The IR5 visa is an Immediate Relative visa for parents of US citizens who are at least 21 years old.
What Are the IR5 Visa Requirements?
To be eligible for the IR5 visa, there are some criteria which both the US citizen and their parent must fulfill, as below:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Have financial stability to support their parent until they start working.
- Live in the US and have a valid US address.
- The parent must be from a foreign country.
- The US citizen and their parent must prove their relationship through a valid birth certificate.
Supporting Documents for a IR5 Visa Application?
The US parents visa file must contain the following documents:
- 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 (applicant’s child)
- Form DS-260 confirmation page
- Medical examination and vaccination documents
- Valid birth certificate proving the relationship of the US citizen and the applicant
- Two photographs per individual according to the US Visa Photograph Requirements
- Court and criminal records and/or police certificate
- If you served in the military, you must bring your military records
How to Apply for the IR5 visa?
The process to apply for the IR5 visa includes both the US citizen and their parent who have to submit documents and forms. The application process has two parts:
- The US citizen petitions for the parent to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Upon approval of the petition, the parent must apply to a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country
Because of this procedure, the parent cannot actually apply for the USA parent visa before the child who is a US citizen gets the petition approved.
Filing the petition for the parent
The US citizen or the child of the applicant must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relatives to USCIS. The petition must be filled and any necessary documents must be attached in order for it to be complete. Additionally, the US citizen must also pay a filing fee.
The USCIS notifies the US citizen whether it has been approved or denied. If the petition is denied, USCIS will let you know of the reasons and you can then reapply. If the petition is approved, it will continue to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will then take over the application process and you will only contact them for any inquiries.
The NVC reviews the petition and then sends the parent or applicant in the foreign country a package with information and instructions. This package contains the applicant’s case number and invoice ID number. Each of these numbers is different for applicants so that they can be identified when the times comes to apply for the IR5 visa.
Applying for the IR5 Visa
The application process will typically go through these steps:
Step 1: File Form DS-260
The parent or applicant will put in their case number and will be redirected to the appropriate sections. They must fill out all the sections with the correct information which are related to the applicant’s background and other details. At the end, they will get a confirmation page and number which they will attach to the supporting documents.
Step 2: Complete medical examination and vaccination
n the NVC package, the applicant will have instructions about what tests they must conduct and what vaccines they must take. The applicant must then go to a licensed doctor to complete the requirements and have the doctor sign the documents which prove that those requirements have been fulfilled. These documents will then be attached to the supporting ones to send to the NVC.
Step 3: Compile the US visa for parents supporting document file
In order to strengthen the application, the parent must also attach some supporting documents to send to the NVC. These documents serve to prove that the parent fulfills all the requirements and is eligible to move to the US with an IR5 visa.
Step 4: Attend the visa interview
The NVC will schedule an interview for the applicant at the US Embassy where they are applying. They will ask questions regarding the applicant’s background and their reasons for wanting to move to the US.
Step 5: Receive NVC packet and travel to the US.
The US Embassy will notify the applicant whether their visa has been approved after the interview. If the applicant gets the IR5 visa, the Embassy will give them a package which they must bring when they travel to the US. It is important to not open the package. The only people who will open it are the immigration officials at the US point of entry.
What Are the IR5 Visa Fees?
There are various fees that the petitioner and the applicant must pay throughout the application process for the IR5 visa. The main categories of fees that must be paid are as follows:
| Fee Type | Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130 Filing Fee | $535 | Filed by the U.S. citizen petitioner to establish the parent-child relationship. |
| Form DS-260 Processing Fee | $325 | Fee for the immigrant visa application for consular processing. |
| Medical Examination and Vaccination Fees | $200 – $500 | Costs for medical exams and required vaccinations; varies by location. |
| Translation and Document Fees | $50 – $200 per document | Fees for obtaining and translating any required supporting documents. |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee | $220 | Paid after receiving the visa and before traveling to the U.S. for Green Card issuance. |
| Total Estimated Cost (approximation) | $1,330 – $1,780+ | |
How Long is the IR5 Visa Processing Time?
It will take from 6 months up to 1 year for the applicant or parent to receive the IR5 visa. The processing time depends on the length of time for processing of Form I-130 and other documents.
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- IR-1 visa for the spouse of a US citizen
- IR-2 visa for the unmarried children under 21 years old of a US citizen
- IR-3 and IR-4 US adoption visas