Arlington Family Visa Applications
When submitting Arlington family immigration applications, it may be critical to have an understanding of the process following an application submission. If an Immigrant Visa is filed abroad an interview will likely be required at the US Embassy or Consulate abroad. Within the US, the USCIS determines whether an interview is scheduled. A distinguished family immigration attorney will be able to advise the family who the petitioner should be, what forms to file, what evidence to submit in support of Arlington family visa applications, and will be able to assist in preparing for an interview.
What is the Process for Applying for a Family Preference Visa?
The petitioner lawful permanent resident or US. citizen files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with USCIS. Thereafter, when the priority date becomes current according to the visa bulletin the beneficiary can apply for adjustment or the case is forwarded to the National Visa Center so that the DS-260, Immigrant Visa Application can be filed.
An I-130 requires the submission of the documents that establish the family relationship such as birth certificates or marriage certificates. It also requires for spouses the submission of bona fides or marriage such as joint bank accounts, pictures, affidavits from family and friends, etc.
If USCIS schedules an interview between spouses, the spouses will be questioned about the relationship and must demonstrate that the marriage is valid. If an interview is held between a parent and child then USCIS will be confirming that the biographic information is correct and if it is a child born out of wedlock that the child was legitimized.
What facts must be demonstrated?
A qualifying relationship between the petitioner and beneficiary and admissibility to the US. These means demonstrating that a marriage took place and both parties were free to marry or that the petitioner is the beneficiary’s parent by submitting birth certificates, adoption documents, or a step-parent relationship.
The Form I-130 is fairly straightforward, but it requires detailed biographic information about the petitioner and beneficiary. The documents required to prove the qualifying relationship must also be submitted and translated to English.
Common Reasons for Denial
If the petitioner and beneficiary do not submit sufficient proof of the nature of the relationship between them, then USCIS will deny the I-130. At the adjustment phase or Immigrant Visa phase, failing to answer questions correctly about the petitioner or failing to submit required documents regarding admissibility will lead to a denial.
What is a Receipt Notice and How Might it Affect One’s Case?
The receipt notice is the document issued by USCIS once Arlington family visa applications have been submitted. A receipt notice is an acknowledgment that USCIS has received an application. A receipt notice will contain the filing date, an acknowledgment that fees were paid, a receipt number, and a priority date. The filing date and acknowledgment of fees paid is important as evidence that the application was accepted. The receipt number allows the applicant to check the status of the application online at www.uscis.gov. The priority date is important to determine how long the beneficiary must wait to file for adjustment or an immigrant visa.
Importance of Checking the Visa Bulletin
The visa bulletin is the notice issued each month by the State Department that includes the priority date for each family and employment-based preference category. When the beneficiary falls into one of the family preference categories the visa bulletin is used to determine how long the individual must wait in order to adjust or file an immigrant visa application.
The visa bulletin should be checked each month to see if the priority dates have advanced or retrogressed. This means that the beneficiary can check how much longer the applicant must wait to adjust or file an immigrant visa.
Intending immigrants should be aware that there are two visa bulletin charts, a “Final Action Date” chart and a “Dates for Filing” chart. Which chart the beneficiary should look at to determine adjustment eligibility or immigrant visa eligibility is determined by visiting the site where Arlington family visa applications can be found.