Ask the Consul: How to Apply for an Immigrant Visa

Question: How do Israeli citizens apply for an immigrant visa in Israel?

Answer: Immigrating to the United States is an important decision that involves a complex and lengthy process.  Generally speaking, you qualify to immigrate to the United States if you are:

•          A spouse or immediate relative of an American citizen or legal permanent resident (greencard holder);

•          The fiancé/e of an American citizen;

•          Certain prospective employees of United States companies;

•          Selected through the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery program.

Immigrant visa applications for all residents of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza are processed by the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. For further information on how to apply for an immigrant visa, please visit the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem's website, which has a complete step-by-step guide at: http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/immigrant_visas.html.

The Consulate also offers a helpful FAQ page to answer many of the most common questions about immigrant visas: http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/faq-immigrant.html.

To inquire about your case, the best way to contact the Consulate is by email at jerusalemivinquiries@state.gov. Additional contact information is available at: http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/contact_us4.html.

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Ask the Consul is a regular feature on the Consular Round Up blog. Every few weeks, one of the Embassy's Consular Officers answers an interesting consular question we've received from one of our readers. Think you can stump us? To submit a question, leave a comment, post one on our Facebook wall or send us an email at NIVTelAviv@state.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!