Consular Processing for green card is a procedure available to all intending
immigrants with approved permanent residence petitions, which allows them to apply for an immigrant visa at an American Consulate in their home country.
The processing time for consular processing of an immigrant visa is generally much shorter than the Adjustment of Status process. Unlike adjustment of status, consular processing rarely takes more than four to six months from the date of the petition approval
B.
You may have restrictions on travel outside the U.S. when
you have applied for adjustment of status
II.
Requirements for Consular Processing
A.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to receive an immigrant visa through consular processing, you must prove that:
1.
You satisfy all the admissibility criteria to enter the U.S. as an immigrant
2.
You have an approved immigration petition
3.
You plan to engage in the activities that are consistent with your immigrant visa category
4.
Your immigration petition's priority date is current
B.
Grounds for Inadmissibility
The consular officer may deny immigrant visas to foreign nationals on the following grounds:
1.
Health-Related Grounds
You may be denied an immigrant visa if:
a.
You have a communicable disease and the disease is of public health significance
b.
You have not met the vaccination requirements
c.
You have a physical or mental disorder and may pose a threat to the property, safety or welfare of others
d.
You are a drug abuser or a drug addict
e.
You are an alcohol abuser or an alcohol addict, and may pose a threat to the property, safety, or welfare of others
2.
Criminal and Related Grounds
You may be denied an Immigrant Visa if:
a.
You have committed crimes involving moral turpitude or crimes involving controlled substances
b.
You have had multiple criminal convictions, and the offenses committed are other than purely political, and the aggregate sentences to confinement are five years or more
c.
You have been convicted of trafficking controlled substances, or are the spouse, son, or daughter of a foreign national who is or has been an illicit trafficker or knowing assister, abettor, conspirator, or colluder with others in the illicit trafficking of any controlled substance
d.
You have been a prostitute, or are entering the U.S. to practice prostitution
e.
You directly or indirectly procure or attempt to procure or import prostitutes
or persons for the purpose of prostitution
f.
You are coming to the U.S. to engage in an unlawful commercialized vice
