse and/or unmarried child(children), called beneficiaries, follow-to-join him or her in the United States. Overseas, the beneficiaries of Forms I-730 filed by asylees are known as follow-to-join asylees. Beneficiaries of Forms I-730 filed by refugees are known as follow-to-join refugees.
The National Visa Center (NVC) sends the petitioners instructions and information on case processing via email or mail. These new procedures are only in use at the overseas locations listed below.
Follow-to-Join Overseas Processing Steps
Important Note: The following processing steps apply only at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate locations listed below.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Quito, Ecuador | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
Bogotá, Colombia | San Jose, Costa Rica | Vienna, Austria |
Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Yaoundé, Cameroon |
- Petition Filing: An individual (petitioner) who was granted asylum in the United States as a principal asylee or who was resettled to the United States as a principal refugee can file an I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, within the first two years of arrival, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on behalf of his or her spouse and unmarried child(ren) (beneficiary). Further details on petition filing are available on the USCIS website under Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition.
- National Visa Center (NVC) Pre-Processing: USCIS sends an approved Form I-730 petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) for pre-processing before the case is sent overseas for interview. See Follow-to-Join Refugee and Asylee Processing at the NVC for further information.
- Beneficiary Interview: The beneficiary will be interviewed to confirm the beneficiary’s identity, claimed relationship to the petitioner, and eligibility to travel to the United States. During the interview process, ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken.
- Approval to Travel as a Follow-to-Join Refugee or Follow-to-Join Asylee: The beneficiary will be notified by the interviewing officer if he or she has been found eligible to travel to the United States.
- After Interview Processing: Some cases require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the beneficiary’s interview. Follow-to-join refugee beneficiaries, for example, undergo post-approval processing to arrange for sponsorship by a voluntary resettlement agency in the United States upon arrival. (NOTE: All follow-to-join refugee beneficiaries are required to have a sponsorship assurance from a resettlement agency before travel to the United States in order to receive refugees benefits.)
- Issuance of Boarding Foil and Travel Packet: An officer will place a boarding foil in the approved beneficiary’s passport (or other travel document). The beneficiary also will receive a sealed envelope – called a "travel packet" – containing the documents for review by a DHS immigration official when the beneficiary enters the United States.
- Travel Arrangements: The beneficiary must enter the United States before the expiration date printed on the boarding foil. The officer who conducted the interview will advise the beneficiary about travel arrangements to the United States. Typically, follow-to-join asylee beneficiaries are instructed to make their own travel arrangements. Travel arrangements for follow-to-join refugee beneficiaries, on the other hand, are required to be arranged and managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Follow-to-join refugee beneficiaries who arrive in the United States without IOM coordination will not receive the reception and placement benefits to which they are entitled.
- Entering the United States: The boarding foil issued to the beneficiary allows him or her to travel to the U.S. port of entry to request permission to enter the United States. However, the boarding foil does not guarantee entry into the United States. The DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the U.S. port-of-entry have the authority to permit or deny admission to the United States. Upon arrival at the port-of-entry, the beneficiary must present to the CBP officer his or her passport (or other travel document) with boarding foil and the unopened/sealed travel packet envelope. Beneficiaries should review important information about admission and entry requirements on the CBP website under Travel.
Follow-to-Join Refugee and Asylee Processing at the NVC
After a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, is filed with and approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States, if the beneficiary of the approved petition is located overseas, the case is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) to begin the steps in the overseas follow-to-join process.
Important note: Make sure you photocopy all original documents. The beneficiary will need to give these copies to the officer at the time of overseas interview.
Overseas Interview Appointment Scheduling
All follow-to-join refugee and asylee beneficiaries must be interviewed by a USCIS officer or Department of State consular officer at a U.S. Embassy. When a case is ready for interview, the NVC will send the petitioner a letter with instructions explaining how the beneficiary can schedule an interview appointment. The letter also will identify the USCIS office or U.S. Embassy where the interview will take place. For information on how to schedule an interview appointment, please see the website of the USCIS office or U.S. Embassy indicated on the NVC notice.
