An immigrant to the United States is someone who wishes to leave the country in which they have citizenship and settle as a permanent resident in the United States . The immigration process in the United States can be very slow, but with the right information you should be able to navigate the rules and regulations of the immigration system.
The process by which you gain an immigrant status involves three steps. First, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services must approve your immigrant petition. This is usually sponsored by a family member or employer. Second, you must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available to you. If you are inside the United States when this visa number becomes available, you may apply to change to a permanent resident status. If you are outside the United States , you must go to your local US consulate to complete the immigration process.
There is a limited number of immigrant visas available each year. This means that your immigration petition may not immediately yield an immigration visa number.
One way to speed up the immigration process is to have skills and or experience in a field that the United States deems necessary for the economy of the country. Further information about the fields that will facilitate your visa application is available at the US Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration web site: www.uscis.gov.
Family members of US citizens are eligible for immigrant visas, based in a descending order on the closeness of the relationship. In most cases, you do not apply for your own immigration visa number. Largely, your family member or employer is the one to apply on your behalf.
In many cases there are community groups that can help you with your visa application process. Check with your local US consulate for what options are available to you.