Immigrant Vs Nonimmigrant Visas
To immigrate to the United States means to relocate permanently by obtaining a green card . A green card allows unrestricted employment and can be renewed indefinitely. It also provides a pathway to U.S. citizenship.
Not everyone is eligible for a green card, and applying for one can be expensive and time-consuming. Many people instead use temporary visas to visit, work, or study in the United States. Such visas are often renewable and good for multiple visits, which might allow you to live in the United States for several years.
This guide focuses on the options for permanent immigration. Remember, though, that many people start out on temporary visas before going on to gain green cards. If you dont currently qualify for an immigrant visa, think about whether a temporary visa might help you achieve your goals.
Are you ready to immigrate? Find out if youre eligible for a or a family-based green card, or learn more about how Boundless can help you navigate the immigration process.
What Is The Effect Of This Regulation
This rule codifies the circumstances that will be considered exceptional for purposes of assessing special immigrant status qualification. The scope of exceptional circumstances set out in this rule departs, in certain respects, from the Department’s policies that preceded this rule, which were articulated only in the Foreign Affairs Manual , specifically 9 FAM 502.5-3, not in the CFR. Specifically, the excluded criteria, formerly in 9 FAM 502.5-3-, that will no longer constitute exceptional circumstances, are: Recognition with multiple individual awards; high visibility in a sensitive position; control over key aspects of the operations or overall functioning of a Foreign Service post; valuable services and assistance to the U.S. community at post apart from performance of official duties; and faithful service in a country foreign to the employee that resulted in the employee losing economic and social ties to his or her home country. The regulation also adds two new criteria that will constitute exceptional circumstances moving forward, specifically: Recognition with a Foreign Service National of the Year award; and disclosure of waste, fraud, abuse, or other issues that result in significant action against an offending party. The FAM will be revised in accordance with this rule on the effective date of this rule.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Us Visa
The US visa processing time depends on the type of visa that you are applying for. It takes from 3 to 5 weeks for a US visa application to get processed. After the processing, the applicant can get a positive reply on their application, and the consulate will deliver the document. The delivery of the visa can take up to two other workdays.
Applications refused under Section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act pending additional processing, can take around 60 days from the date of the visa interview to be processed. In some certain cases, the processing might take more than 6 months.
Applicants who are required to apply for a waiver of ineligibility in order to get the visa, should keep in might that they will have to wait for 6 to 8 months from the date of their interview to get a reply.
Whereas, countries under the visa waiver program, applying through Electronic Travel Authorization System for short term visits, can get a reply in their ESTA application within 72 hours.
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Applying For An Immigrant Visa Number
You do not directly apply for an immigrant visa number. In most cases, your relative or employer sends a visa petition to the USCIS for you to become an immigrant. USCIS will tell the person who filed the visa petition if the visa petition is approved. USCIS will then send the approved visa petition to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, where it will remain until an immigrant visa number is available. The Center will notify you when the visa petition is received and again when an immigrant visa number is available. You do not need to contact the National Visa Center, unless you change your address or there is a change in your personal situation that may affect your eligibility for an immigrant visa.
Interested In Immigrating To Canada But Dont Know Where To Start
If so,;Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of;lawyers, licensed paralegals, and consultants who work for VisaPlace Legal an award-winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.
Ready for the next step?;Book your 1 on 1 consultation now;or call us at;1-888-317-5770.
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The assessment form should take approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. We will get back to you within one business day to let you know if we are able to help.
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Begin At Dhs/uscis To Seek An Approved Petition
When applying for immigration status to permanently move to the U.S. you begin with a petition to USCIS. Applicants navigate the process with a range of help from USCIS including online and print-friendly guides which overview the process and eligibility requirements, and free in person information sessions for legal permanent residents interested in naturalization.
Should you have problems with your case at USCIS you also have access to case assistance through the CIS Ombudsman. The CIS Ombudsman may get involved if you have been unable to obtain a resolution to your pending application or USCIS petition despite repeated inquiries with USCIS.
Wp3 Form Or Letter From Boi
An original WP3 form which has been submitted by applicants potential employer to the Alien Occupational Control Division, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour
An original letter from the Board of Investment of Thailand
This is irrelevant to teachers. However, if you are working in some other job, you might need those.
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Why Would Someone Choose The Immigrant Visa Green Card Process
The immigrant visa route of applying for a green card through marriage is sometimes selected in the following types of situations:
- The couple is living abroad and they wish to return together to the U.S. in the near future.
