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Immigrant visas to the United States are processed for citizens and residents of France and Portugal at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. Under most circumstances, a petitioner (a United States family member or employer) begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For many persons depending on their place of birth, there is also the Diversity Visa program, which does not require a petitioner.
You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including the Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process to begin applying for an immigrant visa.
Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.
In exceptional circumstances, a sponsor may submit a petition directly to the U.S. Embassy in Paris. This is sometimes referred to as “direct filing.”
