Iranian citizens who want to immigrate to the United States of America need to file their visa applications with one of the US embassies in the UAE, Turkey, or Armenia. They also need to comply with the same requirements as other nationalities, depending on how they decide to move here.
Below, our immigration lawyers in the USA explain the main procedures associated with relocation to the United States from Iran, as well as a few pointers on the best way to move here.
The main immigration options for Iranian citizens
Most Iranians who want to move to the United States come here to find economic prosperity, which is why employment and business are two major prospects for them. For this purpose, the simplest way to relocate for them is a non-immigrant visa which can later be converted into an immigrant one.
Non-immigrant visas can be obtained for the following purposes:
- business, through the B-1 visa;
- work for highly-skilled migrants, through the H1-B visa;
- work for non-agricultural workers, through the H2-B visa;
- training, through the H3 visa;
- work as a person with extraordinary abilities, through the O visa;
- the visa for athletes, sportspeople and artists, through the P visa.
There are also student visas – F and M.
They have different validity terms, depending on the duration of the labor contract, when it comes to employees. Intra-company transfer visas are also an option for those who are able to relocate from Iran to the USA through employment.
Can an Iranian citizen apply for a US immigrant visa?
This is one of the most frequent questions our immigration lawyer in Miami gets and the answer is yes, such visas are available for Iranian citizens. Among these, they can qualify for:
- the US spouse visa;
- the fiancé visa;
- the EB-5 investor visa.
These are also great ways to acquire Green Cards or permanent residence permits for the USA. If you are interested in any of these options, we invite you to get in touch with our US immigration attorneys for an evaluation of your eligibility conditions.
What is the best way to immigrate from Iran to the US?
The best chances for successful immigration depend on numerous factors, however, the most important have to do with:
- your qualifications and how much they are sought on the US market when it comes to employment;
- if you have the necessary amount of money if you plan to apply for an investor visa for the USA;
- if the relative you will come to has a legal status of a resident of the United States, in the case of a family reunion.
By far, family reunification is one of the best options, however, not all people are lucky enough to have relatives in the USA, which is why any extraordinary ability and/or work experience can prove valuable when immigrating to the USA from Iran.
You can also rely on our immigration specialists who can offer the right guidance when it comes to choosing the option with the highest chances of success.
Iranian citizens living in the USA
Iranian migration to the States started a long time ago, specifically in the 1930ies. Getting close to our days, the latest statistics date from 2021, and they indicate that:
- at the end of 2019, there were 385,000 residents of Iranian descent living in the United States;
- they represented less than 1% of the total immigrant population on US soil;
- most of them – 54% – lived in California, followed by Texas with 8% and New York with 5%.
If you want to move to the USA from Iran and need support, our Miami immigration lawyers can help you. Do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone.