Overview

Immigrant Visa Petition

An Immigrant visa petition is the first step toward obtaining Lawful Permanent Residence status for a foreign-born individual or family member. A United States citizen, Lawful Permanent Resident, or employer usually files it. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicates visa petitions. A visa Petition may be based on an Employment relationship or Family relationship.
Limited numbers of visas are available for different categories of petition beneficiaries because applicants often outnumber available visas in certain categories. The result of this is a visa backlog with a waiting list.

Upon Approval, visa petitions are used as a vehicle for a visa at the consular post or Embassy or Adjustment of status-Green Card if the Foreign Alien is in the United States.