Immigrant visas are legal documents issued by the U.S. government for foreigners who intend to live permanently in the United States. A foreign citizen should submit a petition to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by filing Form I-130 at the beginning of the application. There are different types of visas that include almost every circumstance. For example, immediate relatives, like the spouse of a U.S. citizen, could apply for the IR1 or CR1 visa; however, if the spouse is awaiting the approval of Form I-130, they should apply for the K-3 visa. Commonly a relative or employer should sponsor this application, according to the instruction of USCIS. After filing the affidavit of support, financial documents, and finishing the online application, the individual is required to conduct an application interview as well. According to the Report of the Visa Office 2020, there are 4,013,210 immigrant visas were issued in 2020.
[Last updated in March of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]