Modern Immigration Visa (MIV) Transition: The U.S. Department of State is transitioning to paperless processing for most types of immigration visas, which will provide faster and more convenient service for many immigration visa applicants. If your immigrant visa will be processed under the new MIV system, the National Visa Center (NVC) will provide you instructions on how to electronically upload required documents.
Immigrant visas to the United States for citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia are only processed at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh.
To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process, on usvisas.state.gov to begin applying for an immigrant visa.
Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.
