IR2 Visa

What is the IR2 Visa?

The IR2 visa is a U.S. Green Card available to unmarried children of U.S. citizens. For a child to be eligible, they must be below 21 years old. It’s an immigrant visa that grants the holder permission to live and study in the United States. They can also work without needing an Employment Authorization Document.

The visa is not only available to biological children of U.S. citizens but also adopted and stepchildren. This visa, like all other immediate relative visas, has no annual cap. Hence, you can apply and obtain it at any time.

Who is eligible for an IR2 Visa?

To be eligible for an IR2 visa, the applicant must be unmarried and less than 21 years old. In addition, they must meet any of the following requirements:

• Natural-born child of married U.S. citizen(s) – at least one of the parents must be a U.S. citizen.
• Natural-born child of unmarried U.S. citizen; This requires a blood test to prove paternity if the father is a U.S. citizen.
• Legally adopted child of U.S. citizen; the child must be less than 18 years at the time of adoption, and they must have lived with their adopted U.S. citizen parents for two years.
• Stepchild of U.S. citizen; the child must be less than 18 years when their parents got married.

IR2 Visa Required Documents

For IR2 visa application, the applicant must provide the following documents:

• International passport valid for more than 6 years after the date of planned entry
• Form DS-260 confirmation page
• The approved Form I-130 petition
• Proof of medical examination and vaccination
• Two passport photographs according to U.S. visa standards
• Court or criminal records
• Military records if parents served in the military

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may also request additional information depending on the circumstances. If the documents are not in English, you must provide certified English-translated versions.

IR2 Visa Application Process

The IR2 visa application process is identical to other family-based visas. The U.S. citizen petitions USCIS on behalf of the child, and upon approval, the child applies at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Form I-130, Petitioning

The sponsoring U.S. citizen/parent must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relatives. This is the very first step in the application process. You must complete the petition, pay the filing fee, and submit it to USCIS. USCIS won’t start processing until you pay the filing fee.

USCIS and also the Department of Homeland Security will process your application and do a background check. After processing, you’ll get a notification of their decision. If your petition is denied, USCIS will explain why. If approved, the petition goes to the National Visa Center (NVC).

The NVC will provide the applicant (your child) in a foreign country with necessary information and instructions about the application. Notably, this will include the case and invoice I.D. numbers. These numbers are important when applying for an immigration visa abroad.

After USCIS authorizes the petition, your child can then apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. As a minor, it’s important you have someone to assist with their application.

File DS-260, Immigrant Application

All immigrant visa applicants must complete Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa Electronic Application. You can access this form using the NVC case number and the approved Form I-130 petition.

Your child must complete all parts of the DS-260, which ask for personal information, background, and reason for immigrating to the United States. After submitting the DS-260 form, they’ll get a confirmation page and number. It’s important to print these for the visa interview.

Medical Examination and Vaccination

The visa applicants must meet specific medical and vaccine requirements to be eligible to enter and stay in the U.S. This is to ensure they don’t have any condition that poses a risk to the public.

The information received from the NVC will explain what medical examinations and vaccinations the applicant must complete. These must be conducted by a licensed doctor who will issue a medical certificate and other documents. These documents will also be sent along with other necessary evidence to the NVC.

Visa Interview

After completing the medical examination and receiving vaccinations, attending the visa interview is next. It’s important that you attend your interview with all the necessary documents. In fact, the NVC will only schedule the interview if all your documents are complete.

Since the applicant is a minor, they may go to the appointment with an adult. Officials will ask the child some questions about, and if satisfied, they’ll issue the IR2 visa. The embassy will stamp their passport and provide them with a sealed visa packet which they must deliver to the U.S. when they arrive.

This package should never be opened. At the port of entry (POE), they’ll submit the packet to an immigration official for inspection. Your child can only enter the country if the U.S. immigration officials approve of it.

Medical Examination and Vaccination

The visa applicants must meet specific medical and vaccine requirements to be eligible to enter and stay in the U.S. This is to ensure they don’t have any condition that poses a risk to the public.

The information received from the NVC will explain what medical examinations and vaccinations the applicant must complete. These must be conducted by a licensed doctor who will issue a medical certificate and other documents. These documents will also be sent along with other necessary evidence to the NVC.

Visa Interview

After completing the medical examination and receiving vaccinations, attending the visa interview is next. It’s important that you attend your interview with all the necessary documents. In fact, the NVC will only schedule the interview if all your documents are complete.

Since the applicant is a minor, they may go to the appointment with an adult. Officials will ask the child some questions about, and if satisfied, they’ll issue the IR2 visa. The embassy will stamp their passport and provide them with a sealed visa packet which they must deliver to the U.S. when they arrive.

This package should never be opened. At the port of entry (POE), they’ll submit the packet to an immigration official for inspection. Your child can only enter the country if the U.S. immigration officials approve of it.

IR2 Visa Application Fees

For an IR2 visa application, you’ll have to pay all or some of the following fees:

• Form I-130 filing fee ($325.00)
• Fees for medical examination and vaccination (varies depending on your location or physician involved).
• Fees for translating non-English supporting documents (varies)
• USCIS Immigrant Fee

If required, you must pay the USCIS immigrant fee before your child travels to the U.S. else they may not get their Green Card and may be denied entry.

IR2 Visa Processing Time

The IR2 visa has no annual cap on the number of people who can obtain it.

This indicates that waiting times for this visa are much less than family preference immigrant visas.

Processing times vary by circumstance. Generally, an IR2 Immigrant visa application will take 3-12 months to process.

Grounds For Visa Denial

The majority of IR2 visa applications usually get approvals. However, it’s possible for the embassy officer to disapprove the visa application on some grounds:

• The visa application may be denied if there’s not enough information to show that the applicant is eligible. This mainly has to do with supporting documents.
• The visa application may be denied if the beneficiary clearly doesn’t qualify for the IR2 visa category. For example, the beneficiary may be up to 21 years which is an automatic disqualification.
• The visa may be denied due to legal ineligibility and inadmissibility grounds. This mainly has to do with the current and past actions of the IR2 sponsor. Negative records may show that the parents are not qualified to take care of a child.

If the IR2 visa is denied, the embassy will tell you the reason why. In some cases, you may be able to apply for a waiver of ineligibility. Otherwise, you’ll have to reapply in the future.

Citizenship For IR2 Visa

Children with IR2 visas can become citizens of the United States. If the child on an IR2 visa is under the age of 18, they will automatically receive U.S. citizenship once they enter the country with the intention to live with their parents.

Those over the age of 18 can become a lawful permanent resident using their IR2 Green Cards. However, they can seek citizenship when they are eligible. To be eligible, the applicant must live in the U.S. for about 2.5 to 3 years.

How can IAS help?

Petitions for the IR2 category are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. In other words, you must complete your forms to the highest standard to ensure that your application is successful. If you fail to submit all the required documents, your petition may be delayed or rejected.

To make sure your Green Card for Children is processed quickly, and without mistakes, you should seek the advice of an expert. At IAS, our immigration lawyers are qualified to provide expert guidance and will help maximize your chances of success.

Get in touch today to learn more about our immigration advice service. Your dedicated lawyer will:

• Review your case to assess your eligibility;
• Liaise with your family living abroad;
• Check your supporting documentation;
• Liaise with the USCIS.

Get in touch with our staff or ask for a free call back from our immigration experts.