Immigrant Visa Process and Interview
An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the United States. Information on who may qualify for immigration and the steps which must be taken to apply for an immigrant visa is described on this website. In general, the U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: immediate relative, family based, employment based, and the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as the "green card" lottery.
The immigrant visa is surrendered to an officer of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the port of entry, at which time, the holder will be given the forms required to complete an application for a Permanent Resident Card (PRC), commonly known as a "Green Card". That card will normally be mailed to the address of the applicant's final destination in the United States and will take approximately six to twelve months to process. Persons admitted into the United States as Conditional or Lawful Permanent Residents require no further authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in order to seek employment.
Conditional and Lawful permanent residents will maintain status provided they do not remain outside the United States for longer than one year (two years if holding a Re-entry Permit) and they maintain a bona fide domicile in the United States the period they are outside the country.
Visa Interview
How long can I expect to be at the Embassy when I come for my visa interview?
You can expect to be at the Embassy until late morning/early afternoon.
Does my child need to attend the interview?
All applicants registered for immigration as the spouse, parent, child under the age of 21 of a U.S. citizen are required to attend the Embassy in person for a formal visa interview with a U.S. consular officer.
My spouse, who is an American citizen, has filed the immigrant visa petition on my behalf. Is he/she required to attend the immigrant visa interview with me?
No. There is no requirement that the U.S. citizen attend the immigrant visa interview. There is also no requirement that your spouse remain in Sweden until you are issued with your immigrant visa; he or she may travel to the United States ahead of you.
I'm divorced; do I require permission from my ex spouse to take my child(ren) out of the country?
If you are divorced and you are applying for a visa for your child(ren) by a previous marriage, you will be required to present on the day of your visa interview proof that you have been awarded custody of the child(ren) by the court and that permission has been given for the child(ren) to be taken out of the Sweden.
If you and the other parent of your child(ren) have joint custody, then the Embassy requires that you present a written and notarized consent from the other parent agreeing to the issuance of immigrant visas on behalf of your children. The Embassy will contact the parent to confirm that he/she has agreed to the issuance of the visas.
On the day of your visa interview you will, provided you are found eligible for a visa, be informed if your case requires additional administrative processing. If not, the visa will be issued within two business weeks
Administrative processing: some immigrant visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a Consular Officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement at the time of the interview. There is no set waiting time for such processing. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case.
You are advised not to make any travel arrangements until the visa has been issued to you.
How much does the immigrant visa cost?
- The visa processing fee is $230 for immediate relative and family preference cases (processed on the basis of an I-130, I-600 and I-800 petition).
- The visa processing fee is $405 for employment based cases (processed on the basis of an I-140 petition).
- The visa processing fee is $330 for Diversity Visas.
- Fiancé(e), K3 and V visa applicants are required to pay only an application fee of $240 or the equivalent in Swedish kronor at the Embassy's current exchange rate.
- There is an additional fee for the medical examination.
- The visa processing fee cannot be refunded if the applicant is refused a visa.
Visa applicants whose case is being processed by the Embassy in Stockholm will be required to pay the fee on the day of the visa interview; those whose application is being processed through the National Visa Center (NVC), pay the fee before the NVC begin processing the case.
Fiancé(e), K3 and V visa applicants are required to pay the fee into a bankgiro account. Further instructions will be sent with their appointment letter.
The Embassy accepts the visa processing fee in credit card or cash. The fee is either paid in $ or the equivalent in local currency (SEK) at the Embassy's currency exchange rate.
If your visa is refused under the provisions of Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Naturalization law for lack of documentation, you will have twelve months from the date of refusal in which to present the missing documents and enter the United States on the immigrant visa.
What if I do not present the documentation within the twelve months?
You will be required to reapply for an immigrant visa paying new visa application and issuance fees, and medical examination fees.
How long will I have to travel to the U.S. once the visa is issued?
Immigrant and fiancé(e) visas are normally valid for travel to the United States for six months from the date on which they are issued. K3 visa holders are issued a visa valid for travel for two years.
What if I cannot travel during the validity period of the visa?
You should return the unused visa to the Immigrant Visa Unit with a letter explaining why you were unable to travel. Depending on the reasons for you not using the visa, it may be possible to re-issue you with a new visa on payment of new visa processing fees.
My visa is due to expire, what do I do?
If you are unable to travel to the U.S. during the validity period of the visa, you should return the unused visa to the Immigrant Visa Unit with a letter explaining why you were unable to travel. Depending on the reasons for you not using the visa, it may be possible to re-issue you with a new visa on payment of new visa processing fees.
Do I have to get a medical exam?
Persons immigrating to the United States (regardless of age) must be examined by the Embassy's physician to establish that they are not afflicted with any form of mental illness or dangerous contagious disease, such as tuberculosis. An appointment for this purpose will be arranged when the final stage of the visa application is reached.
A petition has been filed on my behalf. I now have a child. Can he/she added to my application?
If your baby's mother or father is an American citizen, the baby could have claim to U.S. citizenship. If you reside in Sweden you should contact the American citizen Services.
If your baby has no claim to U.S. citizenship, it may be possible for the child to derive status from the immigrant visa petition filed on your behalf, or for your spouse to file an immigrant visa petition for him/her. You should notify the Immigrant Visa Unit in writing of the birth of your child. Please include a birth certificate for the child. The Immigrant Visa Unit will advise you further. In general, if you are registered for immigration in the immediate relative category, your child is not eligible to derive status from the immigrant visa petition filed on your behalf. A child can, however, derive immigrant visa status if the petition is registered under the family/employment category.
Since being issued an immigrant visa I have had a baby. Can my baby immigrate with me?
If your baby's mother or father is an American citizen, the baby could have claim to U.S. citizenship. If you reside in Sweden you should follow this link for further information.
A child born after the issuance of an immigrant visa will not need a visa to accompany the parent provided they both travel within the period of validity of the visa. A copy of the child's long-form birth certificate showing the name of the parent must be carried for presentation to a U.S. immigration official at the port of entry, together with a valid travel document for the child.
New Immigrants
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Learn more about the rights and responsibilities of lawful permanent residents in our new pamphlet entitled
"Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants" (PDF 1.56 MB)