The F2A visa is an immigrant visa for spouses and minor children of Green Card holders, enabling them to immigrate to the United States under the Family Preference category.
Since the F2A visa has a cap or a limitation on the number, there is a high demand for them and the waiting times are quite long. The F2A visa gets at least 79,940 visas or 70% of the total number of Family Preference visas.
What Are the Requirements for the F2A Visa?
The F2A visa requirements are the following:
- The children must be under 21 years old and unmarried.
- Have proof of the relationship with the sponsor.
- The LPR must be at least 18 years old.
- The LPR must be living in the US and have a registered address with the authorities.
Supporting Documents for the F2A Visa
The documents file for an F2A visa application must contain the following:
- Your valid passport for more than 6 months after your planned entry into the US.
- A signed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support from the US petitioner or LPR (applicant’s spouse or parent).
- Form DS-260 confirmation page.
- Medical examination and vaccination documents.
- Two photographs according to the US Visa Photo Requirements.
- If you are the spouse of the LPR, you must bring your marriage certificate.
- If you are the child of the LPR, you must bring your birth certificate or adoption certificate
- Court and criminal records and/or police certificate.
- If you have been previously married, you must bring divorce or certificates of death to prove the marriage was officially terminated.
- If you served in the military, you must bring your military records.
How to Apply for the F2A Visa?
The F2A application process is divided into two parts:
- The US Lawful Permanent Resident petitions for their spouse or minor children to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- The spouse or child applies to a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country.
Filing the Petition
The Lawful Permanent Resident must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS. The petition is then processed by USCIS and an answer on approval or denial is then sent to the petitioner.
If the petition is approved, the documents will then be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for further processing. If the petition is denied, there will be a reason as to why it was denied so that the LPR can then adjust any problems and file again.
The NVC will send the approval documents to the petitioner and to the applicant (spouse or child) with a case and an invoice identification number, as well as instructions on what to do next. The documents will also contain all the information about what fees to pay and how to pay them.
Applying for the F2A Visa
The application process for the F2A visa goes as follows:
Step 1: File Form DS-260
Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa Electronic Application is the form which all applicants for immigrant visas must submit. It is done online and it will inquire on your personal and background information, as well as reasons why you are immigrating to the US. It will also ask you to write your NVC case number and invoice ID number. You must fill in the appropriate sections and then submit it. After submission, you will receive a confirmation number page which you must submit to NVC as part of your documents file.
Step 2: Complete medical examination and vaccination
You will have a set of documents about what check-ups you must complete and a list of the vaccinations. You must complete your examination at a licensed doctor who will sign your documents and state that you have taken the necessary vaccinations.
Step 3: Compile the F2A visa documents file
Your documents file must contain all the necessary documentation which supports your case. You must convince the NVC and US Embassy or Consulate that you fulfill all the requirements and are eligible to get the F2A visa.
Step 4: Attend the interview
The interview will be done at the US Embassy or Consulate where you are applying. The interviewer will ask questions about your background and then determine whether you will get the immigrant F2A visa or not.
Step 5: Receive NVC packet and travel to the US
When they issue your visa on your passport, the Embassy will also give you a packet of documents which is sealed. You cannot open this package under any circumstances. You will need to take it with you when you travel to the US and an immigration official will open it. This is a requirement for you to be able to enter the US successfully.
How Much Does the F2A Visa Cost?
The amounts vary and are set by USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security and the individual US Embassy or Consulate where you are applying. The main categories of fees that must be paid are as follows:
| Category | Description | Estimated Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130 | Filing Fee for Petition | $535 |
| Form DS-260 | Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee | $325 |
| Medical Exam | Required for Visa Applicants | $200 – $500 |
| Translation and Document Fees | Translation of Supporting Documents | $100 – $300 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee | Fee for Producing Green Card | $220 |
| Total Estimated Cost (approximate) | $1,380 – $1,880 | |
What Is the F2A Visa Processing Time?
The processing time for the F2A visa varies. Your date must become current for you to start the application procedure after your petition is approved. The NVC processes visas in chronological order, so it depends on how many applications were before you. This means that it usually takes a year or more for your date to become current and thus the processing time is quite long.
What if the Petitioning LPR got a US Citizenship While the F2A Visa is Processing?
Since the F2A processing time is quite long, the LPR in the meantime might get a US citizenship. This means that the spouse and children qualify for a different type of visa, which is the Immediate Relative (IR) visa. The children will qualify for the IR2 visa, while the spouse could apply for the IR1 visa.
Since the Immediate Relative visas do not have a cap the processing will be much faster.