I-130 Petitions

What Happens Next?

If your immigrant petition (I-130) was approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the U.S., it will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will contact the petitioner (your American relative or employer) to request more documentation and the required fees. When they have been submitted and reviewed, the NVC will forward them and your I-130 petition to the Embassy in Beirut. This process takes at least a few months. The Immigrant Visa Unit will check with you to make sure that you have received instructions on how to proceed once it receives your I-130 petition from the NVC.

If your I-130 petition was approved at the Embassy, you received a checklist and instructions from the Immigrant Visa Unit the same day. Once you have completed the items on your checklist you must return them in an envelope with your name and telephone number on the outside of the envelope, together with the fee of $335 plus an IV Security Enhancement Surcharge of $45 (total $380), to the Embassy cashier between the hours of 8 and 11 a.m.,Monday - Friday. You may forward any subsequent documents that are required by using the courier services provided by Libanpost.  Libanpost will charge a fee of 5,500 Lebanese pounds for this service.You may also choose to drop your documents at Embassy reception Monday through Friday.

Once you have submitted the items on your checklist, the Immigrant Visa Unit will review the items you submitted and schedule you for a visa interview, if you meet all documentary requirements. If any requirements are not met, a phone call or letter will inform you.

On the day of your visa interview, you must pay any remaining fees and a consular officer will determine whether you are eligible for a visa. If you are found eligible, you will receive your visa the following day. If not, you will be informed of any additional processing that may be required.