Immigrant Visas
General Categories of Immigrants
An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the United States. U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: Immediate relatives, family-based, employment-based, and Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, known as the "Green Card Lottery." The U.S. Embassy in Zagreb processes only three categories of immediate relatives of American citizens and those selected through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. All other categories must be filed directly with the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States.
Immediate Relatives
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are eligible to qualify for immigration in the immediate relative category. All these categories require submission of form I-130. Click here for information.
| Spouse or Minor Child of a U.S. citizen | An immigrant visa may only be processed for a child if he/she has no claim to U.S. citizenship |
| Parent of a U.S. citizen | U.S. citizen must be 21 or over |
| Step-parent or child of a U.S. citizen | Step-parent, step-child relationship must occur before the child’s 18th birthday |
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
An annual diversity immigration program makes available each year by random selection 55,000 immigrant visas to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. Eligibility to apply for this program is determined by a person’s place of birth, not citizenship.
For information on other categories of immigrants, click here.