Failure by a beneficiary to schedule an interview appointment will result in processing delays. It is critical that the overseas office conducting the beneficiary interview has the current contact information – including physical and mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses – for the petitioner, beneficiary, and if applicable, the representative of record on the case.
For interviews conducted by the Consular Section: Please visit Interview Preparation – Interview Guidelines for information on how to prepare for an interview at the U.S. Embassy.
For interviews conducted by an overseas USCIS office: After the interview is scheduled, the USCIS office will send the beneficiary a confirmation notice, which will outline the requirements that the beneficiary must complete before his or her interview.
Documentation Needed for the Overseas Interview
The required documents include:
- The original and a photocopy of the civil documents listed above.
- One or more travel document(s), such as a passport, with a validity date at least six months beyond the beneficiary’s intended date of entry into the United States and/or picture identity card (for example, a refugee travel document).
- Other evidence of relationship between the beneficiary and petitioner, such as photographs, available school records, family correspondence, phone bills, documentation demonstrating financial support, and other proof that the relationship is genuine.
- Completed Medical Examination Forms, which will be provided by the panel physician after the beneficiary has successfully completed a medical examination and vaccinations (see below).
Medical Examination and Vaccination Requirements
Important Notice: Follow-to-join asylee beneficiaries must complete their medical exam before their interviews with a USCIS officer or Department of State consular officer, and they will be responsible for paying the cost of the medical examination. Follow-to-join refugee beneficiaries typically are instructed to complete their medical exams after their interviews, and the U.S. Government pays all costs associated with the medical examination.
Before the issuance of a follow-to-join refugee or asylee boarding foil, every beneficiary, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination, which must be performed by an authorized panel physician. See Medical Examination for more information, including a list of panel physicians by country and frequently asked questions.
Follow-to-join refugee and asylee beneficiaries are encouraged to get certain vaccinations. Although vaccinations are not required prior to travel to the United States, they will be required when adjusting status to that of lawful permanent resident. Beneficiaries are therefore encouraged to fulfill these vaccination requirements at the time of the medical examination. See Vaccination Requirements for IV Applicants for the list of vaccinations.
How Long Will it Take to Process a Case Overseas?
Once a case has been transferred by the NVC to the appropriate USCIS office or U.S. Embassy, the length of time needed to complete the case varies according to its circumstances, and cannot be predicted with any accuracy. (It is important to provide correct postal addresses and telephone numbers, and email addresses, if available, for both the petitioner and the beneficiary, to the U.S. Embassy processing the case. See Case Inquiries below). Some cases require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the beneficiary’s interview by a USCIS officer or Department of State consular officer.
Please visit My Case Status on the USCIS website to obtain a status on an I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. If the case has been transferred overseas by the NVC, the petitioner or beneficiary may contact the USCIS office or U.S. embassy processing the case for information.
Ineligibilities
Certain conditions and activities may make the beneficiary ineligible for admission to the United States. If a beneficiary is ineligible, he or she will be informed by the USCIS officer or Department of State consular officer at the time of interview, and advised whether there is a waiver of ineligibility and what the waiver process is. Ineligible cases are returned to the USCIS Service Centers that initially approved them for further action.
Fees
There is no cost to file a Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. There is no cost to schedule a Form I-730 beneficiary interview.
Case Inquiries
If petitioners, beneficiaries, or representatives have a question concerning a follow-to-join refugee or asylee case in progress at a USCIS office or U.S. Embassy, first contact the appropriate USCIS office or U.S. Embassy for status information. Case status information also is available on the USCIS website under My Case Status.
Before making an inquiry, petitioners and representatives should carefully review this website for answers to questions. Because of the volume of inquiries received, USCIS and the Department of State cannot promise an immediate reply to an inquiry.
Department of State contact information is available at Contact Us. USCIS contact information is available at Contact Us.