IMMIGRANT VISAS

Family-based Immigrant Visas

Where is my petition?
Immigrant visa processing can take anywhere from several months to several years depending on the type of petition placed by the relative in the United States. The National Visa Center (NVC) will contact the petitioner when the petition is processed and will provide the applicant with an interview appointment. The petitioner should contact the National Visa Center if his or her petition has become current and has not heard from NVC.

Please note that the National Visa Center will not schedule interview appointments for K-1 applicants (fiancé/e of an American citizen), and K-3 (spouse of an American citizen).

How do I find out about if my petition has become current?

The petitioner or beneficiary should consult the visa bulletin of the Department of State. This information is also available at the U.S. Interests Section by calling 834-4281 or in the United States (202) 663-1541.

My relative filed a petition on my behalf years ago. Why haven’t I been contacted?
Immigrant visa petitions are classified as either immediate relative petitions (parents, spouse and children of an American citizen) or as family preference petitions (sibling of an American citizen, son/daughter of an American citizen, and spouse and children of a lawful permanent resident). Family preference petitions are subject to a numeric category. The beneficiary must wait for the case to become current before he or she can be interviewed. Please visit the visa bulletin periodically to find up-to-date information on visa category processing.

How much does an immigrant visa cost?

Filing an immigrant visa petition costs $190 USD. Once the National Visa Center receives the petition, the petitioner is billed for an additional processing fee of $400 USD (317 convertible pesos). If the petitioner fails to pay this fee, the beneficiary will have to cover this cost at the time of his or her interview. If the petitioner paid the old fee of $335 USD, the beneficiary will have to pay a surcharge of $45 convertible pesos. Please note that in addition to these fees, there are other fees charged by the Cuban government for medical exams and documentation, which total approximately $850 USD per person. The United States government cannot intervene on behalf of any individual to expedite or assist with the issuance of Cuban documents.

What is the cost of a fiancé visa K-1?
The petitioner for a visa fiancé will need to pay the filing fee of $190 USD. However, unlike immigrant visas, the petitioner will not be billed for the processing fee by the National Visa Center. The beneficiary will need to pay an interview fee (currently $121 convertible pesos per person) the day of his or her appointment.

What is the cost of K-2, K-3, and K-4 visas?
The petitioner for this type of visa will need to pay the filing fee of $190 USD. However, unlike immigrant visas the petitioner will not be billed by the National Visa Center. The beneficiary will need to pay for the cost of the interview (currently $121 convertible pesos per person) the day of his or her appointment.

I am not sure if the processing fee was paid for my immigrant visa. Could you verify this information?
Please contact the National Visa Center at (603) 334-0700 or via e-mail nvcinquiry@state.gov to obtain this information.

A lawful permanent resident in the United States submits a petition for his or her spouse and child. The petitioner eventually becomes an American citizen and wants to update his or her family’s category. How does the petitioner go about making this change?
The petitioner should submit a certificate of naturalization to the National Visa Center or to the U.S. Interests Section if the file is already in Havana. Please note that the category of spouse of an American citizen does not include derivatives; therefore, the petitioner must file a separate petition for any derivative.

My parents filed a petition on my behalf as the single son/daughter of a lawful permanent resident but I have gotten married since the petition was filed. What happens to my petition?
Lawful permanent residents can only petition for their spouse, children, and single sons/daughters. There is no category for married sons/daughters of a lawful permanent resident. As a result, the petition will be cancelled.

The beneficiary of an IR-2 petition (child of an American citizen) marries. Can the beneficiary include his/her spouse and children in the application?
When the applicant marries, he or she no longer belongs to the category IR-2 (single child under age 21). The beneficiary should contact the Consular Information Unit to present his/her certificate of marriage and request a change to the category F3 (married son/daughter of an American citizen). If the petition is with the National Visa Center, the beneficiary/petitioner should contact them directly.

My parents filed a petition on my behalf as the single son/daughter of an American citizen F-1 but I have gotten married since the petition was filed. Am I still eligible to immigrate?
Applicants should contact the National Visa Center or the U.S. Interests Section, if the file is already in Havana, to provide a copy of their marriage certificate. The spouse and children will be included in the petition and the category will be changed to that of married son/daughter of an American citizen.

My parents filed a petition on my behalf as the married son/daughter of an American citizen but I have gotten divorced since the petition was filed. What happens to my petition?
Applicants should contact the National Visa Center or the U.S. Interests Section, if the file is already in Havana, and provide a copy of their divorce certificate. The spouse will be excluded from the petition but the children will remain. The category of the petition will be changed to F-1 (single son/daughter of an American citizen).

The petitioner died but the case is not current. Can a relative in the U.S. assume the petitioner’s role?
If the petitioner passed away, another relative may contact the offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) where the petitioner originally applied and request that USCIS reinstate the petition.

I filed a petition for my brother and his children, but my brother passed away before he could immigrate to the United States. Can my nephews and sister-in-law proceed with the petition?
If the principal beneficiary dies before he or she is issued an immigrant visa and enters the United States, the consular officer will not be able to issue a visa to the derivative beneficiary.

The principal beneficiary does not wish to immigrate to the U.S., but the derivatives want to continue with the petition. Is this possible?
No, the derivatives must immigrate at either the same time or later than the principal beneficiary.

How can I cancel a petition?
If the petition is with the National Visa Center, the petitioner should contact them directly. If the petition is at U.S. Interests Section, the petitioner should send us a statement requesting to withdraw the petition along with a copy of page 2 of his/her American passport.

 

If your inquiry regards a consular matter that is not covered in this page, please send the Consular Information Unit a brief message using the following form.