Requirements for immigration by a minor child (under the age of 18)

If a visa applicant is a child under 18 years of age, both parents should be present at the visa interview to provide their consent for issuance of a U.S. visa to their child. If a parent cannot be physically present at the time of the visa interview, a notarized statement should be brought to the interview giving the absent parent’s unconditional consent to the issuance of a U.S. visa for the child. The child’s parents will be identified through the child’s birth certificate, the parents’ passports with the child’s name written in them, and/or other documents proving legal custody.

Additional requirements for marriage-based visa applicants

If your status as an intending immigrant is based upon a relationship established by marriage between an alien and a United States citizen or legal permanent resident, please be prepared to present suitable documentation at the time of your immigrant visa interview to establish the bona fides of that marriage. The types of documentation listed below have proven helpful in previous adjudications of visa cases involving such recent marriages. The type of documentation that you will need to present will depend upon your particular circumstances. Failure to present satisfactory documentation may delay issuance of your immigrant visa:

• receipts showing joint obligations for housing and living expenses, such as rent, utilities, telephone, etc.;
• evidence of mortgages, leases, credit accounts, or other financial obligations undertaken jointly;
• evidence of joint ownership of property;
• evidence of joint management of finances, such as joint bank accounts, insurance policies, retirement plans;
• evidence (e.g. phone bills, photos, letters, etc.) of correspondence between the married couple prior and during the marriage;
• correspondence to both spouses from family members;
• evidence (e.g. invitations, cards, correspondence, etc.) from other parties recognizing you and your spouse as a married couple; and
• any other documentation or evidence which indicates that the parties to the marriage have formed a genuine economic and marital union.

Fiancé(e) relationship

You may be asked to submit proof of a valid fiancé(e) relationship with the petitioner. It is therefore useful to bring letters, photographs, or other documentary evidence of your engagement and relationship to your visa interview.

Additional requirements for employment based visa applicants

If your status as an intending immigrant is based on an employment-based petition or an offer of employment, you must provide a written statement confirming that the offer of employment is still available to you. Depending on your circumstances and preference category, you may wish to submit letter(s) from prospective employer(s), evidence of prearranged commitments, such as contracts, or your statement detailing plans for continuous work in the United States.