Immigrant Visas
Visa Categories
A beneficiary’s immigrant visa category is determined by the type of petition filed on his/her behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In most cases, the visa category directly results from the type of relationship between the petitioner and beneficiary. While many immigrant visa categories are immediately available, others are numerically limited by law, meaning that beneficiaries of these visa types must often wait some period of time before their petitions are eligible for processing. Numerically Limited Visas cannot be processed until their priority date is current.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are eligible to interview for visas immediately after the petitions filed on their behalf are approved by USCIS and transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. An “immediate relative” is defined as a parent, spouse, or child (meaning both unmarried and under 21 years of age) of a U.S. citizen. Each immediate relative must have a separate petition filed on his/her behalf.
Family Relation-based Visas Available to U.S. Citizen Petitioners
• Non-Numerically Limited Visas Available to U.S. Citizen Petitioners:
IR1/CR1 Visas: Spouses
IR2/CR2 Visas: Children
IR3/IR4 Visas: Adopted and Orphan Children
IR5 Visas: Parents
K1 Visas: Fiancé/es
K3 Visas: Spouses
• Numerically Limited Visas Available to U.S. Citizen Petitioners:
F1 Visas: Unmarried Sons/Daughters
F3 Visas: Married Son/Daughters
F4 Visas: Brothers and Sisters
• Numerically Limited Visas Available to Lawful Permanent Resident petitioners
F2A Visas: Spouses and/or Children
F2B Visas: Unmarried Sons and Daughters
• Employment-Based Visas
Employment First Preference (E1)
Employment Second Preference (E2)
Employment Third Preference (E3)
Employment Fourth Preference (E4)
Employment Fifth Preference (E5)
• Other Visa Categories
SB1 Visas: Returning Residents
DV Visas: Diversity Visa Lottery
