Immigrant Visas

Immediate Relatives

Consular posts abroad are authorized to accept petitions for immediate relative immigrant classification (spouse, parent or minor child) only from American citizens who are resident in their consular districts. Residency status in our consular district means that you live and work in the Suva Consular District comprising of Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga or Tuvalu and have either a residence permit or a valid work permit.

To demonstrate residency in a consular district, American citizen petitioners must be able to show that they have permission to reside in the consular district and that they have been doing so continuously for at least six months before filing the petition. Individuals who are in the country on a temporary status, such as student or tourist, would not be considered to meet the residency standard. Residency status in our consular district means that the petitioner resides in Fiji or in one of the countries within the Suva Consular District (French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga or Tuvalu) and has either a residence permit or a valid work permit.

All U.S. lawful permanent residents and American citizens resident in the United States must file I-130 petitions at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence, as indicated on the USCIS website.

How to file an I-130 petition?

US citizens who meet the residence criteria, wishing to file a petition for an immediate relative, should contact the Immigrant Visa Unit by email on consularsuva@state.gov or by telephone 331-4466 between 2 and 4pm, Monday to Thursday to make an appointment prior to coming to the Embassy.

The US citizen petitioner and the petition beneficiary need to obtain and provide the following documents:

Petitioner

Valid US passport
Proof of termination of all prior marriages i.e. original divorce or death certificates (if filing for spouse and/or minor step-child)
Original birth certificate (if filing for parent and/or minor child)
Two US size passport photos
Completed and signed form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Completed and signed form G-325, Biographic Data Information Sheet

Foreign National

Valid passport
Original birth certificate
Original marriage certificate bearing the Seal of the Registrar General (if applicable)
Proof of termination of all prior marriages i.e. original divorce or death certificates (if applicable)
Two US size passport photos
Completed and signed form G-325, Biographic Data Information Sheet

What happens once my petition is approved?

The petition beneficiary will be given a packet containing the following:

Appointment letter
Instructions leaflet and checklist for immigrant visa applicants
Immigrant visa application forms
Instructions and forms for police clearances
Instructions and forms for medical examination

The petitioner will be required to provide a correctly completed and signed FormI-864, Affidavit of Support and copies of 1040 Federal Tax Returns and W-2 Statements for the most current tax year for the beneficiary to submit at the time of her/his scheduled immigrant visa interview

Fees

Filing fee of US$355
Application fee of US$400

U.S. lawful permanent residents and American citizens resident in the United States must file I-130 petitions at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence, as indicated on the USCIS website:
http://www.uscis.gov.

Returning Residents

Immigrants who lived in the United States previously as lawful permanent residents and are returning to live in the United States after a temporary visit of more than one year abroad.

Returning Residents or immigrants who lived in the United States previously as lawful permanent residents and are returning to live in the United States after a temporary visit of more than one year abroad, for reasons beyond their control, must file a DSP 117 form (non refundable Fee US$400) with the Consular Section at US Embassy Suva. If the application is approved the applicant must obtain certain documents, obtain a police clearance, have a medical examination by a consular panel physician, and undergo an immigrant visa interview (Fee: US$400). The returning resident visa Category SB1 is valid for six months for re-entry to the United States.

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