You can travel to the United States of America and live with your children over there. With an IR5 visa, you can even work in the country without interruption by the US government.
In this article, we will give you the meaning of this visa, the eligibility, the requirements, and other related information about this visa; keep reading…
What is a Visa?
The term “VISA”(from the Latin charta visa, meaning “paper that has been seen”). It’s a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner’s stay. Areas within the country you may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual has the ability to work in the country in question.
What is the IR5 visa?
The IR5 visa is the US visa for parents of US citizens at least 21 years old. It allows them to live and work in the US and stay connected with their children as a family in one country. When they receive the IR5 visa, the parents can work legally in the US without needing an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
The benefit of the IR5 visa is that because it is an immediate relative visa, it does not have an annual cap or limit. This means that any applicant who fulfills the criteria and has an approved application can get the visa without having to wait for their priority dates to become current.
What are the Eligibility Criteria for the IR5 visa?
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.
Required documents:
There are some documents needed while applying for this visa, bellow are the compulsory documents for the visa.
- Valid passport. It must have a minimum validity of 6 months.
- Form I-130.
- Affidavit of Support. It shows you can support your parents while in the United States.
- Form DS-260.
- Two photographs. Check the photo requirements on the US immigration page.
- Civil documents.
- Medical Examination Forms.
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 Department of Homeland Security processes petition and takes a few months. After the processing, 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:
Since the IR5 visa does not have an annual cap or priority dates, the parent can start the application immediately after the petition is approved. The applicant should apply for US parents visa at the US Embassy or Consulate in their home country. In this stage, the US citizen will not have many duties and the decision will now be up to the officials who review the case in the US Embassy.
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.
Complete medical examination and vaccination:
The US has requirements regarding a person’s medical history and the vaccination. that they must receive in order to live in the country. In the NVC package, the applicant will have instructions about what tests they must conduct. 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.
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.
In addition to the standard required documents for a US visa, 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
Attend the visa interview:
After the documents have been sent, the NVC will schedule an interview for the applicant at the US Embassy where they are applying. A US Embassy official will conduct the IR5 Visa interview. They will ask questions regarding the applicant’s background and their reasons for wanting to move to the US. It is important to answer all questions correctly and honestly.
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. This helps them decide whether you can enter the country.
What are the IR5 Visa fees that must be paid?
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:
- Form I-130 filing fee.
- Processing fee for the Form DS-260.
- Medical examination and vaccination fees.
- Fees to get and translate all the supporting documents.
- USCIS Immigrant Fee. Which you must pay after you receive your visa and before you travel to the US. USCIS will not issue you a Green Card without you paying this fee.
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. How long it takes to get the IR5 visa depends on the length of time for processing of Form I-130 and other documents.
Do I Get Access to American Healthcare With an IR5 Visa?
Yes, you will have access to healthcare in the United States as an IR5 visa holder, however, the costs of getting medical treatment in the US are one of the highest in the world.
The treatment of a broken leg or broken arm will cost you $2,500, while staying at a US hospital may cost over $10,000, on average.
You can also read about spouse visa here:
Bottom Line:
We say congratulations for your IR5 Visa in united State of America. you can now work while in USA with your children. Don’t forget to contact us for your contributions or questions, if there is. we are here for you 24/7 to attend to your questions.
Good lock.
