Bringing a spouse (husband or wife) or child to the U.S.

How do I bring my spouse (husband or wife) to the United States?

American citizen sponsors who reside in the U.S. and wish to file an immigrant visa petition should do so in the U.S., with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office having jurisdiction over their residence.  For a listing of DHS offices in your area, please click here.

The Embassy is able to accept a limited number of petitions for spouses and children of American citizens, filed in cases when the petitioner currently resides in the consular district. 

In emergent or humanitarian cases, petitions will be accepted in Skopje from American citizen sponsors not resident in Macedonia or Kosovo who are seeking to file an immigrant petition for a spouse or child.  The U.S. Embassy in Skopje does not currently accept petitions filed on behalf of parents or other eligible relatives. 

The Embassy in Skopje will not accept petitions on behalf of a spouse or child with previous immigration violations. Petitions for beneficiaries with previous immigration violations must be filed with DHS.

If you must file in Skopje, the first step is to schedule an appointment to file an I-130 petition on behalf of your spouse or child.

If you are filing a petition, do not expect to receive a visa on your first visit to the Embassy.  Applying for an immigrant visa is a multi-step process that currently takes a minimum of four to six weeks from the time of the petition interview.  The steps are as follows:

The Immigrant Visa Petition, or I-130
 
The first step in the immigrant visa process is the I-130 immigrant visa petition.  The petition and all required documents must be filed by the American citizen sponsor at the time of the initial appointment. Both the American Citizen sponsor, known as the petitioner, and the foreign citizen beneficiary must be present for the petition interview.  The consular officer will then review the case and, when possible, approve the petition.  If the petition is not clearly approvable, the officer will request additional information and/or forward the petition to the Department of Homeland Security in Vienna for adjudication.
 
*Applicants are required to bring photos, phone bills, correspondence or other evidence supporting their relationship to the petition interview.  Failure to bring such supporting evidence will result in delayed adjudication of the petition and/or a decision to forward the petition to DHS.* 
 
Notification of Applicant Readiness
 
After the petition is approved, the foreign citizen applicant should begin gathering the documents required to process the immigrant visa.  The immigrant visa section will provide you with a list of the necessary documents.  
 
Once he or she has gathered most of the required documents, the applicant should complete the application for an immigrant visa (form DS 230, part I), and submit it together with the Notification of Applicant Readiness. 

The IV unit will then schedule a final appointment for the foreign citizen beneficiary. Written notification of the appointment date and time will also include instructions on how to complete the necessary medical examination.
 
The Immigrant Visa Interview
 
Applicants should appear for their interview fully prepared, with all required documents in order.  Applicants whose documents are not complete and in order will be asked to return once they have properly prepared their application. 

Applicants should pay special attention to the I-864 Affidavit of Support, which must be completed by the American citizen sponsor/petitioner and signed in the presence of an American notary public.  In particular, applicants should verify that their sponsor’s income meets or exceeds current poverty guidelines for the sponsor’s household size. 

For the current year’s poverty guidelines, please click here.  Applicants whose sponsors do not meet these guidelines should bring an additional I-864 and supporting documents from a suitable joint sponsor. 
 
Applicants who meet all qualifications for an immigrant visa and present a complete, well-ordered application package are often issued immigrant visas on the day of their interview.  Applicants are urged to closely follow all guidance in the application package in order to prevent any unnecessary delays. 

Processing times may vary, but we advise applicants to allow a minimum of four to six weeks from the time they submit the Notification of Applicant Readiness to the time they appear for the immigrant visa interview. Please note that there are separate fees for petition processing, as well as immigrant visa processing and issuance. For a complete list of fees, click here.

For more detailed information on the immigrant visa process, including information on other types of immigrant visas, please visit the Department of State’s immigrant visa website.

For more information, please send an email to: consularskopje@state.gov.