Immediate Relatives

U.S. citizen relatives of those who plan to base their immigrant visa applications on family relationship must complete a Form I-130, Immigrant Petition for Relative. A separate petition must be filed for each person immigrating.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas will no longer be able to file the Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relatives, with U.S. Embassies or Consulates. They will be required to file forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox.

For information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago lockbox, please see the USCIS website or contact USCIS by phone at 1-800-375-5283.

If you have any question call 807 488 472 or send an e-mail to ivmadrid@state.gov.

The petition will be forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH. The National Visa Center will send information regarding the visa process to the benificiary. Once the case is completed, the National Visa Center will schedule the appointment to come to the Embassy for an interview and will send a notification to the applicant or his/her agent.

The petitioner is not required to attend the immigrant visa interview. Applicants must schedule their medical exam, and pay the medical fee (in Euros only) directly to the clinic.

The U.S. Embassy in Madrid, also processes Family Based immigrant and Employment Based immigrant visas.

Once the beneficiary has received his/her immigrant visa, she/he must enter the United States within 6 months of visa issuance.

The Immigrant visa is placed inside the bearer’s passport, adhered to one of the pages. At the port of entry, upon the CBP officer’s placement of an admission stamp on the Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (MRIV) the alien is admitted to the United States as a permanent resident. This constitutes a temporary I-551 valid for one year from the date of the endorsement on the admission stamp. This stamped visa is acceptable for travel and employment purposes. Should the immigrant wish to leave the U.S. and his/her stamp has expired and s/he has not yet received the Alien Registration Receipt Card, s/he should contact CIS in the U.S. before departure to ensure permission to return to the United States.

A permanent resident alien who intends to remain abroad for more than a year should, at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of departure, apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security for a Reentry Permit. The permit is valid for two years and may not be extended. If such a permit is obtained the alien may use this card to reenter the United States within the period of validity. Every alien applying for readmission must satisfy the immigration authorities that he or she is eligible in all respects for admission.

Important Notice

If at the time of admission to the United States, you have not celebrated the second anniversary of your marriage, which is the basis of your immigrant status, you are subject to the provisions of section 216 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under these provisions, you will be granted Conditional Permanent Resident Status at the time of your admission to the United States. You and your spouse will be required to file a joint petition (form I-751) with the CIS in the United States How Do I Remove The Conditions On Permanent Residence Based On Marriage? to have the conditional basis of your status removed. This petition must be filed within the ninety-day period immediately preceding the second anniversary of the date you were granted conditional permanent resident status. If a petition to remove the conditional basis of your status is not filed within this period, your conditional permanent status will be terminated automatically and you will be subject to deportation from the United States.

To know more about your new life in the United States, check the following guide: Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants Home Page (PDF - 1,55Mb).