The federal government has a strict visa application policy in place that often takes a lot of time, leaving immigrants waiting and wondering about their futures. If you want to set up residency in California and speed up your visa processing time, you have a few options including applying early, following some application tips and filing an expedite request.
File your application early
At the height of the pandemic, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USICS) largely stopped processing applications as travel restrictions made it impermissible for immigrants to enter the US. That pause in processing didn’t stop new applications from coming in, which created a backlog of applications that USICS is still working through. Getting your application in sooner allows the USICS to start processing it sooner.
File your application correctly
No matter what type of visa you’re applying for, the application is thorough, and the federal government strictly enforces the guidelines for filling it out. Providing any incorrect information, inadvertently skipping a line and not including the application fee all have the potential to get your application rejected, which will result in you going to the back of the line. Filling out a strong application and including any necessary fees helps ensure that you don’t have to restart the application process.
Filing an expedition request
If you’re applying for a visa because of emergency circumstances, filing an expedition request with the USICS is a viable option. Emergency medical situations, the death of a family member and other emergencies are acceptable reasons for filing these special requests. The USICS reviews expedition requests on a case-by-case basis.
In addition to these options, you can also take advantage of premium processing when it’s made available and contact your congressional representative. If this works out in your favor, this can speed up your visa application processing time.