Immigrant Visas

An immigrant visa is issued by the U.S. Department of State to allow you to apply for admission at a U.S. port of entry as a lawful permanent resident (LPR). In general, to be eligible for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR relative(s), or by a prospective employer, and be the beneficiary of an approved petition filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Some special immigrants may be self-sponsored.  For petition information, please visit www.uscis.gov.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (www.cbp.gov) makes the final decision as to whether or not to admit you as a LPR. Once you are admitted as a resident, you may live and work in the United States permanently. Your admission stamp in your passport serves as temporary proof of your legal resident status. USCIS will mail your permanent resident card (often called a “green card”) to your new address in the United States.  For general information on immigrant visas, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/immigrants_1340.html.