VISAS FOR IMMEDIATE FAMILY

Our consular section is no longer authorized to accept I-130 petitions except in limited circumstances from American Citizens with Georgian residence permits who have been legal residents of Georgia for at least 6 months. All immigrant visa petitions for a foreign spouse, stepchildren and parents must now be filed with the Service Centers of the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration in the United States.  Please visit http://www.dhs.gov for details.

General steps for immigrant visa processing:

1. Petitions are first filed by U.S. citizens at the U.S. Department ofHomeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
2. After the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for appointment scheduling and collection of supporting documentation from the petitioner.
3. As soon as the case is scheduled and ready for processing, the National Visa Center will forward the case to our office for the immigrant visa interview.
4. The beneficiary must attend the interview on the scheduled date and time.  If granted, the visa will be returned to the beneficiary via DHL courier service.  If the beneficiary is resident in Azerbaijan, he or she will need to return the next business day to pick up the visa. Visas are not available the same day under any circumstances.
5. Reconsiderations (221(g), temporary refusals). When a beneficiary receives a temporary 221(g) visa refusal, this usually means that he or she was asked to provide additional information. As soon as the requested information is collected, the beneficiary may return to the Consular Section any Tuesday at 8:30 am with the letter provided by the consular officer at the initial interview.

The process requires filling out immigrant visa application forms and going through a medical examination. Please, note that the beneficiary will also be required to present a police certificate, with English language translation, from every country (except the U.S.) where the beneficiary has resided for more than six months since the age of 16.  The certificate must be issued under all names ever used by the beneficiary. Georgian police certificates can be obtained at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 21km Tsiteli Khidi Highway; Tel: 41-90-05.