- The U.S. citizen spouse is living in the U.S. and the foreign spouse is living abroad.
- The foreign spouse does not have any way of entering the U.S. in a status that allows for immigrant intent.
- The foreign spouse is currently in the U.S., but not in a status that allows for immigrant intent and he/she is concerned about immigrant intent issues.
- The foreign spouse is currently in the U.S. in a non-immigrant status that does not allow for immigrant intent, such as the visitor status or TN status, and the individual has a need to travel outside of the country in the near future.
- The foreign spouse entered the U.S. illegally and will have to submit a waiver application as part of the green card application.
There may be other scenarios that make it prudent to navigate the green card process through the immigrant visa route.;Before embarking on the process, you should discuss the matter with an experienced immigration lawyer.
Finding Your Priority Date
If you are a prospective immigrant, you can find your priority date on Form I-797, Notice of Action, for the petition filed on your behalf. The waiting time before receiving an immigrant visa or adjusting status depends on the :
- Demand for and supply of immigrant visas.
- Per-country visa limitations; and
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Availability Of Immigrant Visas
The Immigration and Nationality Act sets the number of immigrant visas the U.S. Department of State can issue to aliens;seeking to become lawful permanent residents each year.
Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited, so they are always available. Immediate relatives include:
- The spouses of U.S. citizens;
- The children of U.S. citizens;
- The parents of U.S. citizens at least 21 years old; and
- Widows or widowers of U.S. citizens if the U.S. citizen filed a petition before they died, or if the widow files a petition within two years of the citizens death.
Immigrant visas for the family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant preference categories are numerically limited, so they are not always immediately available. For more information, please see the Green Card Eligibility page.
In general, family-sponsored preference visas are limited to 226,000 visas per year, and employment-based preference visas are limited to 140,000 visas per year. Both categories are divided into several sub-categories, each of which receives a certain percentage of the overall visa numbers as prescribed by law. In addition, there are limits to the percentage of visas that can be allotted based on an immigrants country of chargeability .
Transferring The Immigrant’s File To The National Visa Center
For beneficiaries outside the U.S., or who fall into a preference relative category, the case will next be forwarded to the National Visa Center . This office will hold onto the preference relatives’ file until their waiting period is over and a visa has become available; in technical terms, their “priority dates” are current.
The filing date of the petition is the “priority date”. The U.S. Department of State publishes the monthly Visa Bulletin, which shows the priority date being processed in the current month.
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Applying For An Immigrant Visa
The application process youll follow will depend on where you currently live:
- Living in the United States: If youre already in the United States, youll often be able to file your application and remain in the country while its being processed. This is called Adjustment of Status
- Living outside the United States: If youre currently outside the United States, youll usually file your green card application from your home country, and remain there while its processed by your local U.S. embassy or consulate. This is called consular processing.
There are pros and cons to both pathways, so its worth making sure you understand the difference between Adjustment of Status and consular processing. In either case, though, your green card application process will typically follow the same basic steps:
STEP 1: Your sponsor will file a petition with the U.S. authorities to start the immigration process. For family-based green cards this will be Form I-130, which establishes your relationship to the sponsoring relative. For employment-based green cards it will be Form I-140, which requests an employment-based green card on your behalf.
IMPORTANT! In some cases you can file your green card application concurrently with your initial petition, making the whole process more streamlined. Read more about concurrent filing to check if it could help you gain a green card more quickly.
Do You Need A Canadian Work Permit To Immigrate To Canada
If you are one of the lucky candidates that manage to get a job offer, or perhaps even a few from Canada, well done! You are one step ahead of many other potential applicants that wish to gain permanent residence in Canada. Although a job offer is not required for you to get a visa, in most cases it speeds up the process and probability of how likely you are to receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent Canadian residency.
A job offer can be just what you need to take you one step further in the entire process that will essentially help make you a part of Canadas society. The question is – if you have received a job offer, what else is required for you to work in Canada?;
Wondering if you need a work permit to work in Canada? There are two types of Canadian work permits to choose from, which include an open and employer-specific work permit. These two documents are not the same as your travel visa, which is the main document that allows you to enter the country. If you have a valid job offer in Canada, you require your visa combined with one of the two types of work permits applicable to you to make a successful move.;
Do You Qualify? Check Now
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Family Preference Immigrant Visas
Distant family members of U.S. citizens may also be eligible for permanent residency. Non-immediate family members who may qualify include unmarried children over the age of 21, married children of any age, and siblings of a U.S. citizen.
