Immigrating to the USA: The Complete Guide 2022/2023

Advertisement

If you have decided to move to the USA on a more permanent basis, this article is here to guide you on everything you need to know. Immigrating to the USA is quite a huge leap as it requires you to understand the step involves.

This article is a complete guide to everything you need to know before immigrating to the USA, including the requirements, fees, application processes, and lots more. Here is the breakdown of the entire U.S. immigration process for this article:

  • USA Visa types
  • Green card requirements for immigrating to the USA
  • Visa Cost for immigrating to the USA
  • S. Visa waiting period
  • Further Tips

USA Visa types

Immigrating to the USA requires you to obtain a permanent residency otherwise known as a green card or immigrant visa. This however can be quite expensive to obtain and requires a lengthy and complex process.

Advertisement

Acquiring a green card however provides you the opportunity of staying in the USA indefinitely, but not many individuals are eligible for a USA green card.

This is why the alternate route is applying for a temporary visa (non-immigrant visa) which allows you to work, study or live in the USA temporarily and can be renewed for a certain period of years (up to 6 years).

In this article, we would be looking at how to apply for an immigrant visa. And below are some of the various visa types needed for immigrating to the USA.

Advertisement
  • Employment-based (EB) visas
  • Family-based (FB) visas
  • Humanitarian visas
  • Diversity Lottery visas

Employment-based (EB) visas

The Employment-based (EB) visa is one of the approaches to take if you want to immigrate to the USA. It is divided into two sub-categories which include:

  • Employee based visas
  • Investors based visas

Employee based visas

For employer-based visas, you are issued a visa or green card based on your professional or work status which you intend to make use of in the United States.

In this category of visa, there are four types of EB visa namely: EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-4 visa. You need to be able to justify to the USCIS that you are capable of undergoing such job roles assigned to you in the United States.

Investors based visas

The Investors based visa is issued to those who require funds to invest in the US economy. To qualify for this green card, you are required to have a minimum of $500,000 for investments.

You would also need to be able to verify the legitimacy of such funds you provided.

Family-based (FB) visas

Family-based (FB) visas/ green cards are only issued to individuals who are blood-related to a family living in the USA under permanent residency.

This means, to qualify for this visa; you have to be related to a person who holds citizenship in the USA. Family members such as brothers, sisters, spouses, children, or parents can be eligible.

Humanitarian visas

These are types of visas that are issued to individuals seeking refugee or asylum in the USA. To find out if you qualify for this type of visa, you would need to contact a lawyer who can verify your eligibility status.

Diversity Lottery visas

The USA awards diversity lottery visas to 50,000 immigrants each year. This type of visa is also referred to as the green card lottery.

You have access to register online for a US green card lottery and winners are selected at random and awarded green cards to live in the United States.

Green card requirements for immigrating to the USA

The major requirements needed in order to apply for a US green card are listed below:

  • Background check
  • Medical Examination

Background check

You would be required to undergo a background check when immigrating to the USA. This entails you submitting a police report from your home country and also answering questions regarding your background.

Medical Examination

You would not be allowed into the United States until you have performed extensive medical checks including COVID-19 tests and other relevant medical checks.

Visa Cost for immigrating to the USA

The average cost for applying for a visa for immigrating to the USA is slated at $1,400 for individuals living outside the US and about $1,900 for individuals living in the USA.

These fees include the non-refundable government fee at the beginning of your application. To find out more about this, visit the USCIS official website.

U.S. Visa waiting period

It’s no secret that there is a waiting period after you apply for an immigrant visa in the USA, how long you have to wait depends solely on the type of visa you applied for, and many other details involving your case.

Advertisement

Although for a marriage green card, it takes a shorter period of time compared to a family-based green card.

 

Advertisement