Immigration MRI®

here are two different possible paths to take. One option is an adjustment of status, which is used when the immigrant is already in the United States. The other option is the consular process, which means that the immigrant goes to the consulate of the US Department of State in a different country and gets an immigrant visa.

The consular process is possible under many different circumstances, including when you have a family member or sponsoring employer, or if you are a foreign investor. At Monty and Ramírez, our immigration attorneys help with the consular immigrant visa process throughout the world. Give us a call today if you need help with this process.

How does the processing of an immigrant consular visa work? – A general guide

The consular immigrant visa process is possible if you are outside the US and are unable to adjust your immigration status or choose not to go through the process within the US.

What is required:

• You have a visa number available and
• You have an approved immigration petition

An immigrant petition is filed by either a family member or an employer. Family members generally complete a Petition for Alien Relative, I-130, to obtain an immigrant visa for loved ones living in another country. Employers, on the other hand, generally complete a Petition for Foreign Worker, I-140. If you come to the US to invest the money in a business, then the foreign investor would prepare an immigrant petition for foreign entrepreneurs, I-526.

After the immigrant application has been filed, you must wait for United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) to notify the petitioner of a decision. If the request is denied, an appeal is possible. If the petition is approved and the immigrant lives outside of the US, then USCIS sends the approved petition to the Department of the National State Visa Center (NVC), where an immigrant visa number is issued. The immigrant will be notified when the immigrant visa number is available.

At this point, it is time to go to the consulate to process your immigrant visa. After the visa is issued, you will be admitted as a permanent resident.

Receiving help in the Consular Process of Obtaining an Immigrant Visa

The entire process of filing an immigrant visa petition and obtaining one at a consulate office can be a complicated process. A qualified legal advocate is needed to assist you through this process.

In the Houston metropolitan area, we will guide you through this process and help you with the necessary steps no matter where in the world the consulate is located. We will always keep you informed throughout the consular immigrant visa process and have the knowledge and legal experience necessary to help do the immigration process work as smoothly as possible. Call us or contact us online for more information. At Monty and Ramirez, we know what works.®