If you want to move to the United States and you are looking for the best US immigrant visa categories and some of the easiest ways to do so, we have five (5) suggestions for you. You can choose from a Fiancé(e) Visa, employment-based visa options, returning resident authorizations, a diversity visa (the popular US visa lottery), and a family visa (for a spouse, children, and close family members).
The American Dream is unbeatable. The most powerful economy in the world, with high living standards and chances for everyone? We think it sounds like a great life! But if you want to move from another country, there are some things you should think about carefully before making such a big choice.
This article will talk about what you need to do to get an immigrant visa in the United States, what matters (and what doesn’t), and how different types of visas work together on the same form or page. So pay close attention, because the US policy on immigration is written in verse, and knowledge is power.
Five types of US immigrant visas that are the best
Based on our opinion and the information we got from American visa applicants online, the top five (5) types of immigrant visas to move to America are:
- Fiancé(e) Visa
- Returning Resident Visa
- Diversity Visa
- Immigration based on family
- Immigration Based on a Job
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Fiancé(e) Visa category
The Fiancé(e) Visa is a type of immigrant visa that lets American citizens help their future spouse get legal residency in the United States.
Both parties must be at least 18 years old to qualify, and neither can use this category if they are already married or living as husband and wife without being legally married first!
If you want to apply for a Fiancé(e) visa, you will need the following:
- Two photos in passport style.
- Proof of birth.
- Valid, unexpired passport.
- Police clearances were gotten from all countries where the person had lived for more than six months since turning 16.
- A sealed medical exam form, which the State Department can get from a doctor abroad.
Department authorizes One showing that he or she has enough money (so as not to be sponsored via 85G), which usually means showing related income sources like wages; and something showing what kind of private assets exist, such as landed properties, bank statements, employment income, etc.
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Immigration Based on a Job
Under the Employment-Based Immigration category, a US company can help skilled workers get work visas so they can move to the US. With this type of visa, people with exceptional skills in the arts, sciences, education, sports, or business can move to a new country. This includes outstanding researchers and professors, professionals, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. But getting this type of visa may take a lot of work because so many people want it. Because of this, many people who want it have to wait many years to get it.
Through employment-based immigration, skilled workers and professionals can come to the US to live and work. The process is hard, but it is not impossible if you have your resume ready with all relevant information about yourself, such as your age or education level for hire cortisol levels, so that employers will know what kind of work experience would be best suited to their company culture. For example, if they want someone creative who needs more freedom at home during the week, or someone smart enough cognitively (but maybe less inclined) to manage large databases offline, they will know what kind of work experience would be best for them.
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Returning Resident Visa
Under this group, an immigrant can become a permanent resident and then move freely in and out of the United States. But an immigrant can’t stay outside the US for more than a year at a time. If not, you will need a new immigrant visa to get back into the United States. It’s called the SB1 visa. The Returning Resident Visa is the first step for immigrants who want to stay in the country permanently.
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Diversity Visas
Diversity Visas are a great chance for people who want to come to the United States and live there. The diversity visa is only for people from countries with less representation, like Kenya or Nepal. It lets people with passports from those countries come to the U.S. as long as they meet certain requirements, like a certain level of education or work experience. This makes this kind of travel easier than ever before.
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Immigration Based on Family
In America, family-based immigration has been going on for a long time. An American citizen can sponsor visas for certain family members, like their spouse and children, but only if they have legal status as well, which isn’t always the case because of backlogs in the government agencies that handle these requests. It can take years to get approved or denied, depending on how quickly you’re willing to wait.
How long does it take to get a US immigrant visa?
At the consulate, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to three months to get a US immigration visa. However, the time it takes to get a US immigration visa at the embassy in your home country is usually only 1-2 weeks.
Keep in mind that these are just estimated processing times that can change depending on a number of things, such as the type of visa you are applying for and how busy the consulate or embassy is when you apply. You can contact your local consulate or embassy for more specific information about how long it takes to get a US immigration visa.
How long it takes to get a US immigration visa depends on what kind of visa you want. A US visa application usually takes between three (3) and five (5) weeks to be processed. After the application has been processed, the candidate may get a positive answer, and the consulate or embassy, depending on the situation, will deliver the document. But getting the visa can take up to two more business days.
The extra processing for applications rejected under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) can take up to two (2) months from the date of the visa interview. The process can sometimes take longer than six (6) months.
Applicants who need to apply for a waiver of ineligibility in order to get the visa should know that they might not hear back for six to eight months after their interview date.
But people from countries in the Visa Waiver Program who apply for temporary visits through the Electronic Travel Authorization System (ESTA) can get a response to their application within twenty-four (24) hours. Find out more about wait times on this page.
Other well-known non-immigrant visas
Here is a list of some common types of US visas and how long it can take to get each one.
F-1 visa
Other types of visas take longer to process than F-1 visas. Most of the time, this kind of visa is processed before your interview. The interview is the last thing the US Embassy does to decide whether or not to give you an F-1 visa.
But most of the time, you will hear about the visa right after the interview. At the end of the visa interview, the visa officer will either tell you that you got the visa or give you a document that explains why you didn’t. There are times when the F-1 visa takes a few more days to respond to and process, so you should be patient if that happens.
B-2 visa
The time it takes to get a B-2 tourist visa and a US visitor visa varies from country to country. Most of the time, getting your visa can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
H-1 Visa
How long it takes to get an H-1 visa depends on where you are from or how many other applications the US consulate has received during that time.
H1B Visa
Most of the time, it takes between three and six months to get an H-1B visa. But US Embassies in different cities/countries have different processing times, so we suggest you contact them for more information or visit the US State Department for an estimate of processing times.
Conclusion
If you want to live the American Dream, you can help make it happen. With more than 100 visa categories to choose from, experienced US immigration lawyers will work with you to find the best way for you and your family to get permanent residency in the US.