- Family First Preference : Unmarried children of U.S. citizens, and any of their minor children
- Family Second Preference : Spouses, minor children, and unmarried children over the age of 21
- Family Third Preference : Married children of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children
- Family Fourth Preference : Siblings of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children
Unlike immediate relative visas, there is an annual cap on the number of family preference visas. The F-1 cap is set at 23,400 visas, F-2 cap is set at 114,200 visas, F-3 cap is set at 23,400 visas, and the F-4 cap is set at 65,000 visas.
The application process for non-immediate family members is the same as the permanent residency application for immediate family members. First, the petitioning U.S. citizen must file an I-130 application. Then the applicant must file an I-485 to adjust their status if they already reside in the United States. If they live outside of the United States, then their application will be processed through the Department of States National Visa Center and they must undergo an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate located in their home country.
Apply Only If Youre Eligible To Travel To Canada Right Now
- We strongly encourage you to wait until youre eligible to travel to Canada before you submit a visitor visa application. Find out if you can enter Canada.
- Travel restrictions are in place across all border crossings.
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Are There Other Options For Canadian Migration
Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications, or H&Cs, are Canadian permanent residence applications that are filed from within Canada. They are for people who do not have legal status in Canada but who have still made Canada their home.
Refugee Claims
Individuals;can;make an;asylum;claim in;Canada;at a port of entry or at an inland CBSA or Immigration,;Refugees;and Citizenship;Canada office. They must demonstrate why they can not go back to their home country.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program works to recruit newcomers to the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These provinces are able to fill labour gaps with immigrants who qualify with work experience.
Additional Thai Visa Requirements For Teaching:
Apart from the documents listed above, they also need the following based on your profession. Since mine was teaching, they needed
- An original letter of approval from a concerned government agency such as the Office of the Private Education Commission or the Office of the Basic Education Commission
- An original letter requesting for visa issuance, signed by the school director or an authorized person with the school seal/stamp
- An original letter of acceptance from employing institution or school in Thailand.
- A police certificate or an original letter of criminal record clearance issued from the country of applicants nationality or residence
- A curriculum vitae or a resume
- Evidence of educational qualification such as diplomas or teaching certificates.
- A school license or business registration, list of shareholders and school profile.
Even though its not mentioned, you will need proof of the principals registration as well as a signed copy of their ID.;
Along with all these, I also submitted my TESOL certificate and TOEIC result but they werent necessary for my Thai non-immigrant B visa.
The thing is there are some documents that you have to get from your home country if you are from South Africa or any other African country for that matter. The other documents- you can get them in Thailand.
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The Provincial Nominee Programs
The PNP route is becoming an increasingly popular way to immigrate to Canada. Canadian provinces such as Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia and others have developed their own immigration programs that often lead to a fast-track process. However, the PNP category generally requires that applicants reside in the respective Provinces after they arrive in Canada. Further, most PNPs require a job offer from a Canadian employer in order to qualify.
How To Get A Thailand Non
HOW TO GET A THAI NON-IMMIGRANT VISA: EXPERIENCE AS A SOUTH-AFRICAN
By Kirstyn Raasch last updated on February 19, 2021
Getting a;Thailand non-immigrant B visa, also popularly known as;Thai non-B visa;isnt really that complicated. But, getting Thailand non-immigrant visa from South Africa is not as straightforward as many other nationalities.;
A little bit of backstory first.
At the time I started pursuing English teaching positions in Thailand, I was at the other end of the world that was nothing like Thailand. Thousands of miles away. Top Tier Tutors, the tutoring company I had found when I was in university, was going so well.
At the same time, going to Thailand and living in South East Asia was something I had been rooting for a long time. Teaching English would allow me to do this. And a Thai non-B;visa and a subsequent Thai work permit based on that visa would allow me to teach English legally.;
There is no such thing as Thai work visa. You have to get a Thai non-B visa and then apply for a work permit in Thailand that runs parallel to the non-B visa.
Just so you know, a non-immigrant B visa can be issued for teaching English, working as a sports coach, work in a company, or conduct business.;In case you are interested in teaching, here are a couple of articles about how to teach English in Thailand and everything you need to know before teaching in Thailand.
There are many other types of Thai visas.
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