Paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee

What is the difference between the immigrant visa (IV) petition and non-immigrant visa (NIV) petition?

The immigrant visa (IV) petition is a filing to obtain a Lawful Permanent Residency (LPR) status in the United States. But the NIV petition is for obtaining temporary residency status in the United States.

What is the consulate process for the NIV petition if after approved by USCIS?

For most of the NIV cases, once the petition has been approved by USCIS, the applicant must file an application with the U.S. Embassy abroad in order to obtain an entry (single / multiple entries) visa for admission to the United States. The applicant (in overseas) must require completing the nonimmigrant visa application form per the Department of State’s instructions.

USCIS Immigrant Fee

Please note that “USCIS Immigrant Fee” is not related to the immigrant visa application fees collected by DOS. If the applicants are immigrating to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (LPR), they must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online in order to receive their LPR (Green Card) card. If the applicants failed to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee within the time listed in the notice, they will not receive their (LPR) Green cards. However, their lawful permanent status will only valid for one year from the date of their admission, as shown by the temporary I-551 stamp CBP stamped in their passport when they entered the U.S.

Important Things

If the address where the applicants will live in the United States has changed or will change immediately after they are admitted to the United States, it is very important to provide the new address to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. The applicant would receive their green cards within 90 days of their entry into the U.S. or within 90 days after their USCIS Immigrant Fee has been paid. If not received the green cards within this time frame, they should contact to USCIS.

Note: This information is for generally educational or informational purposes only and it does not constitute legal advice.