There are some terms that are important to know, when applying for a visa to travel to the United States. These terms can make it easier to understand the process of applying for an immigration or nonimmigrant visa. They are also terms that can lead to South Dakota immigration lawyer questions that need answers. This is a process that will include the application submitted by an individual and in some cases this cannot be done, until a petitioner has filed a Form I-129. Then there will be an interview by an immigration officer, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, the family in the U.S. may have many questions about the process or the petitioner, which the immigration attorney South Dakota can answer.

Important Terms

Administrative Processing: There is a processing time with all visa applications, and some will require what is known as Administrative Processing. This is an additional amount of time to review the application and document, after the interview by a Consular officer.

Admission: Even once a visa application has been approved, traveling to the United States is not guaranteed, it will be up to the Customs and Border Protection officer to either allow or deny the individual. They determine who can enter the U.S., and how long they are permitted to stay for the visa classification the individual has applied. They will record the Duration of Status on a Form I-94 or a Form I-94, which is the arrival and departure date.

Affidavit of Support: This is a document that guarantees that when the individual completes the visa application, they will have financial support, and in some cases this will be through certain employment and otherwise will be provided by families who are citizens or permanent residents in the United States. The Form I-864 must be submitted, which is an Affidavit of Support and in some situations, it will require a Form I-134 to be submitted. Both of these forms are legally binding.

Agent: This is the person who will receive all the correspondence regarding the visa application case. This can be the individual who applied for the visa, the petitioner, or it can be another person, which has been selected by the applicant and listed on Form DS-3032, Agent of Choice and Address.

Appointment Package: This is a letter, which includes documents telling the applicant the date of their visa immigration interview. There will be forms included in this package, which the applicant must fill out prior to the interview and instructions of what they need to be prepared for this interview.

Canceled Without Prejudice: This is a stamp used by the embassy or consulate on a visa. When there is a mistake or it is a duplicate visa. This does not affect the validity of another visa. It will not mean that the individual cannot apply for another visa, as long as they hold a valid passport.

Change in Status: A change in status from one nonimmigrant visa status to another nonimmigrant status visa during a stay in the U.S. is permitted. This is only possible for some nonimmigrant visa holders and must be approved by the USCIS, prior to the authorized stay expiring.

This is a small sampling of the important visa processing terms, and the immigration lawyer South Dakota will be able to explain any of these terms in greater detail. These are crucial terms for the applicant, their family or petitioner to understand when it applies to the specific visa either being applied for or held by the individual.