Immigrant Visas

Family-based Immigrant Visas

Filing a Petition

The immigrant visa process begins when an American Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident files a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) of the Department of Homeland Security. American Citizens may file petitions for their fiancé(e), children, spouses, parents, and siblings. Legal Permanent Residents may file petitions for children and spouses.

For additional information regarding the petition process, please follow the USCIS links below.

• How Do I Bring My Child, Son or Daughter to Live in the United States?
  
• How Do I Bring My Spouse (Husband or Wife) to Live in the United States?
  
• How Do I Bring My Fiancé(e) to the United States?
  
• How Do I Bring My Parents to Live in the United States?
  
• How Do I Bring a Sibling to Live in the United States?

Once NVC has received all of the required documents and fees from the petitioner and the priority date has become current, the file is forwarded to the U.S. Interests Section. The applicant or petitioner can check the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin to determine if the petition is current. This information is also available by calling the U.S. Interests Section at (53) (7) 834-4281.

If the petition is current (the priority date is earlier than the cutoff date in the bulletin), the applicant should begin gathering the documents listed below, which are required for the consular interview.

Applicants that are not documentarily ready will not be issued an immigrant visa. All documents presented must be original. Each applicant must present the following documents:

1. Valid passport and photocopy of pages where issuance and expiration dates as well as the passport number appear.
   
   
2. Form DS-230, Part I and Part II
   
   Please note that K visas will also need to bring forms DS-156, DS-157, and DS-156K at the time of their interview.
   
   
3. Photos, (2) color photos on white background of the beneficiary facing the camera and measuring 50 mm x 50 mm taken within the last six months.
   
   
4. Birth certificate.
   
   
5. Civil status certificate stating whether the beneficiary is single, married, divorced, or widowed.
   
   
6. Criminal Records from Cuba and any other country where the beneficiary has lived starting at age 16.
   
   
7. Medical examination. Beneficiaries need to check the list of hospitals where they can have their medical examination. On the day of their medical appointment, they should bring this list along with the letter from the National Visa Center indicating their case number.
   
   
8. Affidavit of Support, form I-864 must be completed by the petitioner and sent to the National Visa Center. If the petitioner does not send this document, the beneficiary will need to submit this form at the time of the interview along with a copy of the petitioner’s income tax from the previous year.
   
   Please note that K visas do not require form I-864, but should bring proof of the petitioner’s economic solvency.
   
   
9. Relationship evidence. Only in the case of visa categories K-1, K-3, IR-1, CR-1, and F2-A. This includes photos of the marriage or relationship and any other evidence that demonstrates that the relationship is bona fide.
   
   
10. IV processing fee. If the petitioner did not pay the IV processing fee at the National Visa Center, the applicant will need to pay $371 convertible pesos per person at the time of the consular interview. If the petitioner previously paid the IV processing fee of $325 USD, the beneficiary will be responsible for paying a surcharge of $42 convertible pesos.
    
    Please note that the fee for K-visas is $121 convertible pesos per person. K applicants need to pay this fee at the time of their interview at the U.S. Interests Section.

When the applicant has gathered all the required documentation, he or she should request an appointment through the Interests Section’s Visa Information and Appointment Scheduling Service.

Please note that the National Visa Center has begun scheduling interview appointments for certain applicants. In these cases, the petitioner will receive a letter with the date of the beneficiary's interview appointment. This notification includes the link to access the packet of forms and instructions required for the consular interview.