Immigrant Visas Information

Types of Immigrant Visas

There are four basic types of Immigrant Visas to the United States

• Immediate relative (petition based)
• Family preference (petition based)
• Employment sponsored (petition based)
• Diversity visa

A sponsor in the United States must begin the application process for all petition based visas. For information on the Diversity Visa, see the link to the left.

Applying for Petition Based Visas

A United States citizen, a legal permanent resident, or a business in the United States must begin the process of applying for a petition based immigrant visa. The process is started by filing a petition, usually the I-130 document, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, or USCIS (www.USCIS.gov).

The relationship to the petitioner defines the type of immigrant visa the petitioner can file, which also determines how long it takes for the visa to become available.

Immediate Relative (IR) Immigrant Visas

• IR-1 - Spouse of a U.S. citizen
• CR-1 - Spouse of a U.S. citizen (conditional status)
• IR-2 - Unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen
• CR-2 - Unmarried minor child of a U.S. citizen (conditional status)
• IR-3 - Orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen
• IR-4 - Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. citizen
• IR-5 - Parent of a U.S. citizen

Important notes on Immediate Relative visas

Immediate Relative visas are adjudicated as soon as the application can be processed through USCIS, the National Visa Center, and the Embassy.  IR visas applicants do not have to wait for visa numbers to become available.

Embassy Rangoon does not process IR-3 or IR-4 visas. Visit Country Specific Adoption Information for more.

Spouses of U.S. citizens married less than two years have conditional status (CR-1). Children of a CR-1 also have conditional status (CR-2).

Family Preference Visas

• F1 - Unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen
• F2A - Spouse and/or minor child of an LPR
• F2B - Unmarried son or daughter of an LPR
• F3 - Married son or daughter of a U.S. citizen
• F4 - Brother or sister of a U.S. citizen

Important notes on Family Preference visas

Family Preference visa applicants must wait for the visa to become available before interviewing. Each year, there is a limited number of visas given to each Family Preference category. Visas are made available according to visa type (F1, F2, etc) and priority date on your petition.

Priority Date

Your visa's priority date is the date that the petition was approved by USCIS. You can find the priority date on the letter correspondence sent to the petitioner by USCIS. Contact USCIS directly for more information. www.USCIS.gov

Visa Availability for Family Preference Visas

Once you know your Family Preference visa type (F1, F2, etc.) and your priority date, you can regularly check the State Department's Visa Bulletin to learn what priority date is currently being interviewed for visas.

Employment Sponsored Visas

• E1 - Priority workers
• E2 - Professionals holding advanced degrees, persons of exceptional ability
• E3 - Skilled workers
• E4 - Special Immigrants
• E5 - Employment creation investors

For more information, visit the State Department's Employment Based Visa site.