Immigrant Visas

Immigrant visa applicants from countries that need visas to enter Poland should contact Polish consular posts in their home countries at their earliest convenience and inquire about current procedures and timeframes for processing applications for Polish visas. DV-lottery applicants should remember that failure to pursue their allocated visa(s) during the month that they were initially scheduled for an interview may mean that visa numbers will no longer be available for them later in the year and they could miss their opportunity to obtain a visa. Please bear in mind that applying for an immigrant visa at our post will require at least one trip to Poland, and in some cases multiple trips to the Embassy in Warsaw. Please also be aware that technical and procedural concerns may require a stay longer than the normal two days in Poland to complete processing of your case. You should plan accordingly when applying for a Polish visa.

Все заявители, обращающиеся за иммиграционными визами, которые требуются в получении польских виз для въезда в Польшу, должны срочно контактироваться с соответствующими польскими консульствами, чтобы получить информацию на тему визовых процедур и срока рассмотрения заявлений. Обращаем также внимание всех участников визовой лотереи (DV), что процедуры по получению иммиграционных виз надо начать в месяце, на который первоначально назначено было собеседование. В противном случае визовые номера могут кончиться раньше и получение виз в следующих месяцах станет невозможным. В процессе получения иммиграционных виз требуется один или иногда несколько визитов в Американском посольстве в Варшаве. В некоторых случаях, по техническим или процедурным причинам, прцесс рассмотрения заявления на визу может длится больше двух дней. Учтите, пожалуйста, вышеуказанное, обращаясь за польской визой

Visa Categories

An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the United States. U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: Immediate relatives , Family Based Immigration, Employment Based Immigration and Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as the "green card" lottery. This page also provides information about Fiancee visas.

Immediate Relatives

The following immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are eligible to qualify for immigration in the immediate relative category.

Note: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws and cousins cannot sponsor a relative for immigration.

Spouse or minor child of a U.S. citizen
An immigrant visa may only be processed for a child if he/she has no claim to U.S. citizenship.

Parent of a U.S. citizen U.S. citizen must be 21 or over

Step-parent or child of a U.S. citizen Step-parent, step-child relationship must occur before the child’s 18th birthday

Spouse of a deceased U.S. Citizen
Petition must be filed within 2 years of death of the U.S. citizen.

Orphans adopted abroad by a U.S. Citizen or orphans to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. Citizen

Family Based Immigration

Persons seeking to immigrate in one of the family based preference categories will qualify for immigrant status only if they have the necessary relationship to a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident as described below.

Note: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws and cousins cannot sponsor a relative for immigration.

Unmarried son or daughter over the age of 21 of a U.S. citizen

Spouse or unmarried son or daughter of a Lawful Permanent Resident

Married son or daughter of a U.S. citizen

Brother or sister of a U.S. citizen U.S. citizen must be 21 or over

Employment Based Immigration

In general, a specific offer of employment from a U.S. based employer is required to qualify for immigration in the employment based preference categories.

Priority Workers
Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, arts, business or athletics: outstanding professors and researchers & certain multinational executives & managers.

Persons with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts and business
Defined as a member of the professions holding an advanced degree or equivalent, or baccalaureate degree plus at least 5 years of progressive experience in the specialty, and persons of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts and business.

Professionals
A person who holds a baccalaureate degree and who is a member of the professions.

Skilled and Unskilled Workers
Skilled workers with at least two years training or experience and unskilled workers whose skills are in short supply in the U.S. Note: The Embassy does not keep a list of these professions.

Special immigrants
Certain religious workers and ministers of religion, certain international organization employees and their immediate family member, qualified and recommended current and former employees of the U.S. government and returning residents.

Investors
Persons who will create employment for at least ten unrelated persons by investing a minimum of $1,000,000 in a new commercial enterprise in the U.S. or at least $500,000 where the investment is being made in a "targeted employment area".

Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available each year by random selection 50,000 permanent residence visas to persons from countries that have low rates of immigration to the United States. Visas are apportioned among six geographic regions based on immigration rates over the last five years, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration.

Due to the large numbers of Poles immigrating to the United States, as in previous years Poland has been excluded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the 2009 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery. The Immigration and Nationality Act states that no diversity visas shall be provided for “high admission” countries – those from which there were more than 50,000 immigrants during the previous five years. Each year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the DHS compiles the immigrant admission figures for the previous five years to identify those countries that must be excluded from the annual diversity lottery. A separate determination is made before each lottery application period, resulting in the list of countries eligible for the program changing from one year to the next. It is therefore possible that Poland could be included in the DV Program again in future years, if the number of Polish immigrants to the U.S. drops below the 50,000 threshold for the preceding five years.

DV-2008 Program Participants
Persons whose DV-2008 Lottery entry has been selected.

DV-2009 Prospective Participants
Persons who have submitted their entry for the DV-2009 Visa Lottery Program.

Fiancee Visas

Fiancee of U.S. Citizen
The fiance(e) of a U.S. Citizen who intends to travel to the United States to marry and take up indefinite residence after marriage.