Understanding How the US Immigration Process Really Works in Practice

Today, more than 40 million people who are living in the USA are immigrants from another country.

Immigration to the US is very doable and many people have achieved it. However, if you’re looking in from the outside and you have no experience with it, the immigration process may seem like a daunting and even doable task.

The first step to immigration is understanding exactly how it works in practice. Let’s take a look at it.

Establishing a Route

Not just anyone can move to the USA. You need to find a viable and legal route.

For most people, this is employment or family immigration. Spouses and immediate relatives of citizens and permanent residents are allowed to immigrate to the USA as well as those who have a legal route to working there. The latter is often harder to achieve.

Filing a Petition

Since most people going to America to live there are doing so through family or employment means, the next step is filing a petition. The person sponsoring the immigrant (whether an employer or relative) will have to file this form within the USA and it will be sent to USCIS.

The most important thing to prove is that the sponsor has enough money to support an immigrant. Even if the immigrant is rich in their own right, USCIS won’t count this money towards their case.

The National Visa Center

Next, the most likely step is moving to the National Visa Center (NVC). They’ll review important documents such as financial records and ensure the immigrant has everything they need for their interview.

An interview and medical test will round up the process. The interview will be based on ensuring the immigrant is eligible to move and all information they have provided is true, while the medical test will focus on testing for contagious diseases and ensuring vaccinations are up to date.

Running Into Trouble

If you do lie throughout the process, you may run into trouble later and need an immigration lawyer. There’s also a chance there could be a mix-up, even if you have been truthful throughout the entire process.

The immigrant may even need an immigration bond, so it’s wise to have money aside for emergencies like this.

But what is an immigration bond? It’s money handed over to ensure that an immigrant in legal trouble will attend all of their hearings rather than try to flee. If you can’t afford the bond, there are often organizations that can help out with this.

Be Truthful Throughout the Immigration Process and Seek Help Where Necessary

The best thing you can do is be honest during the immigration process and, if you do run into any trouble, hire a qualified immigration lawyer immediately. Immigrating to the USA is very doable, but it requires doing your research and knowing the process well. f you do run into any trouble, hire a qualified immigration lawyer immediately. Immigrating to the USA is very doable, but it requires doing your research and knowing the process well.

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