Immigrant Visas
Immigrant Visa Inquiries: The Embassy DOES NOT have public visa inquiry hours and the Embassy staff does not discuss specific cases over the phone. Applicants with specific visa questions which are not covered on our website may e-mail us at SantiagoImmigration@state.gov or fax us at 02-330-3005 from within Chile or 56-2-330-3005 from outside of Chile .
Normal processing time for immediate relative petitions and K (fiancée) visa requests is approximately 2-4 months.
In order to file a petition for an immigrant visa, the American citizen sponsoring the immigrant must appear in person at the Embassy only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 8:30 and 11:30 AM. Please note that the Consular Section is closed the first Friday of every month.
The Embassy is located on Andres Bello 2800 in Las Condes, Santiago. Closest Metro station: Tobalaba
An appointment is not necessary to file an immigrant visa petition, however, non-U.S. citizens will not be admitted to the Embassy without an appointment. Please note that subsequent inquiries about pending petitions should be made via email to SantiagoImmigration@state.gov or by fax to (56-2) 330-3005. Due to the heavy volume of inquiries it usually takes about two weeks to receive a reply. Inquiries about subjects covered on this web site will not receive a reply.
Immigrant Visas' General Categories
Immigrant visas are issued to individuals traveling to the United States to take up permanent residency. According to U.S. immigration law, persons eligible to immigrate to the United States are divided into three general categories:
(1) direct relatives of citizens, such as parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and direct relatives of legal resident aliens, such as spouses and unmarried sons and daughters;
(2) beneficiaries of an approved employment-based petition in the U.S.;
(3) people selected at random through a visa lottery.
Please note that due to recent changes in U.S. immigration law, the Embassy may only accept immigrant visa petitions from American citizens who have been resident in Chile for at least the preceding 6 months and have a legal permanent status in Chile; or when acting on the petition is in the national interest; or an emergent or humanitarian situation exists. All other Americans must file their petitions at the domestic USCIS office with jurisdiction over their place of residence. For more information please go to www.uscis.gov
The diversity immigrant category, also known as the 'Visa or Green Card Lottery', provides immigration opportunities for persons from countries other than the principal sources of current immigration to the United States . Such immigrants will be selected at random each year from applications received during a specific period. The law requires that every applicant must have at least a high school education or, within the past five years, have two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years training or experience.
Present the following information to the U.S. Embassy
In order to initiate the immigration process, the sponsoring U.S. citizen if residing in Chile must appear in person at the Embassy for a filing interview. At this time he or she must present the following information to the U.S. Embassy on behalf of their qualified immediate relative:
- Original marriage certificate, translated into English, if applicable. The marriage book (or "libreta") is not acceptable for this purpose;
- Original birth certificate of the qualified immediate relative or petitioner; in case of filing for parents or children.
- Divorce decree, annulment certificate, or death certificate if prior marriage(s), if applicable;
- Completed I-130 and G 325A forms (for the sponsor and the beneficiary);
- Photographs, as specified in BCIS form (formerly INS form) M-378 (1 for the petitioner and 3 for the beneficiary). A color photograph size 5 x 5 cms., taken against a white or off-white background. The head must be centered in the frame with its size (measured from top of hair to bottom of chin) not more than 25 mm x 35 mm.
- Sponsor's original U.S. Passport; and
- A petition filing fee of US$355 dollars or the Chilean pesos equivalent, payable in cash and credit cards.
If you do not submit all of the above documents, your application will not be accepted at the window. You will need to resubmit your application at a later date once you have all the required documents and fees.
Embassy security guards give out small plastic numbers that enable immigrant visa staff to call people up to the immigrant visa service window in order of arrival.
There are 3 phases in obtaining an immigrant visa:
1. Filing Interview - When the U.S. citizen files the petition, we will give you detailed written instructions on what you will need to complete the visa process, called a "Packet 3".
2. Document Preparation - The second stage is for the foreign visa beneficiary (the visa applicant) to collect all of the necessary documents, as described in the instructions in the Packet 3. When all documents, including the Affidavit of Support, are ready the beneficiary only needs to wait for the immigrant visa section of the Embassy to schedule a final interview for the applicant. The immigrant visa unit, will send the appointment letter along with information for the applicant to make an appointment for the Medical exam. For details on numerically-limited visas visit http://travel.state.gov.
3. Medical examination – All immigrant visa applicants require a medical examination conducted by a designated panel physician. There are currently two panel physicians approved for use in Chile . Costs associated with the medical examination are US$140 for adults and US$77 for applicants less than 15 years old. The fee is paid directly to the panel physician. All immigrant visa applicants should have their vaccination records available for the panel physician's review at the time of the immigrant medical examination. If you do not have a vaccination record, the panel physician will work with you to determine which vaccinations you may need, to meet the requirement. Please see the following link: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1331.html for more information about the vaccination requirements.
The panel physicians will give the medical examination report directly to you for you to take to the Consular Section on the day of your visa interview.
The following is the Panel Physicians contact information:
Dr. Gail Grossman
Centro Medico Apoquindo – Apoquindo 4100 Of – 205
Phone: 562-207-1670 - 09-3221581
Dr. Walter Passalacqua
Maria Luisa Santander #0281 (Metro Estacion Baquedano)
Phone: 562-204-7071
4. Final Interview - The visa applicant appears at the Embassy at the designated interview time, with all supporting documents. A consular officer conducts an interview to determine eligibility for the visa. If all documents are in order and the applicant is eligible, a visa can be issued, usually within one week. The visa will be sent to the applicant by courier (DHL) paid at the embassy on the final interview date. After receiving the immigrant visa, the applicant may travel to the U.S. where he or she presents the sealed immigrant visa packet to the Immigration officer at the port of entry, and applies for a green card (permanent resident).
The status of permanent resident is for individuals who reside in the United States on a permanent basis. Prolonged periods spent living outside of the U.S. may cause one to lose permanent resident status. A period of over one year spent living outside of the U.S. automatically causes a loss of permanent resident status unless the resident has obtained authorization (re-entry permit) from BCIS (formerly INS) in the United States. The Embassy cannot issue re-entry permits not make extensions to a green card.
The adjudication process for immigrant and fiancée visas generally takes approximately 2-4 months from the time of the initial application.
Important: Non-Immigrant visas (tourist, business, transit, etc.) require that the bearer have no intention of immigrating to the U.S. Consequently, having an immigrant visa application pending may cause the applicant to lose his or her status for non-immigrant visas already issued. Immigrant visa applicants who travel to the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa may be denied entry. Final determination of this is made by the BCIS (formerly INS) at the port of entry.
Specific inquiries about petitions that are not answered at the embassy web site may be made via email to SantiagoImmigration@state.gov or by typewritten fax, to (56-2) 330-3005. Due to the heavy volume of inquiries it usually takes about 2 weeks to receive a reply. Please refrain from sending duplicate messages within the 2-week time frame. Inquiries about subjects that are covered on this web site will not receive a reply.