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Applying for an Immigrant Visa
 

Passport Delivery

Eligible visa applicants will be informed of available methods for passport delivery and/or pick-up after the visa interview.

USCIS Centralizes Filing of Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130

Effective August 15, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) centralized filing of the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) immigrant visa petition. As such, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices, such as Hong Kong and Macau, must now file Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. For details, see "USCIS News."

Step 1: File a petition

The first step in applying for an immigrant visa is for the petitioner to file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For details, please see USCIS News.

Petitions for fiancée visas (Form I-129F) must be filed with the USCIS in the United States. Form I-129F petitions cannot be filed at a USCIS office abroad. For details, please see Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e).

Please note that petitions are only required for family-based and employment-sponsored immigrant visas. Diversity visas are handled via a lottery system and do not require petitions filed with USCIS.

Step 2: Begin assembling the necessary documents and completing the visa forms

The petition will be evaluated by USCIS. After the petition is approved by USCIS, it will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire. NVC processes all approved immigrant visa petitions after they are received from USCIS and retains them until the cases are ready for adjudication by a consular officer. Petitions may remain at NVC for several months or for many years depending on the visa category and country of birth of the visa applicant. When an applicant's case is about to become current (a visa number is likely to be available within the year), NVC will coordinate with the applicant the submission of all civil documents, police clearances, affidavits of support and other key documents. The file will be forwarded to Consulate General Hong Kong.

  • U.S. Embassy/Consulate Specific Information (select "HNK - Hong Kong" from the dropdown list and then click on "US Embassy/Consulate-specific information) (PDF 1.32 MB) - additional information on documents required for the visa process

If USCIS Bangkok finds that extraordinary circumstances exist to warrant allowing a petitioner to file an I-130 at the Consulate General in Hong Kong, the Immigrant Visa Unit will contact the petitioner with this information, and mail the applicant a packet containing instructions and forms after administrative processing is finished.

Step 3: Scheduling of the visa interview

Visa interviews are conducted on weekdays with the exception of U.S. and local holidays and the last working day of every month, occurring in the morning at 8:30am. Applicants should plan to spend several hours at the Consulate. Please do not purchase a plane ticket until you have the approved visa in hand. Please see Embassy/Consulate-Specific Interview Guidelines (select "HNK - Hong Kong" from the dropdown list and then click "U.S. Embassy/Consulate-specific information") that is helpful to review prior to the interview. (PDF 244 KB)

Petitions filed in the U.S. (except fiancée visas)

For family-based and employment petitions (with the exception of fiancée visas), the National Visa Center (NVC) will handle the scheduling of visa interview appointments. NVC will collect the applicant's civil documents, police clearances, affidavits of support and other key documents. When all the documents have been received, NVC will send the applicant a letter with the time and date of the visa interview. All required documents on the checklist as well as any documents that were not submitted to NVC should be brought to the interview.

Petitions filed in Hong Kong and for fiancée visas

Once you have notified the Immigrant Visa section that you have obtained all the documents that apply to your case and have filled out all the necessary forms, we will schedule an appointment for you. You will be notified in writing of the date and time of your appointment. All required documents on the checklist should be brought to the interview.

Diversity Visa applicants

For diversity visa applicants, the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) will handle the scheduling of visa interview appointments. KCC will send the applicant a letter with the time and date of the visa interview. All required documents on the checklist as well as any documents that were not submitted to KCC should be brought to the interview.

Rescheduling an interview

If an applicant is unable to appear at the Consulate at the scheduled interview date, he/she should contact the Immigrant Visa Section by email or by fax to inquire about the possibility of obtaining a different appointment slot. You must provide a thorough explanation of why you will be unable to attend the scheduled appointment. The criteria for approving the rescheduling of an appointment are rigid. Applicants who request to have their appointment rescheduled will be placed at the back of the queue of waiting cases. Rescheduling an appointment may result in a significant delay to processing your visa case.

Step 4: Medical examination

The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that all immigrant visa applicants and certain nonimmigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, undergo a medical examination before receiving a visa. All applicants must undergo a medical examination administered by one of the designated doctors before the visa interview. Reports take approximately one week to prepare. Please bring the unopened results to your visa interview. Please do NOT open your results. Please see instructions relating to the medical examination process. (PDF 293 KB)

Step 5: Day of the interview

Please appear at the Consulate General interview at the appointed time. Late arrivals may not be processed. Please bring all documents indicated on the checklist to the interview. Children under 14 do not need to appear in person unless they are the sole beneficiary of a petition (such as an IR2, CR2, F2A, FX2, IH3, IR3, IH4 or IR4). Applicants will go through a pre-screening process, have their fingerprints taken, and be interviewed by a consular officer. Please see Embassy/Consulate-Specific Interview Guidelines (select "HNK - Hong Kong" from the dropdown list and then click "U.S. Embassy/Consulate-specific information") that is helpful to review prior to the interview. (PDF 244 KB)

Please do not bring any electronic equipment or large bags/suitcases to the Consulate. Cameras, cell phones, computers and other electronics are not allowed inside the building.

Most applicants will be told if they qualify for a visa at the time of the interview. Because it usually takes several business days to process and print the visa, applicants should not purchase tickets to the United States until they have received their passport with the U.S. visa affixed inside.

Eligible visa applicants will be informed of available methods for passport delivery and/or pick-up after the visa interview.

If a visa cannot be approved on the day of the interview due to documentation problems, applicants will be informed of what documents are required to continue the process. The application will then be temporarily refused under INA Section 221(g). Immigrant visa applicants interviewed and refused under Section 221(g) can submit their requested documents to the Immigrant Visa Unit window between 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., any workday except U.S. and Hong Kong public holidays. Please monitor the Consulate General's website for holiday or administrative closures. For such applicants, no appointment is necessary and the public is seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants (or someone designated by them to submit their documents) should bring the blue refusal letter, all requested documents and a current travel document for each traveler.

Step Six: After the visa is approved and issued

Once you have received your immigrant visa, please note the expiration date. You must enter the United States within the timeframe specified on the visa to obtain a permanent resident or "green" card (Form I-151 or I-551) that will allow you to live and work in the United States.

Effective February 1, 2013, all individuals issued immigrant visas overseas must pay a $165.00 USCIS Immigrant Fee before traveling to the United States. This fee is in addition to all other fees currently in place such as the visa application fee. This fee cannot be paid at the U.S. Consulate General. It must be paid online after the individual has received a visa and visa package.

The following are exempt from this fee:

  • Children travelling to the United States as adopted children or prospective adopted children
  • Returning residents
  • Fiancés issued K visas

The below USCIS website has more details on the new fee, including contact information for USCIS, if there are further questions:

At the port of entry in the U.S., the officials will stamp your passport and make a notation that you are registered for a permanent resident card. It normally takes several months for USCIS to process and send the permanent resident card to you. In the interim, the passport stamp, valid for a year, permits employment and travel as you await your green card. You may depart and return to the U.S. before you receive the permanent residence card, as long as the stamp in your passport has not expired. Should the stamp expire and you have still not received your permanent resident card, you should contact USCIS in the U.S. before departure to obtain permission to return to the U.S.

Fiancée visa applicants

Fiancée visa applicants should contact USCIS if they want to leave the U.S. before they obtain lawful permanent resident status.

Related Links

 

Last modified: April 5, 2013

Affidavit of Support

  • The person who filed the petition must complete and sign an Affidavit of Support (form I-864) for each person in the family. There are no exceptions. The petitioner must do this even if he or she does not have the funds to support the applicant and the applicant plans to use the affidavit from a joint sponsor or the applicant's own funds to qualify. Please see Affidavit of Support for detailed information.

  • Tax returns for the most recent tax year.
    The sponsor is required to submit Federal income tax returns for the most recent tax year, current as of the date of execution of the Affidavit of Support.

  • 2013 Poverty Guidelines （PDF 24 KB）

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