US Family Reunification Visa and Family Immigration Application Guide

A US family reunification visa is a type of immigration visa granted to family members of a US citizen or US permanent resident (green card) over the age of 21 to settle permanently in the United States. A US family reunification visa is granted to spouses, children, parents, and siblings of American citizens, while only spouses and unmarried children of foreign nationals with green cards are eligible for family reunification.

In the US, individuals must be supported by a person residing in the US during the family reunification visa application process. Accordingly, individuals sponsoring family reunification must initiate the application process through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) and the National Visa Center ( NVC ).

What are the US Family Immigration Visa Types?

There are two different categories of US family immigration visa types: close relative and family preference. The close relative visa type covers people who are based on a close family relationship such as a spouse, child or parent of a US citizen, and the number of immigrants in these categories is not limited in each fiscal year. The family preference visa type is issued for people who have certain, more distant family relationships with a US citizen and for certain relationships within the scope of permanent residence (LPR), but the number of immigrants in this visa type is limited in each fiscal year.

The groups that can obtain a US family reunification visa within the scope of family immigration are listed below with the relevant visa code.

Spouse of a US citizen (IR1)
Children of US citizens (IR2)
US citizen parents (IR5)
Children adopted by a US citizen (IR3, IR4)
Siblings of a US citizen (F4)
Certain family members of U.S. permanent residents (F2A, F2B)

The remainder of the article provides information for foreign nationals and their family members who have permanent residency (green card) status in the United States. Although the family reunification requirements and procedures for US citizens do not differ significantly from those listed below, they do vary in terms of the documents that must be submitted.

How to Get a Family Reunification Visa in the USA?

To obtain a US family reunification visa, you and your US sponsor must complete the following procedures.

A petition for a foreign relative is filed with USCIS using Form I-130.
The pre-processing process is initiated at NVC and the application letter is received.
Necessary fee payments are made to NVC.
A sponsorship declaration and proof of financial adequacy are prepared.
Online application form DS-260 is filled out.
Family reunification visa application documents are prepared and uploaded to the NVC system.
The applicant is given a visa appointment date and a PTT registration is made for passport delivery.
An immigration interview will be held at the Embassy on the appointment date.
Before traveling to the USA, immigration (Green Card) fees are paid.

USCIS Application for Family Reunification

Submitting Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is the first step in helping a qualifying relative apply to immigrate to the United States and receive a Green Card.

U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent resident sponsors must file an American Form I-130 with USCIS electronically or by mail . The immigrant petition must be approved by USCIS before the file goes to the National Visa Center.

For family reunification, the following documents must be submitted to USCIS along with the American I-130 form.

Proof of US citizenship (ID card, passport, etc.) or a photocopy of a US Green Card
Proof of kinship (marriage certificate for spouses, birth certificate for children)
Evidence of the reality of marriage in spouse applications
Joint tenancy agreement
Joint title deed
Common financial resources
Sworn declarations made by third parties

National Visa Center Pre-Application Process

Once the USCIS petition is approved, the file is transferred to the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC) for pre-processing. A letter is then sent to the sponsor in the U.S. by email or post. The information in the letter sent by the NVC to the sponsor can be used to check status, receive messages, and manage status by logging into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).

Fee Payments Required for Family Reunification

Fee payments for US family reunification must be made after the NVC letter is received. For US family reunification, the sponsor must pay two processing fees for the immigrant visa application and the sponsorship affidavit.

The sponsor needs a bank routing number from a U.S.-based bank and a checking or savings account number. To pay the fee, the U.S. family reunification sponsor must log in to CEAC and click “Pay Now” under Support Fee Statement or IV Fee on the summary page.

After submitting payments online, the sponsor must wait up to 1 week for NVC to process the fees before proceeding to the next step. Form DS-260 will not be accessible until NVC processes the payments.

