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Immigrant Visas

General Information 

Welcome, Americans and Immigrant Visa Applicants!

Immigrant Visa Processing in Tbilisi

The Immigrant Visa Unit of the U.S. Embassy Tbilisi issues visas for permanent residence in the United States, based on certain categories of family relationship or employment-based immigrant visa petitions, to residents of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Immigrant visas are processed based on petitions filed by U.S. citizens or employers and which have been approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS). Third Country National applications are only accepted if the beneficiary is a resident of Georgia or Azerbaijan.

How to File An Immigrant Visa Petition

Effective July 2007, our consular section is only allowed to accept I-130 petitions on behalf of the US Department of Homeland Security under extremely limited circumstances, when the American citizen petitioner for a spouse or minor children only is physically resident in our consular district for at least the past 6 months and can demonstrate this residence through a residence permit.  All other immigrant visa petitions for a foreign spouse, stepchildren and parents must now be filed with the US Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/USCIS) Service Centers in the United States.  For details on how to file with DHS, please visit the DHS website at http://www.dhs.gov and click on “Immigration.”   Once your I-130 petition is approved by DHS/USCIS, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for document collection and appointment scheduling.  As soon as the case is ready for processing, it will be forwarded to the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Immigrant Visa Interviews in Tbilisi

The Consular Section conducts immigrant visa interviews once a week only, on Tuesdays (excepting American Federal and Georgian holidays) between 8:30am and 10:30 am.  All interview appointments are scheduled by the National Visa Center.

General Steps For Immigrant Visa Processing

  1. The petitions are first filed by U.S. citizens or employers through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
  2. After the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for document collection and appointment scheduling.  When the file is complete, it is forwarded to the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.
  3. Applicants attend their interview on the scheduled day and time.  If the visa is approved, it will be delivered to Georgian residents within two business days via the DHL courier service.  Applicants from Azerbaijan will need to return the following business day to pick up their visas.
  4. Reconsiderations (221(g) temporary refusals). When a beneficiary receives a temporary 221(g) visa refusal, this usually means that he/she was asked to provide additional information. The consular officer will provide the applicant written instructions on what is needed to complete the application.  As soon as the requested information is collected, the applicant may return to the Consular Section any Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 am to continue the processing of his or her immigrant visa case.

TYPES OF IMMIGRANT VISAS:

Immediate Relatives (no numerical limit):

  • IR-1 Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-2 Minor Child of a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-3 Orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-4 Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-5 Parent of a U.S. Citizen

NOTE: Immediate relatives each require their own petition. Derivative applicants (spouses, minor children) are NOT allowed to travel with the beneficiary of an IR petition.
Numerically Limited Categories (waiting period of several years in some cases):

  • F-1 Unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
  • F-2 Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)
  • F-3 Married sons and daughters of U.S. Citizens
  • F-4 Brothers and Sisters of U.S. Citizens
  • Employment Based Immigrants with approved petitions filed by a company or organization in the U.S.
  • Diversity Immigrants with a winning lottery entry (please click here for more information about this category)

NOTE: Derivative applicants (spouse and minor children) ARE allowed to travel on the petition of a beneficiary of the above categories.

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