U.S. EMBASSY PRISTINA TO PROCESS ALL IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTS OF KOSOVO, 17 January 2018
The U.S. Embassy in Pristina is pleased to announce that beginning in January 2018, it will begin processing all Immigrant Visa (IV) applications for residents of Kosovo. In previous years, IV applications were processed by the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia. Because the U.S. Embassy in Pristina seeks to provide high levels of customer service to Kosovar visa applicants and recognizes the difficulty of traveling to Skopje, it has decided to expand the visa services offered in Pristina.
Immigrant Visas are for foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States. IVs are the first step to becoming a lawful permanent resident (LPR), or getting a green card. Although there are many kinds of IVs, most immigrants receive visas in the family- or employment-based categories. To be eligible to apply for an IV, a foreign citizen must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen relative, an LPR relative, or a prospective employer. The sponsor begins the immigration process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). After such a petition is approved, applicants will eventually be notified of their appointment date at a U.S. Embassy abroad. Once the IV is approved, they may use it to immigrate to the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Pristina looks forward to offering additional visa services in the coming year. Please follow the Embassy on Facebook for news and updates. Questions may be sent to PristinaVisas@state.gov.
IMPORTANT POINTS
- Applicants should arrive no more than 15 minutes before the time of their interview. Large bags, laptops or weapons are prohibited at the Embassy. To facilitate security screening, applicants should consider leaving electronic devices at home.
- Individuals with specific questions about their Immigrant Visa applications should contact the Consular Section at PristinaVisas@state.gov.
- More information on the Immigrant Visa application process may be found on the State Department website here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process.html
