Government fee
USD 325 DOS immigrant visa application processing fee per person for immediate relative/family preference cases; petition fees are separate.
Department of State fee table lists immigrant, K, DV, and returning-resident fee amounts; USCIS petition/immigrant fees are separate and can change.
- Processing time
- Depends on petition approval, NVC/consular processing, interview availability, medical/document readiness, and administrative processing.
- How long you can stay
- Immigrant visa leads to lawful permanent resident status after admission and required immigrant fee/green-card processing.
- Work rights
- Lawful permanent residents may work in the United States after admission as permanent residents; pre-entry work depends on existing authorization.
- Where it leads
- Lawful permanent residence pathway if the applicant completes the immigrant visa/admission process and remains admissible.
- Where you apply
- USCIS petition or DV selection where required, NVC processing, DS-260, medical exam, documents, and U.S. Embassy/Consulate immigrant visa interview.