Embassy of the United States Zagreb, Croatia

• Form I-130 (PDF 52 KB)

Spouse of a U.S. citizen; parent or step-parent of a U.S citizen; and child or step-child under the age of 21 of a U.S. citizen.

A petition cannot be filed for a spouse until the marriage ceremony has taken place. Since the natural child of a U.S. citizen may have claim to U.S. citizenship, a petition for an immigrant visa cannot be filed until it has been established that the child is not a U.S. citizen. A step-parent or step-child will qualify for immigration only if the marriage creating the step-parent/child relationship occurs before the child's eighteenth birthday.

First Step

The first step in applying for an immigrant visa is for the U.S. citizen (petitioner) to file an immigrant visa petition, form I-130, for the alien relative (beneficiary) with the office of the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A separate petition must be filed for each person immigrating

Second Step

An intending immigrant requires an immigrant visa to travel to the United States to establish permanent residence. The U.S. Embassy in Zagreb processes immigrant visa applications for nationals and residents of Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia (see Immigrant Visa processing procedures in Zagreb, Croatia.) The average processing time is four to eight weeks.

If the petition is filed with the USCIS in the United States and the beneficiary is physically present in the U.S. when the petition is approved, he/she should contact the local USCIS office for further information. If the beneficiary does not qualify for adjustment of status in the United States, the petition is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire for further processing. From NVC, the applicant will receive instructions on the immigrant visa processing procedures.