Family-Based Green Card- Frequently Asked Questions

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Before you look forward to the frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) related to Family-Based Green Card hope you have read all the details regarding the process and eligibility criteria for Family-Based Green Card.

If you are a newbie and completely unaware about the procedure you might have a list of questions while going through all the intricacies involved in getting a Green card for this category. I have made a list of some of these questions and tried to help you with all the points that might be left unexplained.

1.What is a list of documents that might be required to file along with your I-130 Petition?

List of documents that you (the US resident sponsor ) need to file with your I-130 petition for Family-Based Green Card include

  • Evidence of your (the petitioner’s) permanent status
  • Evidence of US citizenship with evidence of birth certificate whenever born in the US, or proof of citizenship naturalization certification, or proof of US visa.
  • In the case of permanent resident, at that point a copy of your green card.
  • Evidence of family relationship
  • $190.00USD for handling fee for the I-130 appeal. This fee is non-refundable and is charged even though your petition gets approved or not.
  • Form G-28. You have to send this in case if you are sent by an attorney
  • Prior Marriage Nullification Documents
  • A copy of any divorce orders, death certificates, or annulment orders if you or your fiancé(e) may have been recently married.
  • Photograph
  • A coloured passport size photograph of you and coloured passport size photograph of your husband or spouse, taken within 30 days of the date of this request. The photographs must have a white foundation and be gleaming, unretouched and not mounted. The dimension of the full front facial picture ought to be around 1 inch from the jaw to the top of the hair. Utilizing pencil or felt pen, gently print the name (and Alien Registration Number, whenever known) on the back of each photo.

2.How can I track the status of my application if my petition has been approved by USCIS?

Once your Petition has been approved by USCIS you be assigned an I-787 C receipt. Using the receipt number you can track the status of your application by visiting the following link –

https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do

3.How long will it take to get application status to get processed?

It might take numerous months for it to get processed. Close family members(spouse, child and mother and father) have priority status for the request and may take up to a year. For other family members, it might take a few months to 10 years for the petition to process.

4.How long does it once the Immigrant Visa Number is approved?

At times, years may pass from the time USCIS process your immigration visa petition and the State Department gives you an immigration visa number. What’s more, the State of Department limits the number of visas given to various nations. Thus, expect longer delay if your nation has a lot of individuals looking forward to getting immigrant visas

5.How can I check the Visa Number Status for Family-Based Green Card?

You can get a month to month report on the dates when immigrant visas are accessible by calling the U.S. Division of State at (202) 663-1225 or you can visit the State Departments site at www.travel.state.gov

6.Is there any preference that is followed while issuing visa to non-immediate family members?

Yes, there is a preference setting to get your visa in case you are a non-immediate family member or one who is sponsoring a no-immediate family member.

First Preference: Unmarried, Adult children and girls of U.S. residents. Adult here implies 21 years old or more.

Second Preference: Spouses of permanent residents, and the unmarried children and young girls of permanent residents and their children.

Third Preference: Married children and girls of U.S. residents, their companions and their minor kids.

Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. residents, their spouses and their minor kids.

7.How do I apply for Immigrant Visa Number?

You don’t straightforwardly apply for an Immigrant Visa number. USCIS will tell the individual who documented the visa request if the visa petition is processed. USCIS will at that point send the processed visa appeal to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, where it will stay until an Immigrant Visa number is accessible. The Center will tell the recipient (the individual the visa is applied for) when the visa request is received and again when an Immigrant Visa Number is accessible.

You don’t have to contact the National Visa Center, except if you change your location or there is an adjustment in your circumstance that may influence your qualification for an immigration visa.

You can wite to the National Visa Center at :

The National Visa Center;

32 Rochester Avenue;

Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801-2909.

8.What are the documents that might be required if the applicant applies for Immigrant Visa at US consulate in his home country?

As we have mentioned earlier that once the applicant receives his immigration visa number from the Department of state he should immediately apply for Immigration Visa at the nearest US Consulate in his home country. But the moment he approaches the US consulate he has to keep certain documents ready. Here is a list of documents that he requires –

  • Affidavit of Support, Form I-864 – The applicant/support must give an Affidavit of Support, Form I-864.
  • Valid Passport for all candidates
  • Birth certificates
  • Police authentications, and other common documents.
  • Medical Examinations – Before the issuance of an immigration visa, each candidate, regardless of age, must undergo a medical assessment. The assessment will be directed by a specialist assigned by the consular official. Expenses for such assessments must be borne by the candidate, in addition to the visa charges.

9.Is there any fees involved in the process of Immigration Visa

While you are looking to avail Family-Based Green Card here is a list of expenses that you need to bear –

For I-130 Petition: $535.00 USD

This expense is non-refundable and has to be paid even though the request has been approved or not. This expense is payable while you document I-130 request inside the US to USCIS.

For Immigration Visa: $220

Charges must be paid for every immigrant visa regardless of the age and are not refundable. Expenses are not be sent to the consular office except if mentioned explicitly. Since immigrant visa will be given at the foreign nation where the recipient (candidate) lives, immigrant visa charge and other related procedures will rely upon the nearby relevant US department.

The Fee is expected to change dependent on US immigration guidelines. You can check with concerned specialists to affirm the correct fees at the time you are documenting the application.

10.What is the amount that I need to pay if I have started living in the US legally upon receiving an immigration visa number (I-485 Petition)?

For the most recent changes of status application and biometrics charges, go to the USCIS Web page about Form I-485. You’ll see an outline disclosing what charges to pay, depending upon your age and explanation behind applying. As per the latest details mentioned on the USCIS Web page, the fee for I-485 petition is $ 1140.

Read here details about Employment-Based Green Card

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