• Immigrant visa process
• Appointment for visa interview
• Immigrant visa interview procedures
• Waiver application for a denied immigrant visa
• Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status (I-407)
• Lost/Stolen green cards
• Change of address
• Re-entry permit
• Orphan adoption

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Immediate Relative Immigrant Visa (I-130) petition

U.S. citizens residing in Taiwan may file immediate relative immigrant visa (I-130) petitions at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). To file an immediate relative immigrant visa petition at AIT, U.S. citizen petitioners must be able to demonstrate that they have permission to reside in Taiwan, and have been doing so continuously for at least six months before filing the petition. Individuals who are in Taiwan on a temporary status, such as tourists or students, would not be considered to meet the residency standard.

For additional information on filing (TSS-211A) immediate relative immigrant visa (I-130) petitions at AIT, you may contact us by e-mail at visaiv-ait@state.gov.

All U.S. lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders), and American Citizens residing in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, need to file I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence
(as indicated on the USCIS website: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-130.pdf ).

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If you have received your Packet 3 (documents necessary for your visa interview), please check the boxes and sign your name on form DS-2001, then submit the DS-2001 with completed form DS-230 Part I to this office. However, if you have received your Packet 3 from the National Visa Center (NVC), please submit the forms to the National Visa Center in the U.S. You will receive appointment notice within two to three weeks. If you would like to have your appointment changed or rescheduled, please put your request in writing and mail or fax to AIT-Taipei office.

Please note that the U.S. Department of State has revised the Schedule of Fees for immigrant visas. A surcharge of US$45 has been added to the current fees for immigrant visas. The new schedule will be effective March 8, 2005. Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. immigrant visa will increase from 335 USD to 355 USD. The increase is necessary to cover the costs of the enhanced security screening requirements associated with fingerprint collection. This requirement has resulted in higher costs because the FBI is now charging a fee to review fingerprints of applicants.

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Step 1: Check-In. Turn in your passport and appointment notice at Window Four (3rd Floor). Please do not arrive at AIT any more than thirty (30) minutes prior to your scheduled interview; cases with earlier interview times will be handled first. Please have a seat and wait until the visa assistant at Window One, Two, or Three calls your name. Cases will be processed at each window in the order they were assigned to that window.

Step 2: Application fee. After you are called to the window, you will first be asked to go to the second floor cashier and pay an application fee of US $355 for each visa application that has not been prepaid at NVC in the United States. A surcharge of US $45 that all applicants must pay on the day of their interview has been added to the current fees for immigrant visas. The new schedule will be effective March 8, 2005. You may pay in U.S. dollars, NT dollars or credit card. Checks are not accepted.

Step 3: Document Review. After you have paid the fee(s), please give the receipt(s) to the visa assistant at Window One, Two or Three. The assistant will then review your documents with you. The visa assistant does not decide whether you qualify for a visa, but helps you prepare for your interview with an American Consular officer. After the document review, you will then be asked to sit down again until an American officer at Window Five or Six calls you.

Step 4: Visa Interview. The American Consular officer will review your application, ask questions, and make a decision about your case. If your application is not approvable that day, the officer will provide you with a written explanation of what is lacking in your case. In that instance, you will have to provide the missing information at a subsequent interview or by mailing the missing documents to the Immigrant Visa Unit at AIT. Detailed instructions on how to provide missing information will be given to you at the time of your interview.

Step 5: Issuing Visas. When an immigrant visa application has been approved, the visas, passports, and other documentation will be returned to visa applicants through our courier service. Applicants will be given courier forms after their application has been approved. They should then fill out the courier forms and then go to the courier service window on first floor to complete courier processing. This service will be provided by Chau Feng Express Company, Ltd. at the rate of NT$160 per envelope. One envelope can hold up to four visas; issuance of five or more visas will require additional envelopes. Passports containing visas and the additional documents will be returned to applicants in sealed envelopes via our courier service within two to three working days once a Consular officer approves the immigrant visa application. Applicants should NOT open their envelopes and must hand-carry them on the airplane. Please NOTE:  The validity of your visa is six months after the completion of your medical exam, not after issuance of the visa.

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If you would like a waiver application, please visit Information Window #8, on the 3rd Floor of the Consular Section, between 8:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. on any working day (Monday through Friday).

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If you wish to abandon your permanent residence and relinquish your Permanent Resident Card popularly known as "Green Card", please download and print the attached form and complete the relevant items.

FORMS
You will need to complete the Form I-407, "Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status".

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Please return the following three items along with Form I-407:

1. Completed Form I-407;
2. Your Permanent Resident Card;
3. if your card is lost, however, you may present equivalent evidence such as copy of your form I-551 (green card) or Alien Documentation Identification and Telecommunication system stamp located in inside your passport
4. Reentry Permit [if applicable]

You can submit the duly completed Form I-407 and other attachments to AIT. Walk-ins are accommodated from 08:00 to 11:00 a.m. on any business day Monday through Friday.

You should keep a copy of the completed I-407 in your passport whenever you apply for a visa or travel to the United States.

Once the I-407 is completed, you will revert to your previous status as a non-immigrant.

Abandoning your Permanent Resident Card and status does not affect your ability to apply to immigrate to the United States at some future time. However, you will have to begin the process anew and apply through the usual application process.

For more information on Permanent Residence in the United States, see www.uscis.gov or www.cbp.gov.

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If your green card was lost or stolen, please visit the Immigrant Visa Unit at Information Window #8, on the 3rd Floor of the Consular Section between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and provide the following documents:

1. Your current and expired passports with two copies of all but blank pages.
2. Your round trip airline ticket (showing the date you left the US and the date of your confirmed reservation to return) with two copies.
3. One original and a copy of a lost/stolen green card police record. This record can be obtained from any local police station.
4. Three recent color photos taken within the last 6 months (37mm x 37mm).
5. A completed application form in English. Forms are available at Information Window #8.
6. Current fees: US$165. (Not refundable).

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If you already have an application on file at AIT and wish to change your address, please write or fax us a letter which contains your case number, name, and new address.

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If you have a green card and need to leave the U.S. for longer than one year, prior to departing from the U.S., you must apply for a Re-Entry Permit at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) office in the U.S. AIT does not accept applications for re-entry permits.

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American citizens interested in adopting a Taiwan orphan should contact AIT for information. Please call 886-2-2162-2000 ext. 2005 or fax 886-2-2162-2253.
For more details on adoption, check Adoption.State.Gov website! click here.
For the Country Specific Information for Taiwan, click here

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