V visa

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The V visa was a temporary U.S. visa for the spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents (green card holders). It helped families stay together in the United States while the immigration process was completed.

It was created by the LIFE Act of 2000 and only applied to petitions filed on or before December 21, 2000. If the petition was filed after that date, the V visa was not available.

To get a V visa, the permanent resident had to file Form I-130 for their spouse or child. When the I-130 was approved, the relative might still have to wait for an F2A immigrant visa because the number of visas each year is limited and can create backlogs. This wait could be long.

During the waiting period, the beneficiary could sometimes visit the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa or under the Visa Waiver Program, but many such applications were denied. Visitors must show they intend to stay temporarily.

Permanent residents should not stay outside the U.S. for long periods, or they risk losing their status. The V visa aimed to reunite families, letting the spouse work, the child go to school, and allowing travel while the underlying petition stayed valid.

The V visa sunset date was December 21, 2000, and the visa is no longer available. Spouses and minor children under non-immigrant visas have different options that aren’t subject to the same limits. U.S. citizens sponsoring spouses and minor children can use immediate relative status, which has no annual cap, but the process can still take time.

Congress has proposed bills to reinstate or replace the V visa, but none passed and they lapsed with new sessions. Some bills suggested treating spouses and children of permanent residents as immediate relatives to remove caps.

The first V visas were issued in 2001 after the LIFE Act. The most recent V visas were issued in fiscal year 2007.