Expedited Immigrant Visas for Relatives of Expatriates

If you are a US citizen residing abroad and would like to sponsor an immediate family member to immigrate to the United States, you may do this directly at the nearest consulate or US Citizenship and Immigration Services office abroad. An immediate relative is a spouse, parent, and unmarried child under the age of 21.

What is the advantage?

Unlike petitions filed in the United States, which may take 6–12 months to process, a petition filedabroad can be adjudicated and a visa issued within 1–4 months.

What is the process?

After the petition is filed and approved, the petition is transferred to the Immigrant Visa Unit of the Consular Section of the Embassy. The IV Unit will appoint a visa interview, and usually within one week of the interview, the immigrant visa will be issued. The visa is valid for six months, allowing the visa holder to enter the US at any time within six months of issuance.

What do I need to do?

To file a petition this way, you will need to provide documentation proving that you have been living in the foreign country for at least six months. Possible documents include a multi-entry visa, proof of local registration, work contract, apartment lease, or USmilitary ID and evidence that you are stationed overseas. You will also need to provide documentary evidence of your relationship to your relative, as well as photocopies of any visas to the United States that your relative has been issued in the past.

How can White & Associates help?

While the process is not complex, many seek the assistance of White & Associates for a preliminary consultation in order to fully understand the process: the requirements, benefits, risks and obligations. The visa recipient must satisfy all of the requirements for admission to the United States; visa issues that arise include financial, tax compliance, naturalization process of the US citizen (if applicable), divorce validity, criminal, medical, visa overstays, domicile, fraud, misrepresentation, and others. To economize time and ensure that the process will go as smoothly possible, White & Associates can assist you in preparing the necessary forms and supporting documentation for submission to the Embassy.