Immigrating to the United States is often the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for those looking for new opportunities and a fresh start. Establishing a new life in the United States and achieving greater successes can make the process worth the trouble. However, before they reach this point, immigrants will face a complex and confusing application process.
Sponsoring a family member from overseas for U.S. immigration starts with the United States citizen filing paperwork. The family members seeking residency in the United States must also prepare and submit a variety of forms and documents on their own as well.
The complex nature of the Lombard family visa application process can prove to be too much for an individual who has little experience dealing with governmental affairs. The challenges immigrants face when trying to secure a visa for relatives can be simplified with the help of a knowledgeable immigration attorney.
To petition for a family-based immigrant visa the relative must either be an immediate relative or a family preference immigrant. These are mandated by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) and eligibility may be denied if the two categories are not met.
However, a family member may qualify for an immediate relative (IR) visa if the individual is:
Note that there is no limit when it comes to the number of IR visas issued each year, meaning as long as a Lombard family is eligible, the visa application process will proceed to the next step.
After the U.S. citizen or resident has accurately filed a visa petition and the USCIS has approved it, the immigrant must be able to demonstrate to the United States government why they should grant admission into the country.
The government will decide what consulate would appropriate or convenient to handle the case after the I-130 visa petition is filled out by the U.S. relative. Once that is done, the National Visa Center (NVC) will naturally take over and transfer said file to the consulate.
The immigrant will then visit the Consular Electronic Application Center and complete the form DS-261. Following this, the NVC will proceed to send the U.S. family member a bill for the Affidavit of Support review and send either the immigrant relative or agent a bill to process the immigrant visa.
After all fees are paid, the applicant must proceed to submit the form DS-260, which is the standard online immigrant visa application that asks biographical questions such as where the person has worked and lived, as well as other questions to determine his or her admissibility into the country. The confirmation page upon completion must be brought to the visa interview.
The tedious and confusing Lombard family visa application process requires both parties to file a significant amount of paperwork in order to reunite one another. However, simplifying the process by consulting with a dedicated immigration visa lawyer may help sort through the process of securing visas for family members looking to reside in the U.S. For more information, contact us today.
