V Visa
The V visa is a nonimmigrant visa created as a result of the passage of the LIFE Act of 2000.
Spouses or children of legal permanent residents (LPRs) may apply for a V visa to allow them to come to the U.S. to live and work while they wait for an approval of their immigrant status. The V visa requires that a Petition for Alien Relative was filed by the U.S. relative (LPR) before December 21, 2000. Spouses or children must show that they have been waiting at least three years for action by USCIS on their petition and they have not received a visa number due to worldwide numerical limitations.
Spouses who qualify for this visa category are granted V-1 status and children are granted V-2. The children of either spouses (V-1) or children (V-2) who qualify for this visa category are granted V-3 status.
All applicants must be eligible for visa issuance under all other applicable immigration laws. The V visa category will eventually phase out once all spouses and children who filed prior to December 21, 2000 have received a decision on their petition.
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