You Must Definitely Have These Documents To Apply for a U.S. Visa – ImmiPath

U.S. settlement documents need to meet some requirements according to the US Consulate’s regulations such as passport, birth certificates, reference pages, address confirmation, financial sponsorship applications, and criminal records. and many other documents.

More and more people want to settle in the U.S. to have better living conditions and enjoy the benefits that the number 1 power brings. This is also considered a turning point for sponsoring family and relatives to reunite in the United States because the country is known as an immigrant-friendly country.

However, to be granted a visa to settle in the U.S., you must open a U.S. settlement application and ensure the necessary documents as required by the Consulate.

Below, ImmiPath will tell you the documents needed in the US settlement application to quickly be approved by the Consulate. Find out now!

1. What Documents are Included in the U.S. Settlement Application?

To receive a U.S. immigration visa, you must prepare all the correct paperwork according to the regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Before answering the question of what documents are included in the U.S. settlement application, you should submit both the original and a copy at the same time.

All documents not in English must be translated into English and notarized.

To gain points in the eyes of the Consulate Officer, the applicant must be responsible for arranging the US immigration documents in the correct order that ImmiPath will list below and separating all original documents. Each applicant must have a separate set of documents.

If the applicant does not submit all required documents for the interview, the applicant’s application may be denied, resulting in a delay or delay in issuance of the immigrant visa.

When opening a U.S. immigration application, you need to ensure the following documents:

1.1 Reference page

For applications processed through the electronic application submission system (CEAC), please print the reference page and check all required items to ensure you are ready for your interview.

If the reconciliation page is not completed, you will not be interviewed and must schedule a new interview appointment.

For document comparison to be highly authentic, applicants need to ensure:

• All updated documents have been uploaded to the CEAC system
• Bring all original documents and certified copies that match the documents uploaded to the CEAC system when coming to the interview.
• Applicants who do not complete the medical examination and bring the Information Sheet issued by the Consulate-designated Medical Examination Unit will not be interviewed.

1.2 Register address

U.S. immigration filers need to access the ustraveldocs website to create an address registration account and print the address registration confirmation page. When coming to the interview, applicants also need to bring the address registration confirmation page after the interview.

If confirmation is not submitted, application processing and visa delivery may be delayed.

Note, each profile has a different profile number, so you must follow the instructions to create a separate profile and register an address.

When arriving at the Consulate, the applicant presents the interview invitation letter and the confirmation page (with barcode) of the DS-260 application [for immigrant (IV) visas] or DS-160 application (for nonimmigrant visas K) to the security guard to enter the gate and submit the invitation letter to the Consular office staff to receive the order number.

1.3 Visa application photo

The visa application photo must meet the correct size and background criteria according to regulations. Applicants must write their name and date of birth on the back of each photo. You can also find more information about specific visa photo requirements in the U.S. Department of State website.

1.4 Citizen identification card & household registration

You should bring your citizen ID card and household registration, the original, and a copy when you come to the interview with the consulate to receive your US immigration visa.

1.5 Passport

The passport must be valid for at least 60 days from the date the US visa expires. The passport also needs to be valid for 6 months.

Each applicant needs to have their own passport, including children traveling with their parents’ passports.

1.6 Birth certificate

Original and copies of the birth certificates of the sponsor, of each applicant named on file, and of all children of the primary applicant (even if that child is not accompanying).

In case there is no birth certificate of the sponsor, the consular officer will review and give further instructions to the applicant during the interview. If the applicant is an adopted child or the applicant has adopted a child, the applicant must submit additional papers for legal adoption.

Identification documents are also one of the identification documents required in the U.S. settlement application.

1.7 Certificate of marital status (not required if never married)

Applicants need a marriage registration certificate (original and copy). If you’re not married, there’s no need.

Legal proof of the termination of the sponsor’s and the applicant’s previous marriage (Original copy and copy of Divorce Certificate or Death Certificate of the former spouse, if any).

1.8 Original criminal record card No. 2

Visa applicants aged 16 years or older must have a valid Criminal Record No. 2 issued within 2 years by the Department of Justice of the province/city where the applicant is living or where the applicant legally resides according to the Household Register.

1.9 Original foreign criminal record (if any)

For immigrant visa applicants: Submit original criminal records issued by all countries where the applicant has resided for at least 1 year since turning 16 years old.

For K visa applicants: Submit original criminal records issued by all countries where the applicant has resided for at least 6 months since turning 16 years old.

A criminal record is also one of the mandatory requirements in the U.S. settlement application.

1.10 Criminal record (if any)

Applicants with prior convictions must submit a notarized copy of each criminal record and any prison sentence, regardless of whether the applicant has subsequently received a pardon or any other form of clemency.

Criminal records need to include complete information about the circumstances related to the applicant’s crime and the court’s judgment, including the sentence, penalty, or fine that the convicted person is forced to carry out. 

1.11 Military records (if any)

Applicants who have served in the military in any country must submit a copy of their military records.

1.12 Health check results

The health examination unit designated by the Consulate will notify you when the results are available. You will usually receive the results of your medical exam within 3 to 10 days.

Some cases will take longer and the health examination unit may send your health examination results directly to the Consulate.

The doctor in charge of examining the applicant will discuss with the applicant the results of the medical examination and necessary treatment requirements.

1.13 Financial sponsorship records

* For immigrant visa applicants: 

The sponsor and co-sponsor must complete, sign, and submit the financial sponsorship application (Form I-864) for each immigrant visa applicant.

Each sponsor and co-sponsor’s Form I-864 must be accompanied by IRS tax transcripts and related W-2 forms.

If form I-864 is filed by a co-sponsor, additional legal evidence such as a copy of birth certificate, U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or permanent resident card is required.

In case the sponsor has submitted all financial sponsorship documents to the National Visa Center (NVC), the applicant does not need to submit these documents again during the interview. If not yet submitted, applicants please prepare these documents to submit on the interview day.

Copies and scanned copies of form I-864 and other sponsorship documents are accepted.

* For K visa applicants: 

The sponsor can complete, sign, and submit Form I-134 for the principal applicant and a copy for each dependent applicant.

In addition, you need to submit a tax return issued by the Federal Tax Service (IRS) and W-2 papers if any.

If you have a co-sponsor, you need to submit additional proof of legal residency in the US such as a copy of your birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, or permanent resident card.

The officer will decide at the interview whether to accept a co-sponsor or not.

1.14 Evidence of relationship

The applicant needs to prepare all evidence to prove the applicant’s relationship with the sponsor and with accompanying dependent family members (if any).

Fiance/fiancee (K): Please name and clearly state each item in chronological order and divide it into two groups: before and after engagement. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, photographs, letters, phone bills, and other relevant evidence to assist in demonstrating to the consular officer the applicant’s true relationship with the applicant and the sponsor. To facilitate viewing by the Consular Officer, the applicant must remove the images from the album and only bring loose images.

Spousal sponsorship: Please name and clearly state each item in chronological order and divide it into two groups: before and after marriage. Evidence may include but is not limited to photos, letters, phone bills, and other relevant evidence to demonstrate to the consular officer the applicant’s true relationship with the sponsor.

If the applicant is the sponsor’s stepchild: Original marriage certificate of the sponsor and the applicant’s biological parents and a copy with divorce papers for all previous spouses of both partners.

Employment status: The applicant’s employer in the United States must provide written confirmation that the job position they offered to the applicant is still valid. The confirmation must be printed on business letterhead/logo paper, have the original signature of the employer, and must be notarized.

Other sponsorship types: Applicants need to prepare old household registration books, old school records, old photos, hospital birth certificates, Catholic family books… to prove the relationship with the sponsor.

2. What is the Process of Processing U.S. Settlement Documents?

To have a complete and correct set of documents to immigrate to the U.S., applicants also need to master the process of processing documents to immigrate to the U.S. through the following steps:

2.1 Step 1: Submit application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

The first and most important step to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa is to apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You must ask your sponsor in the U.S. to open a sponsorship file for you and your accompanying relatives (if any). If you do not have a sponsor in the U.S., the Consulate will guide the applicant through the necessary procedures.

