Embassy of the United States

Visas

Immigrant Visas 

Foreign citizens wishing to immigrate to live permanently in the U.S. must comply with U.S. visa immigration law, and specific procedures to apply for your visa. Based on law, not everyone will receive a visa to come to the U.S.

Who Can Immigrate to the United States?

Foreign citizens wishing to immigrate to live permanently in the U.S. must comply with U.S. visa immigration law, and specific procedures to apply for your visa. Based on law, not everyone will receive a visa to come to the U.S.

In order to qualify for immigration to the United States, you must:

• Be an immediate relative (spouse, minor unmarried child or parent) of a U.S. citizen, or another family-sponsored immigrant ;
• Have an employer in the United States who is willing to apply on your behalf (see employment-based immigrants); 
• Be one of the winners of the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery.

If an applicant intends to marry a U.S. citizen in the United States, the U.S. citizen should file a K-1 fiance(e) visa petition in the United States.

Additional information on the various categories of immigrant visas.

Recent legislation has led to changes in the procedures American citizens will follow if they wish to sponsor an immediate relative (spouse, parent or minor child) for an immigrant visa.

Effective immediately, for a petitioner (U.S. citizen who is filing the petition) residing in the United States, the immediate relative petition (I-130) must be filed with the USCIS office in the United States responsible for the petitioner's place of residence in the United States (http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis).

Effective immediately, only U.S. citizens, residing in Belgium or Luxemburg for at least the preceding 6 months, may file an I-130 immigrant visa petition for their immediate relative relative (spouse, child or parent) at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels.