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Immigrate to USA from Ireland

Immigrate to USA from Ireland

Irish citizens who want to immigrate to USA from Ireland will need specific legal documents. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides five different types of visas for the persons who are interested in relocating in U.S., for a determined or undetermined period of timeIrish citizens should also know that they may stay in U.S. without the need of obtaining special documents, under the regulations provided by the Visa Waiver Program. Those interested in Irish immigration to USA, should know that our immigration lawyers in Miami can offer further information on the visas available for Irish citizens. One can also apply for a residence permit in USA with our help.

Visa Waiver Program for Irish citizens 

Irish citizens who want to spend a short period of time in Miami, U.S., can benefit from the regulations provided by the Visa Waiver Program. Through this, Irish citizens can spend up to 90 days on the American territory without a visa. However, it is necessary to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).  However, this does not grant a residence permit for those who want to move to the US.

The US Electronic System for Travel Authorization

Irish citizens can enter the United States and stay here for up to 3 months without a visa, only by applying for electronic visas. This is a visa waiver for Irish citizens who can come to the US for tourism or business purposes without going through the entire visa application procedure and waiting times.

The form can be completed any time before the travel and simplified the entry procedures for those who want to come to the USA for short periods. The travel authorization obtained this way is valid for 2 years.

We remind Irish citizens that the travel authorization cannot be used as a document for immigration purposes. Our immigration law firm in USA can guide you through your options for moving here indefinitely.

Temporary work visas for Irish citizens moving to the United States

Temporary employment is one of the ways through which Irish citizens can immigrate to US as non-immigrants. These can be used to get a better knowledge of the American labor culture and thus establish if moving here meets one’s expectations. There are several types of visas that can be obtained by foreign citizens who want to work temporarily in the US. These are:

  • the H visa is available for highly skilled persons and professionals and requires to the employer to file for bringing the Irish citizens to the US;
  • the L visa is issued for intra-company transfers and it is available for management and technical positions with the same company or an Irish company’s subsidiary;
  • the O visa is available for persons with exceptional talent, such as artists, sportsmen, and even business.

Temporary employment in the US is available for people who can demonstrate their abilities and skills, which is why if you want to move to the USA this way, you can rely on our immigration lawyers in Miami for support.

The spouse visa for USA

Records indicate that Irish citizens have started migrating to the United States since the early 1820’s and now, there are more than 6 million citizens with Irish origins living here. The spouse visa is one of the most employed ways of moving to US.

Irish relocation to USA based on a spouse visa implies sponsorship from a US permanent resident or citizen. However, additional requirements must also be met. Among these, the couple must have been legally married before applying for the visa. Also, the American spouse must meet the minimum income requirements to support the Irish spouse once he/she enters the US. The income thresholds are established at state level, and for Florida, you can obtain the necessary details from our immigration lawyer in the United States.

You must fill out a number of forms to apply for a US spouse visa if your spouse is not a US citizen or permanent resident. The process must begin with contacting the US Embassy or consular office in your country of residence, and then the visa interview must come next. Numerous candidates utilize the offered services as a result of the rather hard process.

Feel free to address our law firm for guidance in moving here from any other country.

Immigrant visas in U.S. 

The citizens of Ireland who want to relocate to USA on a long – term basis will need to obtain an immigrant visa. Our immigration lawyer in Miami can provide more details on the requirements established for each type of U.S. visa, including USA citizenship.

Under the regulations of the legislation on immigration in MiamiUSCIS can issue the following types of immigrant visas:

The family-based visas are available for Irish citizens who are close family members of a U.S. citizen

There are different types of visas that can be obtained in this sense, in accordance with the relation of the applicant with the American citizen (spouseminor and/or adopted children and others). 

In order to apply for a family-based visa or one of the above-mentioned visas, the Irish citizen is required to contact the American embassy situated in Dublin, Ireland. Persons interested in Irish immigration to USA can receive specialized assistance from our team of lawyers.

An important aspect that should be taken into consideration is that the U.S. authorities no longer accept eyeglasses in the visa photo. The regulation became applicable starting with November 1st, 2016 with the main purpose of establishing a person’s identity in a faster manner. 

The same services offered to Irish citizens are available for persons who want to relocate to USA from Canada.

Non-immigrant visas for Irish immigration to USA

Irish citizens who want to move to the US can apply for non-immigrant visas that can be prolonged if they decide to establish themselves here. Among the most employed non-immigrant visas for the US are the student and temporary work permits that are divided into several sub-categories.

Those who want to immigrate to US from Ireland and need guidance can rely on the services provided by our law firm in Miami who can support them through the application.

How to obtain a US Green Card as an Irish citizen

In the United States, the Green Card is the equivalent of permanent residence in Ireland, however, the procedures through which this can be obtained are slightly different compared to the Irish one. There are several aspects to consider when deciding to apply for a Green Card, and among these, we can mention the following:

1.       there are two ways of obtaining a Green Card – through employment and family reunification;
2.       the procedures associated with immigration from Ireland to the US imply different steps;
3.       there is also the possibility to first obtain conditional residence depending on the type of Green Card sought;
4.       in the case of employment-based immigration, there are serval types of visas an Irish citizen can request in association with his/her experience and field of interest.

Irish immigration to USA can be supervised by our immigration lawyers in USA. Furthermore, our specialists can help you choose the best visa category that applies to them in order to expedite the relocation procedure.

When choosing to move to the United States from Ireland through family reunification, there are two types of visas that can be acquired. The first one is the Immediate Relative (IR) visa that is available for close family members, such as spouses and children, while the second one, the Family Preference visa which is issued to close relatives provided that certain requirements are met.

What should be noted about the IR visa is that it can only be granted to Irish citizens who are married to US nationals and who want to move here. Also, in the case of bringing children from Ireland here, these must be unmarried and must not be older than 21. Parents can also be brought under IR visas.

Family Preference visas cover a wider category of Irish citizens who can immigrate to the US, however, the requirements for these persons are also more stringent.

No matter the way an Irish citizen plans to move to the USA, our Miami immigration law firm can guide him or her through the visa application procedure.

In relation to immigration to USA from Ireland based on employment, the types of visas that can be obtained are as follows:

  • the EB-1 visa which is available for persons who have obtained remarkable results in education, sports and art;
  • the EB-2 visa which is available for highly qualified persons who have at least 3 years of experience in the field they work in;
  • the EB-3 visa which is available for persons who have obtained bachelor’s degrees;
  • the EB-4 visa which is available for special categories of religious workers.

There is also the EB-5 visa for investors which is the equivalent of the residence by investment scheme in Ireland and which implies starting a business and creating jobs in the USA. When you submit your application to the USCIS, the process of getting an investor visa for the United States typically takes 13 months. This is an average, therefore depending on your individual circumstances, the processing time may be longer or shorter. So, feel free to get in touch with our lawyers for support.

Persons who immigrate to the United States from Ireland based on employment must first secure a job with an American company that will start the relocation procedure.

Obtaining citizenship in USA as an Irish

If you have moved to the USA from Ireland and have lived here at least 5 years based on a permanent residence permit, you can qualify for a US passport. Naturalization is one of the best ways of gaining citizenship in any foreign country and it is also the case of the United States.

Citizenship can also be acquired by marriage or if one is born in the USA and has at least one American parent. Marriage is by far one of the most advantageous ways of obtaining citizenship as it implies having lived here with one’s spouse for at least 3 years.

The citizenship application procedure implies an English language test, which for Irish citizens is simple to pass, and a test on the American culture and history. A useful aspect is that the US allowed dual citizenship.

If you are interested in exploring your chances of American citizenship, our immigration lawyer in the US can help you. 

Those who are interested in Irish immigration to USA can obtain all the necessary details on how to move here under any of the visas presented above from our lawyers in Miami. We also invite you to watch our video:

​The Irish community in the USA

Ireland has outstanding economic relations with the United States, as the Irish community here is quite important. This is why those who seek to relocate from Ireland often choose the USA.
According to the US Census Bureau:

  • at the level of 2016, nearly 33 million US citizens claimed to have Irish ancestry;
  • at the time, these represented around 10% of US lawful residents;
  • these represented 11.6% of the total population of the United States;

If you are interested in relocating to USA from Ireland and need information on the formalities to complete, our immigration lawyers in Miami can offer all the details and can also help you apply for the desired visa.

Irish citizens are invited to contact our immigration attorney in Miami for further information on immigrant visas and how to obtain USA citizenship.