Immigrant visa issuance involves the following steps:
Step 1 – Filing the petition
U.S. citizen or U.S legal permanent resident living in the U.S. territory files an I-130 petition for his/her alien relative at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office with jurisdiction over the petitioner’s residence.
Petitioners residing in Kazakhstan cannot routinely file Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative, with U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Astana and Almaty. Petitioners residing in Kazakhstan are required to file their Forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox.
USCIS Chicago Lockbox addresses for regular mail deliveries:
USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107
USCIS Chicago Lockbox address for express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
For additional information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago lockbox, please seethe USCIS website or contact USCIS by phone at 1-800-375-5283.
Step 2 – National Visa Center
When the petition is approved by USCIS office in the U.S. it is sent to National Visa Center (NVC) for administrative processing. NVC assigns the case number and schedules the appointment date for the immigrant visa interview in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Almaty. To inquire into the status of your case you may send an email to nvcinquiry@state.gov or call 6033340700.
Step 3 –Interview
In order to prepare for the interview the applicant must gather required documents and pass the medical examination. Please see detailed instructions here (PDF 928 KB).