2.2 Step 2: Continue processing documents at the National Visa Center (NVC)

After the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts the sponsorship application, a notification will be sent to the sponsor including the approval notice and form I-797.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also sent a copy to the National Visa Center (NVC) of the U.S. Department of State to continue processing the application. The center will also send the application documents directly to the applicant or the applicant’s legal representative.

In this step, NVC will check the financial sponsorship commitment document according to form I-864 of the sponsor/co-sponsor and collect fees according to U.S. regulations.

2.3 Step 3: Transfer documents to the Embassy

Your file will be transferred to the Embassy to complete the remaining procedures and a notification will be sent to the applicant and sponsor.

2.4 Step 4: Schedule your visa interview

The National Visa Center (NVC) will schedule your interview. On average, this process will take about 3 months from the time NVC receives your documents. However, for F-type U.S. settlement applications, the interview will be scheduled only when it is your turn.

2.5 Step 5: Health check and complete procedures

All U.S. visa applicants must undergo a health examination specified by the U.S. Consulate. This takes place at least 2 weeks before the interview date.

Applicants will know the details of the health check time and paperwork for the upcoming interview sent by the Consulate.

2.6 Step 6: Go to the interview at the Embassy

You will receive the results of your U.S. immigration visa application immediately after the interview.

The interview is one of the important steps in the U.S. visa application process. The decision to receive a visa successfully or not depends mostly on this stage. Applicants come to the U.S. consulate for the interview at the notified time.

During the interview, only the consular officer and the applicant will be present. All interview questions are in English and in case the applicant does not understand, a native employee will translate for you.

If the interview results are good and the visa applicant meets all settlement conditions, a passport will be issued at the interview. You will be advised and guided by consular staff on U.S. immigration regulations and procedures.

3. How to Check US Settlement Records?

There are some ways to help you check what stage your U.S. immigration application is at, to help you know when it’s your turn to interview so you can prepare well. ImmiPath tells you some of the following ways:

3.1 Track US settlement records using the Receipt Number

The 10-digit Receipt Number is the application receipt number issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to applicants in all categories to facilitate tracking their U.S. settlement documents. Each application will be issued a different I-797C receipt.

For example, the Receipt Number looks like SRC 23 016 23912. In which:

• SRC represents United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application centers.
• 22 represents the application receiving the year 2023
• 016 represents the number of working days in the U.S. fiscal year. 001 is the first working day, October 1, and 016 is the 16th working day of that fiscal year.
• 23912 is the application number received at the time of application

3.2 How to check U.S. settlement records

Applicants can check their U.S. settlement records through the following steps:

• Step 1: Access the Link https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do
• Step 2: Enter the 10 characters (Receipt Number) specified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
• Step 3: Receive information and check the results of your U.S. settlement application with the following parameters:

• • Case Was Received: Document received
  • Case Was Approved: Approval documents
  • Case Was Received At My Local Office: Received at the local Immigration Department Office
  • Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received: Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received: Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received
  • Case Was Sent To The Department of State: Sent to the Department of State
  • Department of State Sent Case to USCIS For Review: The Department of State sends the case to the Department of Immigration
  • Revocation Notice Was Sent: Revocation notice has been sent
  • New Card Is Being Produced: Green card is being issued

3.3 Look up USCIS U.S. settlement application processing time frame

Check the time frame so you know whether your U.S. settlement application has been processed or not. This lookup of U.S. settlement records can be done before or at the same time as the Receipt Number lookup. The process is as follows:

• Access the link https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ 
• Create a Form frame, select the application you have registered for a visa
• In the Field Office or Service Center box, select the U.S. Immigration Service office that processes the application
• Click Get processing time to receive the search results

3.4 How much does it cost to apply for a U.S. immigration visa?

The cost of applying for a U.S. immigration visa ranges from 1,500 USD – 2,000 USD depending on the type of immigration visa. Some fees when applying for a visa include:

• The sponsor needs to open a file and submit an I-130 application to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the I-130 application fee is 535 USD
• DS-260 immigrant visa processing fee: 325 USD/person
• I-864 financial sponsorship application fee: 120 USD
• Health examination fee: Depending on each case, the cost of health examination will vary. You may be recommended to get vaccinated if necessary. The examination fee for adults 15 years and older is 240 USD/person. For children from 2 years old – under 15 years old, it is 210 USD and 145 USD/person for children under 2 years old.
• US green card fee: 220 USD/person
• Cost of biometrics: 85 USD/person
• For L1/H1-B or EB-5 immigrant visa applicants, the visa application fee will be much larger from 500 USD to 1,500 USD.

In addition to these fees, the main applicant must also pay US settlement costs such as translation fees, notary fees, etc.

4. Some Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. Settlement Documents

4.1. Where should I apply for a criminal record certificate?

Judicial Record Form No. 2 is issued by the Department of Justice of the province/city where the applicant is living or where he/she is legally registered according to the Household Register and takes about 10 days to complete.

The applicant must personally request the Criminal Record Form No. 2 and cannot authorize another person to request this form on the applicant’s behalf.

If you live in the city. Ho Chi Minh City, applicants can contact the Department of Justice at 143 Pasteur, District 1, City. Ho Chi Minh.

For more information about Criminal Records, please refer to the U.S. Department of State website.

4.2. What happens if the sponsor dies?

If the sponsor passes away, you must submit a copy of the sponsor’s death certificate. Unfortunately, if the sponsor dies at any time before the applicant arrives in the United States, the consular officer will not be able to issue the applicant a visa.

If this is the case, please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website to see more information about “reopening your case for compassionate reasons.” 

4.3. Why was my US settlement application rejected?

There are many reasons why your U.S. settlement application is rejected. For Fiance or Immigrant visas, the most common reason for denial is Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).

This refusal means that the Consular Officer does not have enough necessary information to review and reach a conclusion on the visa application. Therefore visa cannot be issued at that time.

When the requested information is submitted within the allowed time limit, the visa application will continue to be reviewed, the application will be concluded and the applicant does not need to resubmit the visa application.

There are also some cases of visa ineligibility, which may result in the visa being refused or not issued.

Other practices, such as corruption, can also be a cause of visa refusal.

4.4. What is the USCIS settlement fee?

This is the fee immigrants to the United States must pay. ImmiPath recommends that you pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before departing for the United States, but please wait at least 5 days after visa issuance to pay the fee. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will not issue you a green card if this fee has not been received.

However, in case you have not paid this fee, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will still allow you to enter the country if you meet the entry requirements.

All immigrant visa applicants must pay this fee, except in the following cases:

• Children adopted as Orphans (IR-3/IR-4)
• Hague Convention visa (IH-3/IH-4)
• Iraqi and Afghan citizens immigrate under special visas for U.S. Government employees
• Permanent resident applying to re-enter the United States (SB-1)
• Fiance/Fiancee Visa (K-1)

4.5. Can I be notified of the interview date via email once my U.S. immigration application is completed?

Interview schedule for applicants by mail. If the applicant has a change in contact information including phone number and mailing address, the applicant must update the new information on the applicant’s ustraveldocs account and at the same time notify the Consulate by filling out the online application form. 

5. How to Have the Most Complete Set of U.S. Settlement Documents?

As ImmiPath stated above, depending on each visa category, the types of documents and U.S. settlement documents will be different.

Therefore, in order for all paperwork to go smoothly, fully pay the prescribed fees as well as have a successful interview with the consular officer, we recommend that you find a reputable, quality U.S. immigration consulting service.

If one of the necessary documents is missing or the evidence is not convincing, your file will be returned and the reunion time will be prolonged.

At ImmiPath, we will assist you in arranging your U.S. settlement documents according to regulations, helping you have the most complete set of documents to go to the U.S., scoring points in the eyes of the consulate.

If you have any questions about U.S. immigration documents, please comment below the article, ImmiPath’s team of consultants will provide the most enthusiastic support and advice.