Visa Requirements
Visa
A visa is an official document that grants entry permission to a person for visiting and staying in a foreign country. The visa is given by the authorized agency of the government. Visas are granted for stipulated time periods and particular purposes. The visa maybe stuck or stamped in the passport and sometimes, it may be issued as separate paper. Visas are permission requests for the purpose of entering or exiting a country. They may be different from the official or formal permissions for entering a country and residing in it.
US Visa Formalities
The entry to the US is granted on the basis of a valid US passport (passport application is not allowed) that is accompanied with a visa. However, the visa will not necessarily give permission to enter the US. The US visa is just an indication that the US consular officer of the American consulate or embassy has reviewed the visa application and determined the applicant’s eligibility for entering the country for a particular purpose. The consular affairs are managed and handled by the US Department of State.
The US visa will allow you to travel up to the port of entry in the United States (crossing land border or reaching airport) and then, you have to make a mandatory registration by requesting the immigration officer to grant you entry to the country. Only the immigration officer has the authority to grant you permission for entering the US. The duration of your visit is decided by the immigration officer. US Department of Homeland Security handles the responsibility of immigration matters.
US Visas – Types and Categories
US visas can be categorized in two main types, immigrant visa and nonimmigrant visa. Immigrant visas are for people who wish live on a permanent basis in the US. Nonimmigrant visas are for people who want to visit the US temporarily for purposes like medical treatment, study, business, work or tourism.
Visa Requirements for the Immigrant Category
The visa requirements for immigrant category include that the person has to be sponsored either by his relative who is an American citizen or by the potential employer. The major types of immigrant visa categories are immediate relatives, special immigrants, family sponsored and employer sponsored. The foreigners who wish to make US their permanent home have to fulfill the specific visa application procedures within the purview of US immigration laws. Majority of the employer sponsored and family based immigrants need to make an Affidavit of Support.
The Affidavit of Support form is one of the most important visa requirements for immigrant visas. This has to be done for showing that there is adequate financial support in the United States, by the sponsors or the petitioner for the immigrants. The petition for the immigrant visa has to be approved by the USCIS or the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some applicants can make this petition on the behalf of their own, like the investors, priority workers, diversity immigrants and some special immigrants.
If you wish to become a permanent lawful resident of the US, then your US employer has to make a submission of the labor certification request. The US State Department will be giving you an immigrant visa number.
Documents to be Submitted
The visa requirements for immigrant visa include personal documents like US passports, police certificates, birth certificates, educational certificates, financial documents and other civil documents. In addition, there has to proof that there are no criminal charges against the applicant and the evidence that they do not qualify for becoming public charges in the United States. The visa applicant has to undergo a medical examination. It is necessary that the visa applicant completes the vaccination schedule as per the visa requirements. One of the most important visa requirements is the payment of visa application and visa processing fees.
Processing of Immigration Visa
Once the immigrant visa petition is approved by the USCIS, it is forwarded to NVC or National Visa Center for further processing. NVC plays a very significant role in the processing of immigration visa.
The visa requirements for various categories and cases may differ. You can get information about the visa requirements at the American embassy or consulate or at the website of www.UnitedStatesVisas.gov. You will have to be prepared for the interviews and reviews. The visa process takes quite long, so please start in advance.