How to immigrate to the USA: Your key to the American dream

Learn about immigrating to the USA, the types of visas, general requirements, costs, application process and processing times.

Ivandzhelin

5 minute read

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23 Sep 2024

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Moving

Each year, over 1 million foreigners immigrate to the USA. With its strong economy, beautiful nature, and high standard of living, it's no surprise America is a top destination for foreigners to immigrate to. To make immigrating to the US simple, we’ve outlined the immigration process in terms of the types of US visas you can apply for and how to apply for an American visa.

You can immigrate to America by getting an immigrant visa or a non-immigrant visa.

1. Immigrant visas allow foreigners to relocate permanently to the US (essentially getting a Green card).
2. Non-immigrant visas permit people to reside in the country for a limited time.

While many foreigners will need a visa, there are some instances in which a US visa is not required. Foreigners who don’t need a visa to immigrate to the USA must have one of the following:

1. Visa waiver: Allows foreigners to stay in the US for up to 90 days for business or tourism. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is available to non-US citizens from 40 countries registered under the ESTA program (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) with valid passports.
2. Canadian passport holders: Can move to the US for up to 6 months without a visa.
3. Automatic Revalidation: With an already-existing US visa, you can travel to Canada or Mexico for less than 30 days without needing a new visa to re-enter the country (except for internationals holding Iranian, Syrian, Sudanese, or Cuban passports).

In all other cases, you need a visa to immigrate to the USA.

In this article, we will outline the most popular types of US Immigrant visas you can apply for to immigrate to the US. These include:

• Family-based Green card
• Employment-based Green card
• Diversity lottery Green card
• Student visa

Check out our general guide on US Green cards to learn more about how to apply for them and their requirements.

Family-based Green card

You can apply for this visa If you’re related or married to a US citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident (a holder of a Green card). Some Family-based green cards have a limit on who can be sponsored depending on their country of origin and the sponsor’s residency status. Yet, 5 Family-based green cards aren’t subjected to this limitation:

• IR-1 (Spouse of an American citizen)
• IR-2 (Unmarried child of an American citizen younger than 21)
• IR-3 (Orphan adopted by an American citizen abroad)
• IR-4 (Orphan adopted in the US by an American citizen)
• IR-5 (American citizen’s parent who is older than 21)

Employment-based Green cards

To be eligible for an Employment-based green card, you need a job offer from a US employer who will sponsor your visa application. Employment-based visas are divided into 5 categories, each covering different sought-after skills people immigrating to the US should have.

• EB-1 (Priority workers): Such as professors, researchers, multinational executives, etc.
• EB-2 (Professionals with advanced degrees or special skills in their field): Only for the fields of science, art, or business
• EB-3 (Skilled workers and Professionals)
• EB-4 (Special immigrants): Such as religious workers or broadcasters
• EB-5 (Investors): Foreign investors planning to invest between $500,000 and $1 million to create jobs in America.

Diversity lottery Green card

The US has a yearly “green card lottery”, which grants over 50,000 foreigners an immigrant visa. The lottery is available only to a set quota of foreigners from certain countries each year. To apply, you need to pass a background check and meet one of the following:

• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• 2 years of work experience in a qualifying occupation

Student visa

The American student visa grants you permission to migrate to the USA for the duration of your studies at an American university. There are 3 types of student visas you can apply for:

• F1 Visa: Applicable to students enrolled in a full-time academic program or English Language Program. You can work part-time (20 hours per week) on campus or do a job related to your study.
• J1 Visa Applicable to exchange students moving to the US to work and study, like au pairs and guest lecturers.
• M1 Visa: Applicable to non-academic or vocational school students. You can work only after you’ve completed your studies, and any off-campus work has to be related to your study.

Check out our guide to F-1 student visa to learn how to apply, when and what documents you need.

The specific list of documents and eligibility criteria depends on the type of visa you’re applying for. But in general, you need these documents to immigrate to the US:

• Valid passport
• Nonimmigrant intent, e.g. providing a return plane ticket (only for temporary visa applicants)
• Petition (some types require the sponsor or petitioner to file a petition on your behalf; only US citizens or legal residents can do so)
• Consular interview
• Proof of financial means (for some)
• English language proficiency
• Medical exam (for some)
• Background check (no criminal record)

To immigrate to the US, you’ll need between $6,405 and $10,575, which includes the costs of visa applications, legal fees, moving expenses, flights, etc. These costs will vary depending on where you’re coming from, your destination, and the amount of luggage you plan on bringing.

Specifically, for your visa application and processing costs, budget between $2,305 and $2,575. Here’s a table with some of the need to help you calculate how much you need to pay to immigrate to the USA.

Check out our guide to moving to the US, where we share a 6-month timeline to relocate to the US.

The application process depends on where you’re currently residing:

Living in the United States: in most cases, you can apply for and wait for the renewal of your visa in the US. All you need to do is apply for an Adjustment of Status (AOS).

Living outside of the United States: you’ll need to apply for a Green card from your country of residence and remain there while your application is being processed at the local US embassy or consulate. In this case, the application process is as follows:

1. Your sponsor files a petition with the American authorities
2. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reviews and approves the petition
3. You file your Green card application at the nearest US embassy or consulate
4. Attend an in-person interview
5. Receive a decision approving or denying your application

Migrating to the USA can happen anywhere between 3 months to 4.5 years, and it all depends on the type of visa you’re applying for:

• Family-based visas: between 8 and 30 months
• Employment-based visas: between 4 and 9 months (for the H-1B visa)
• Diversity lottery visa: around 8 months
• Student visa: around 21 working days

So there you have it, all the ways you can immigrate to the USA. Now that you've filled in all the details regarding your immigration, you can start applying and planning your new life in America.