Embassy of the United States Chisinau, Moldova

Any foreign national who wishes to reside in the United States permanently must apply for an immigrant visa, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the United States. U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: immediate relatives, family-based, employment-based and the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, sometimes known as the "green card" lottery.

For an overview of the types of immigrant visas available under immigration law, please see Visa Types for Immigrants on the Department of State website. For more information about the different types of immigrant visas click one of the links to the left.

The consular section processes immigrant visas for Moldovan residents. With a few exceptions, immigrant visa petitions must be filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States. Approved petitions are forwarded to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The National Visa Center collects fees and documents and schedules the visa interview.

Applicants must come to the Embassy for an interview. To learn how to make an appointment for an interview and pay the application fee, visit the Visa Application Fees and Process. All IV fees are payable in U.S. dollars or Moldovan lei by either cash or credit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover, Diners Club, or American Express.)

Visa cases may be processed at different speeds depending on many factors (such as additional administrative processing, missing documents or incomplete applications). Applicants should not make any final travel arrangements, dispose of their property, or give up their jobs until they get their visas.

Every applicant must fill out an application packet. For a list of the standard forms required, visit the Immigrant Visa Forms  page. Once an immigrant petition is approved, the National Visa Center will advise the applicant what forms and documents to prepare.