Consular Processing

Permanent Residence in the United States (Green Card) Status is obtained either through an Immigrant Visa obtained by a U.S. consular post / U.S. Embassy abroad or through approval of an adjustment of status application by USCIS inside the United States. Consular Processing is the process of obtaining permanent resident status by applying for and obtaining an immigrant visa while physically outside the United States and interviewing at a U.S. Embassy abroad.

There are several stages and various requirements at each stage. In order to be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, you must have an approved petition and a visa must be immediately available. Some people are eligible based on a petition that a family member or employer files on behalf of the applicant. Other people are eligible based on other categories. There are various requirements for USCIS to approve an immigrant petition and Immigration Attorney Susan Han can help with this process.

After an Immigrant Petition is approved, the case is transferred to the U.S. State Department where the National Visa Center will be reviewing the application and the required documentation. Immigration Attorney Susan Han can help with this process by helping to provide the National Visa Center the documents required and providing legal advice through the immigrant visa application process. After the applicant receives notification that the case is documentarily qualified, the case is scheduled for an interview and is transferred to the U.S. Embassy for an interview.Each step of the process is reviewed by Immigration Officers and Immigration Attorney Susan Han can help with the process from the beginning. Every case is also different and there may be situations when an immigrant visa is immediately available and other cases when the immigrant visa is not immediately available because of the category or basis. Immigration Attorney Susan Han analyzes each situation and provides legal advice throughout the process. She is also familiar with the various U.S. Embassy and Consular posts.In Summary, consular processing is the way for foreign nationals to obtain permanent residence status by obtaining an immigrant visa from a U.S. Embassy abroad. When the applicant is physically outside the United States and plans to interview at a U.S. Embassy abroad, consular processing is procedure. There are many requirements, steps and procedures for this process and Immigration Attorney Susan Han can help with this process. You can contact Immigration Attorney Susan Han at (410) 599-3100 or by email at susanhan@susanhanlaw.com.