Declaration of Sponsorship for Family Reunification

The affidavit of sponsorship for family reunification, also called Form I-864, is a document signed by an individual to acknowledge financial responsibility for an applicant coming to live in the United States. The petitioner must complete Form I-864; however, if the applicant’s income is insufficient, a co-sponsor may agree to file an I-864 on behalf of the applicant. The sponsor’s financial responsibility generally lasts until the applicant becomes a U.S. citizen or is credited with 40 qualifying quarters of employment (usually 10 years) under the Social Security Act.

After completing the Affidavit of Support form, the sponsor must submit proof of their financial situation and other supporting documentation such as an IRS tax transcript, letter of employment, pay stubs, etc.

US Online Immigration Application Form (DS-260)

The US online immigration application form (DS-260) must be completed by the sponsor and each immigrating family member after the fees are paid and the status in CEAC is updated to “Paid.”

After you submit Form DS-260 online, you must print the confirmation page and bring it to your interview. Once the U.S. DS-260 form is complete, you can print the confirmation page from CEAC.

The DS-260 form image is given below.

Documents Required for US Family Reunification Visa

The documents that need to be prepared for the US family reunification visa are listed below.

America DS-260 online visa form approval page
Passport valid for 6 months from entry to the USA
Past US visas, if any
2 biometric photographs of 5×5 mm size
A health report from an embassy-approved specialist
Original copy of full civil registration certificate
Marriage certificate for married couples
A copy of a divorce certificate or death certificate for previous marriages
Military service status certificate (or exemption certificate)
Archived criminal record
Court records for cases such as trials, name changes, adoptions, etc., if any
Form I-864 (statement of financial support)
Sponsor’s most recent U.S. tax return and W2 form
Documents regarding the reality and continuity of marriage
Passport delivery place record printout

All prepared documents must be scanned in color, front and back, clear, legible and each with a maximum size of 2 MB. Scanned visa application documents must be uploaded to the application system by logging into the account at https://ceac.state.gov/ where the visa form is also filled out, and submitted to the National Visa Center for review.

US Embassy Appointment Preparation

Once your file is complete, NVC will schedule an interview for your file and send it to the Embassy in Ankara. Once your file is forwarded to Ankara, you will receive an appointment letter from NVC. The names of all traveling applicants who need to attend the appointment will be stated in the appointment letter you will receive from the National Visa Center (NVC).

Before your interview date, you must register online at usvisa-info.com and select the location where you will receive your visa. If your visa is granted, your passport and visa will be delivered to the PTT branch in Turkey for you to collect in person. After completing the visa delivery registration, print the confirmation receipt and bring it with you on the day of the interview.

US Family Reunification Visa Interview

On the scheduled date and time of your interview, go to the U.S. Embassy with your printed visa application (DS-260) confirmation page. The consular officer will interview you and your family members and determine your eligibility for an immigrant visa. As part of the U.S. Embassy interview process, an inkless, digital fingerprint scan will be taken.

It is important to submit all the required documents for family reunification in the USA. The sponsor does not attend the interview at the US Embassy, and the interview is completed with family members.

If your visa is approved at the end of the interview, you will be informed about how and when your passport and visa will be returned to you.

Immigration (Green Card) Fee Payment and Entry to the USA

You must pay the immigration fee online with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after you receive your immigrant visa and before you travel to the United States. USCIS will not issue a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 or Green Card) until you pay the fee. Once you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will verify that you have paid the immigration fee and mail your Green Card to the address you provided during your immigrant visa interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to frequently asked questions to our consultants regarding family reunification in the USA are provided below.

How Much Does the US Family Reunification Visa Cost?

The application fees to be paid for the US family visa in 2024 are given below.

Payment type	Fee
USCIS I-130 application	$560
Visa application fee	$340
Health report	$285
Green card fee	$240

US family reunification visa costs increase if sworn translation, notarization and consultancy services are purchased.

How Many Months Does It Take to Complete My US Family Reunification Visa Application?

The processing time for a US family reunification visa varies. Once your application is approved, your date must be current in order to begin the application process. The NVC processes visas in chronological order, so it is important to consider how many applications were made before you. Therefore, it usually takes a year or more for your date to be current, which is why the processing time is quite long.

After attending your U.S. Consular Section appointment, you can track the status of your visa application at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC .