As part of the application process to legally immigrate to the United States, several important documents must first be submitted to federal authorities. The purpose of the submitted documentation is to assist U.S. immigration officials in verifying an immigration visa applicant's identity and background.
Documentation
According to the U.S. State Department, there are as many as nine categories of civil documents that must be turned over by an applicant as part of the process to obtain an immigrant visa.
Those documents, which must be translated into English and certified, if necessary, include, but are not limited to:
- Valid birth certificates for the applicant and each accompanying family member, including any adoption papers for children, if applicable
- Any marriage and/or divorce certificates for EVERY union an applicant has been a part of
- All military records, if the applicant served in their home nation's armed forces
- All court and prison records, if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime
- A photocopy of the biographical data of a valid passport
- A police certificate from the applicant's nation of origin or the last country they resided in, if the applicant is older than 16
- Birth certificates and marriage/divorce records may also be required for the petitioner who is supporting the applicant
Additional Requirements
While the submission of all of the above-listed documents, if applicable, is considered necessary as part of the U.S. State Department's immigration visa application process, even more documentation may be required in some instances.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, there are at least three circumstances in which additional documents may have to be turned over to complete the application process for legal permanent residency in the U.S.
For applicants bringing immediate family members with them, they will need to submit various official forms, including for their inspection and admission, immigration category, medical and vaccination records, and assorted waivers.
Much of the same is typically required for Special Immigrant Juveniles seeking legal entry into the U.S.
As for applicants seeking employment-based immigration, they need to submit all of the above, along with documented proof of a valid job offer or legal work status.
To be sure, the application process to legally immigrate to the U.S. is arduous and time-consuming, and requires the submission of certain critical documents, some of which can be difficult or impossible to obtain in certain countries that lack stable, centralized governments.
Notably, per USCIS, some exceptions can be made to those requirements in such instances when specific documents are non-existent or unavailable, like birth certificates, which can be substituted with other documents that prove an applicant's birth and identity, such as church, hospital, or school records.
That said, the trouble an applicant might endure in gathering together and submitting the necessary documentation for legal immigration pales in comparison to the legal jeopardy they may find themselves in if they are caught attempting to illegally enter the U.S.
