Immigrant Visa Information

On this page:


Overview

In general, a person who wishes to immigrate to the United States must have a petition approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before applying for an immigrant visa. The petition is filed either by a qualified relative or a potential employer at a USCIS office in the United States. Specific information about filing immigrant petitions is available on the USCIS website. An individual with an approved petition and a priority date that is current for processing (when applicable) is eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or K nonimmigrant visa.

Petitions

Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in Latvia, where USCIS does not have a public counter presence, must file their Forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox. U.S. Embassies and Consulates that do not have a USCIS presence will only be able to accept and process Forms I-130 in exceptional circumstances, as outlined below.

USCIS Chicago Lockbox addresses for regular mail deliveries:

USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

 

USCIS Chicago Lockbox address for express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

 

For additional information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago lockbox, visit the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov or contact USCIS by telephone in the United States at 1-800-375-5283.

USCIS Immigrant Fee

Effective February 1, 2013, all individuals issued immigrant visas overseas must pay a US$220.00 USCIS Immigrant Fee before traveling to the United States.  Only prospective adoptive parents whose child(ren) is/are entering the United States under either the Orphan or Hague Process, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants who were employed by the U.S. government, returning residents, and those issued K visas are exempt from the new fee.  The below USCIS website has more details on the new fee, including contact information for USCIS, if there are further questions: www.USCIS.gov/immigrantfee.

Exceptional Filing

Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners who believe their situation merits an exception may request the Consular Section to accept the filing. Each request will be evaluated individually.

A petitioner seeking to file a Form I-130 should contact the Consular Section to request consideration for exception and explain the circumstances in detail. The Consular Section will then relay the request for an exception to the USCIS field office with jurisdiction over the U.S. Embassy . The determination of whether the case presents exceptional circumstances which warrant an exception to the general filing process will be made by USCIS. USCIS guidance on examples of exceptional circumstances is posted here: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-6-part-b-chapter-3 See also Embassy Riga website at https://lv.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/exceptional-filing-of-i-130-petitions-with-the-u-s-embassy-in-riga/ for more information. 

Medical Requirements

All applicants must undergo a medical exam by an Embassy-approved Panel Physician. Information about the medical exam can be found here. You will receive instructions about how to schedule an appointment for your medical exam from National Visa Center (NVC), Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), or the Embassy. Do not make your medical exam appointment before receiving these instructions.

U.S. Embassy Appointment

National Visa Center (NVC), Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), or the Embassy will inform you about your immigrant visa interview appointment date. If you wish to reschedule your initial appointment  for a later date, please access this link  to do so. You must have a registered profile to be able to schedule a new appointment. After logging into your profile, please click on “New Application/Schedule Appointment”, select “Immigrant Visa” and then choose ,,Rescheduling immigrant visa interview appointment" option. Continue with the process to select the applicable visa type, document delivery option and a date and time for the interview.

You must appear at the U.S. Embassy Riga on the date and time of your appointment. Please read about security restrictions at the U.S. Embassy Riga that describes what you can and cannot bring with you to your interview. You should bring your appointment letter and the documents required for your visa class.

If you are using sign language or you are not fluent in Latvian, English, or Russian, a personal interpreter may accompany you. You must submit your interpreter’s full name and date of birth to the embassy by email  at least two (2) business days prior to your scheduled appointment and present identification upon arrival at the U.S. Embassy.