2022 Military Immigration Option: Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative (IMMVI)

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When a door closes, a window opens! Military Immigration used to be (1) expedited, (2) had international field offices to assist foreign service members, (3) had a military service center to assist in processing military-related filings, and (4) had a more personalized immigration experience. Due to budget cuts over the last 5 years, Agency staff reduction, and Covid Closures, special Service Member processing has been nearly forgotten. Now, this post will not announce a “revival” of the old ways, but it does address one major issue, the international separation of a service member and their family, and how to bring the family together ASAP.

In 2022, a new Military Immigration Option was created called IMMVI or spelled out: Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative. IMMVI is a solution to bring a spouse or unmarried minor child to the US much quicker. This option has the potention of being a better alternative than:

  1. a tourist visa or any other nonimmigrant visa
  2. Consular processing under a CR-1 Visa or IR-1 Visa
  3. Illegal Entry into the US

But, IMMVI isn’t for every service member or veteran. Eligibility requirements must be met.

What kind of Service Members are eligible:

  • Active Duty Service Members who are serving Honorably in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Space Force.
  • Select Reserve Service Members who are serving Honorably in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Space Force.
  • Veterans who served Honorably in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Space Force.

The Catch to fully meet eligibility under IMMVI:

The Service Member or Veteran must provide/prove:

To reiterate!!!!! Service Members and Veterans MUST MUST MUST have either an URGENT humanitarian reason or SIGNIFICANT public benefit.

Recipients of an IMMVI-based parole document/stamp also benefit by:

  1. Automatically receiving expediting processing;
  2. Special Immigration Officers who have been specially trained to coordinate with the VA;
  3. The I-131 IMMVI-based parole is FREE (for the service member-recipient, but spouses and unmarried minor children would have to pay a fee of $575 per person); and
  4. After arriving in the US, the I-765, Application for Employment Authorization costs $575 per person and is expedited, which this document allows (1) a US Social Security Card, (2) the ability to get a Driver’s License, (3) the ability to work or go to school, and (4) is a US Government-issued ID.

To summarize the super important benefits in other words:

  • You can come to the US Quicker and the process is auto-expedited
  • You can apply for Employment Authorization for free immediately after entering
  • Your get more specialized handling by an Immigration Officer

If you are a service member or a veteran, and you desire to have your family be with you in the US, please contact our office to set up a Consultation.

Related Blog Posts:

IMMVI: How to Prove “Urgent Humanitarian Reason” or “Significant Public Benefit”

IMMVI: I’m Confused, can my Spouse immediately become a US Citizen after receiving IMMVI?

 

DEERS Office and the need for Apostille / Legalized Foreign Documents

Can my Military-Dependent Spouse get a Green Card and then US Citizenship?

INA 319(b) Naturalization Option: Spouses of U.S. Citizens Employed or Stationed Abroad

319(e) Naturalization: Overseas Naturalization Option for Active-duty Military Spouses and Children

 

 

 

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