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Visas & Immigration
If your issue is time-sensitive, contact our Dallas office at 972-239-1310.
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Information & Resources
If you are seeking information regarding immigration, visas, or United States citizenship, you may wish to review the material provided below. If you still have questions, concerns, or difficulties following your review of this information, you can request additional assistance by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.
If the matter you are experiencing is time–sensitive or an emergency, please do not hesitate to call the Dallas office at 972-239-1310.
Immigrant Visas and Permanent Residency
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, there are four major categories of immigrant visas:
- Family Sponsored: Many people become permanent residents of the United States through family members. You may be eligible to obtain a green card as:
- An immediate relative of a United States citizen (i.e. spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, parents of U.S. citizens over the age of 21);
- A family member of a United States citizen fitting into a preference category. This includes unmarried sons or daughters over 21 years of age, married children of any age, and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens over the age of 21.
- A family member of a United States permanent resident. This includes spouses and unmarried children of the sponsoring green card holder.
- A member of a special category. This can include a battered spouse or child, a person born to a foreign diplomat in the United States, etc.
- Employment-Based: You may be able to immigrate to the United States through an employment-based visa. Below is a list of visas available through employment. Please note that the privacy form on applications for employer-based visas needs to be filled out by the employer – not the beneficiary.
- Permanent residency through a job offer. U.S. employers can petition for individuals to obtain green cards through a permanent employment offer. Most of these categories require the employer to first get a labor certification, and then file a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. There are different preference categories under the Form I-400, based on the type of employment end experience of the individual being employed.
- Permanent residency through investment. Green cards may be available to individuals making an investment in the United States that creates new jobs in the country.
- Permanent residency through self-petitioning. Some categories of immigrant visas allow you to “self-petition,” or file for yourself. This option is available to “Aliens of Extraordinary Ability” or certain individuals granted a National Interest Wavier.
- Permanent residency through special categories of jobs. There are numerous specialized jobs that may allow you to obtain a green card based on a past or current job.
- Special Immigrant Visas: According to USCIS, a special immigrant is a person who qualifies for permanent residence under the USCIS special immigrant visa program. In order to apply for this status, an individual must complete an application documenting his or her eligibility for that petition and submit it to USCIS.
- Diversity Visas: The Diversity Visa Program makes 50,000 visas available annually, drawn randomly among individuals who have entered and are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.
Non-Immigrant Visas
There are various visas available for those wishing to temporarily visit the United States. Most commonly, these visas are available for business (B-1 Visa) or for tourism, pleasure or medical treatments (B-2 visa). More information on non-immigrant visas can be found by visiting the United States Department of State (DOS) website.
Please note that non-immigrant visa denials are final and cannot be appealed. In order to obtain a non-immigrant visa, denied applicants must reapply. For detailed information on non-immigrant visa requirements, please click here.
Additional Resources
USCIS Processing Times: Although USCIS is committed to adjudicating all cases as quickly as possible, the agency typically processes cases in the order they are received. For each type of petition or application, the agency has processing goals. To review these goals, please visit their website. To check the processing time for your case, click here.
Expedite Requests: Requests for expedited processing are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and are granted at the agency’s discretion. To review the USCIS expedite criteria, please visit their website.
Visa Availability: Some visa categories have a limited number of visas available. To review numerically-limited visa categories, please review the DOS Visa Bulletin. You may also call to check this information by dialing 202-663-1541.
Helpful Phone Numbers
U.S. Department of State
Overseas Citizens Services: 202-501-4444 (from outside the U.S.) or 1-888-407-4747 (from within the U.S.)
Please note that these numbers are for emergency or crisis situations overseas.
Visa Services: 202-485-7600
National Visa Center: 603-334-0700
Passports: 877-487-2778
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
USCIS: 800-375-5283
DHS Operator: 202-282-8000
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Dallas: 972-444-7300
San Antonio: 210-321-2800
Houston: 281-985-0500
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Dallas/Fort Worth Service Port: 972-870-7460
Houston Service Port: 281-985-6700
Non-Immigrant Visas
If you or someone you know has submitted a non-immigrant visa application and would like Senator Cornyn’s office to inquire prior to the interview, we can offer assistance. In order to facilitate the inquiry process for this type of visa, please provide a letter explaining the situation, documentation demonstrating strong ties to the applicant’s home country, the interview date and location, and a signed and completed privacy release form.
If you require assistance with a non-immigrant visa, please fill out and print this online form, and return it with a signed privacy release to the Dallas office. If your application is time-sensitive, please call the Dallas office at 972-239-1310.
Please note that non-immigrant visa denials are final and cannot be appealed. In order to obtain a non-immigrant visa, denied applicants must reapply. For detailed information on non-immigrant visa requirements and the reasons for denials, please click here.
Petitioning for a Relative or Employee
If your immigrant petition for a family member or employee has been pending longer than the posted average processing time by USCIS, you have a specific question or concern about your case, or you would like to make an expedite request, our staff can offer assistance.
To request additional assistance, please fill out and print this online form, and return it to the Dallas office. If your issue is time–sensitive, please call the Dallas office at 972-239-1310.
Still need additional assistance?
If you need additional assistance, please print and fill out the immigration privacy form available below, and submit your form by email casework@cornyn.senate.gov or by mail to the address listed on the form below.