Immigrant Visa and Consular Processing 到領事館申請移民簽證

For most I-130, I-140, and I-526 applicants who live outside of the United States, they must apply for an immigrant visa (IV) to enter the U.S. after their application is approved.  In the initial application of I-130/I-140.I-526, the applicant may specify which consulate the applicant would apply for an IV.  Under 22 CFR §42.61(a), an applicant should apply for an IV with the Consulate that has jurisdiction over his or her residence.  Usually this means the applicant's home country.  If the applicant is currently working at a foreign country, an applicant may apply for an IV even though the applicant may not have a residency there.  However, the Consulate in the third country may exercise discretion and refuse to process the IV.

After the I-130/I-140/I-526 application has been approved by USCIS, the application is forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC).  Usually the applicant will need to pay the document processing fee and submit the documents required for the particular kind of application.  After NVC has reviewed the file, the applicant will receive a notice that specifies the day and time of the interview. 

When attending an interview with a consulate officer, it is important to know the information included in the original I-130/I-140/I-526 application.  For instance, an EB-5 applicant should be able to know the basics of his or her investment, such as the location, investment amount, etc.  An I-130 applicant should be able to answer simple questions about the petitioner.

In short, an applicant should follow the directions sent from the NVC closely and be prepared to attend the IV interview.  It would certainly be a pain if the applicant's IV application gets denied after going through the I-130/I-140/I-526 application process.

Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment. 

多數居住在美國境外的I-130、I-140和I-526申請人都必須在他們的移民申請獲批後到領事館申請移民簽證(IV)進入美國。 在提交I-130/I-140/I-526申請的時候，申請人可以揀選在哪個領事館申請IV。22 CFR §42.61(a)規定申請人應該在他們居住地方所屬的領事館申請IV。 這通常是申請人的家鄉或祖國。 如果申請人在外地工作，即使申請人不在該地居住，申請人也可以在該地所屬的領事館申請IV。 然而，領事館有權行使酌情權而拒绝處理該申請人的IV申請。

在移民局審批准了I-130/I-140/I-526之後，申請會被送到全國簽證中心(NVC)。 通常申請人需要繳付文件處理費和遞交與申請有關的證明文件。 在NVC查核文件之後，申請人將收到關於到領事館面談的資料，如日期、時間及地址。  與領事面談的時候，申請人應熟悉I-130/I-140/I-526申請書中的資料。 例如， EB-5申請人應能回答關於他們投資項目的基本資料，例如地點、投資額等等。 I-130申請人應該能回答關於替他提交申請的家人的簡單問題。

簡而言之，申請人應該小心跟從NVC的指示及到領事館面談前做好準備。如果申請人在通過移民局I-130/I-140/I-526的審批之後無法獲得IV來美，就真是功虧一簣了。

以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本所查詢。