Immigration Links
Immigrant Visas
Step 1: The Petition
An application for an immigrant visa starts with the filing of a petition. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the immigrant visa petition must be filed in the United States with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The limited cases for which a petition can be filed in Riyadh are described below.
Filing a Petition at the Embassy
U.S. citizens who can prove continuous legal residence in Saudi Arabia for a period of at least 6 months may file petitions at the U.S. Embassy Riyadh for the following immigration classes:
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Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens (IR): The spouse, widow(er) and unmarried children under 21 of a U.S. citizen, and the parent of a U.S. citizen who is 21 or older.
In exceptional cases we will also accept petitions from non-resident U.S. citizens in true emergency cases, such as those involving life and death or health and safety, plus instances where minor children who would be unexpectedly left without a caretaker.
Petitions can also be filed under the same circumstances at the U.S. Consulates General in Jeddah and Dhahran.
All other immigrant visa petitions must be filed in the United States with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
To file, you may appear at the Embassy’s consular section between 1:30pm and 3:30pm, Saturday-Tuesday. The U.S. citizen petitioner and all alien beneficiaries must appear in person on the day the petition is filed.