The US immigrant visas have various categories within them. One of them is the Immediate Relative Immigrant Visas (IR visas).
This article will go through the IR2 visa, what it is, its requirements, application process, and other relevant details.
What Is the IR2 Visa?
The IR2 visa is a US immediate relative visa for unmarried children under 21 years old of a US citizen. It can also be given if the child is under the Child Status Protection Act and is treated as if he or she were under 21 years old.
The advantages of getting an IR2 visa for the child is that he or she can live in the US as well as attend school and continue studies. Ultimately, the child has a Green Card and is able to work without the need for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) in the future.
The benefit of the IR2 visa and all the Immediate Relative Immigrant Visas in general as compared to the Family Preference Immigrant Visas is that they do not have an annual cap. So if the applicants meet the conditions and requirements of the visa, they can obtain the IR2 visa.
Who Can Apply for the IR2 Visa?
The criteria for the IR2 visa are not as extensive as some other types of visa. The child of the US citizen must be:
- Under 21 years old.
- Unmarried.
- Living in a foreign country.
- Has been living with adoptive US citizen parents for at least 2 years.
Besides the criteria for the child who will be applying for the IR2 visa, the US citizen must fulfill these criteria:
- Consent to adopting an unmarried child under 21 years old from a foreign country.
- Be a US citizen.
- Have adopted the child from a foreign country and lived with them for 2 years.
How to Apply For the IR2 Visa?
The application process for the IR2 visa follows similar patterns to other types of family based visas. It has two main parts:
- The US citizen petitions for the child to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- When the petition is approved, the child must apply to a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country
This shows that the application procedure must start within the US, with the US citizen petitioning to the authorities.
Filing the Petition
The petition can be done by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relatives. The US citizen must fill the petition in all the necessary sections and then submit it to USCIS. There is also a fee which the US citizen must pay in order to process the petition.
The petition will then go through the Department of Homeland Security and processed within a few months. The US citizen will be notified about the status when the processing is complete. If the petition is denied, USCIS will let you know what the reasons were for the denial. If the petition is approved, it will then go to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will then be your main contact for the IR2 visa.
The NVC will send a package with information and instructions to the applicant in a foreign country. The package will also include the case number and invoice ID number. This number serves to start the application from the US Embassy or Consulate in the foreign country.
Applying for the IR2 visa
Since the Immediate Relative Visas do not have a cap on the number issued each year, applicants do not need to wait for their priority dates to become current. Immediately after USCIS approves the petition, the applicant in the foreign country can begin their application at a US Embassy or Consulate. Since the child is a minor, they may have someone help them with their application. The US citizen does not have many duties in this part of the application.
File Form DS-260
Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa Electronic Application is the form which all applicants for immigrant visas must submit. The application can be accessed by using the NVC case number which links it to your case and the approved petition. The IR2 visa applicant or someone helping them must fill out all the necessary sections, which will have questions related to the applicant’s information, background, and purpose of immigrating to the US. When you submit the DS-260 form, you will get a confirmation page and number which you must attach to your supporting documents.
Complete medical examination and vaccination
The US has certain medical and vaccination requirements which its citizens and immigrants must fulfill. Anyone who wants to immigrate to the US must get the necessary medical check-ups and vaccines. The NVC package which the applicant received after the approval of the petition will specify what medical procedures the applicant must complete and the vaccines they need to get. Only a licensed doctor who will sign them can complete the documents and the check-ups. These documents will be attached to your supporting file which you will then send to the NVC.
Compile documents file
Besides the application form, you must also attach various supporting documents to give NVC a better reason as to why you should be allowed to immigrate to the US with an IR2 visa.
The IR2 visa file must contain the following required documents:
- Your valid passport for more than 6 months after your planned entry into the US
- A signed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support from the US petitioner (applicant’s parent)
- Form DS-260 confirmation page
- Medical examination and vaccination documents
- Two photographs per individual according to the US Visa Photo Requirements
- Court and criminal records and/or police certificate
- If you served in the military, you must bring your military records
Attend interview
Every immigrant applicant for the US must attend an interview at the US Embassy or Consulate where they are applying. The NVC will first make sure that you have submitted all the necessary documents and then will schedule the interview.
Since in this case, the applicant is a child, they may be accompanied by a caretaker. The child will be asked questions about who they are and the officials will determine whether the child can get the IR2 visa.
Receive NVC packet and travel to the US.
If the child’s IR2 visa is approved, they can travel to the US freely. The visa will be stamped on their passport and the Embassy will give them a package which the child must bring to the US when they first enter the country. You should not open this package under any circumstances. Only the US immigrant officials at any US point of entry will open it and decide whether the applicant can enter the country or not.
Do I Get Access to American Healthcare With an IR2 Visa?
Yes, you will have access to healthcare in the United States as an IR2 visa holder, however, the costs of getting medical treatment in the US are one of the highest in the world.
The treatment of a broken leg or broken arm will cost you $2,500, while staying at a US hospital may cost over $10,000, on average. You should pick a health insurance plan that fits you best, which overall is also affordable and covers your needs.
Other Types of Immediate Relative Visas
The IR visa category favors the immediate relatives or family of US citizens who live outside of the US. and are the following:
- IR1 visa for the spouse of a US citizen
- IR2 visa for the unmarried children under 21 years old of a US citizen
- IR3 visa for children adopted abroad by a US citizen
- IR4 visa for children to be adopted within the US by a US citizen
- IR5 visa for parents of a US citizen who is at least 21 years old.
As can be seen, immediate relatives are only spouses, biological or adopted children, and parents. Grandparents, uncles, or aunts do not qualify as immediate relatives and therefore cannot get these visas.
What Are the Fees to Pay For the IR2 Visa?
There are various fees that the petitioner and the applicant must pay throughout the application process for the IR2 visa. The main categories of fees that must be paid are as follows:
- Form I-130 filing fee
- Processing fee for the Form DS-260
- Medical examination and vaccination fees
- Fees to get and translate all the supporting documents
- USCIS Immigrant Fee which you must pay after you receive your visa and before you travel to the US. USCIS will not issue you a Green Card without you paying this fee.
How Long is the IR2 Visa Processing Time?
The processing time can take from 3 to 12 months, depending on the individual circumstances. Since the IR2 visa does not have annual caps, the processing times are also much shorter than the Family Preference Visas.
Do I Become a US Citizen Once I Get the IR2 Visa?
Children who enter the US with an IR2 visa have the opportunity to become US citizens immediately. If the child who has an IR2 visa is under 18 years old, then they will get US citizenship immediately when they enter the US and state that they will live in the US with their parents.
Those who are over 18 years old become permanent residents and receive their IR2 Green Cards, and can apply for citizenship when they are eligible.