Latest Questions |
Question: "I'm considering marrying my girlfriend, a Bulgarian citizen, and moving to Bulgaria. How does dual citizenship work? I talked with the consulate and they remarked that I would need to live in Bulgaria for three years after marrying to become a Bulgarian citizen, but will I lose my American citizenship or can I hold both passports?" | | Consular Section: According to Bulgarian law, if a foreign citizen naturalizes and becomes a Bulgarian citizen, they must give up their original citizenship and passport. If your wife-to-be decides to naturalize and become an American citizen some day, she would not be required to give up her Bulgarian citizenship. | | |
Question: "My parents were approved for and issued immigrant visas in Bulgaria and just arrived in the States. What exactly is the process from here to get them a Green Card based on the immigrant visa?" | | Consular Section: There is nothing else that needs to be done for their green cards. If they won the Diversity Visa Lottery or went on a family-based petition, the green cards will be mailed to them automatically. | | |
Question: "Hello, I have a question which probably is often asked. I got a green card and will marry a Bulgarian in Bulgaria. Will my green card have to be changed after I get a new family name? Thank you." | | Consular Section: If you change your name after the marriage and apply for a new Bulgarian passport, you can travel on your new Bulgarian passport and green card. Please keep in mind that you must travel with the translated marriage certificate, authenticated with apostil seal as proof of the name change. Once in the U.S., you must apply for the replacement of your green card by filing an I-90, attaching a copy of the translated marriage certificate with apostil seal. You can download the I-90 from the DHS website and have it already completed upon returning to the U.S. and submit it to the Immigration officer at the border. Filing Instructions for filing for replacement are attached to the I-90. | | |
Question: "I have a child of 10 and he will like to visit his cousin in the U.S.A. during the winter school vacation. Is there age limit for kids." | | Consular Section: Thank you for this good question. No, there is not a restriction for children receiving visas. It's best for both parents to be present with the child/children to apply for their visa. A signed declaration from both parents, including copies of each parent's lichna karta, will be necessary of course IF your children will be traveling with one or no parents. These documents are required upon exiting the Bulgarian border. If your child is traveling with both parents, these declarations are not necessary. |
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Question: "Dear Mr. Beyrle, I would like to make an inquiry about a friend of mine. I myself am a permanent resident of the USA for more than three years. I won the Green Card Diversity Lottery in 2003. My friend won the Lottery this summer. She and her family are waiting for the second letter with the appointment date for their visa interview. They are using a consultant agency and they have been told that the next letter will arrive in April because their number is 17,000. I don't know a case when people receive letters later than January. The interviews are usually January or February. Is there any way for her to know her interview date? Thank you in advance for your time." | | Consular Section: Another good question. She will be informed of the interview date as the number becomes available. In many cases, the immigrant visa process takes time. Normally, upon receipt of the second letter, the interview is scheduled within 1-2 months. For further inquiries, your friend can email KCCDV@state.gov at any time. |
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Question: "We are U.S.citizens living in the U.S. since 2001. We have two daughters outside the country in Bulgaria where are married and we are wondering how we can get green cards for them. Thank you." | | Consular Section: You must start the procedure to petition (I-130) for your daughters at a DHS office closest to you in the United States. Immigrant Visas are organized into classifications, based on relationships. In this case, you would be petitioning for a F3 family preference classification for each of your married daughters. |
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Question: " I am in touch with an American friend and we have a plan – an idea to work together. I can invest over 100,000 and when I called the Embassy I was told that I need visa E-2. Can you please share more information about this visa. Thank you and have a nice day." | | Consular Section: An E-2 visa is for someone to go to the U.S. to direct and develop a business in which they have invested a substantial amount of money. The E-2 differs from the E-1 visa in that the E-2 requires a large amount of money to be invested in a real business that creates jobs rather than participation in a business that generates substantial international trade. You can find more information about both E-2 and E-1 visas at this useful website (as well as some examples of what you cannot do with an E-2 visa): http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?dockey=f5c40b4a072f455904cfbd110fdd54dd |
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Question: " I am very interested if after the New Year Bulgarians will need no visas for the U.S.A." | | Consular Section: Bulgaria will not be joining the Visa Waiver Program immediately after the New Year. This statement released by Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Karagiannis on August 3 helps explain why: Under a new U.S. law, countries with visa refusal rates of not more than 10 percent in the previous year can be considered for the Visa Waiver Program. (Bulgaria currently has a tourist refusal rate of about 17 percent.) Candidate countries must also show a sustained reduction in the number of people who stay or work illegally in the United States. The law also significantly enhances VWP security requirements, including enhanced information sharing, document security, and airport security standards, all designed to improve cooperation against terrorism and increase international border security. Additionally, the law requires improvements in the U.S. border security screening system, including establishment of an electronic travel authorization system and a system to verify visitors’ exits from the United States. Under the new law, these systems must be in place before new countries enter the VWP. Taking into account these standards and requirements, it is likely to take at least a year or more before Bulgaria’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program might become imminent. |
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Question: " Would you answer the following question: Is it possible for a friend of mine who has green card to send me an invitation? He often comes to Bulgaria. He told me that there are a lot of interesting places in the USA that should be seen. He invited me as a guest in his house for a week. I can afford this trip." | | Consular Section: Anyone can send you an invitation to visit at any time. However, an invitation letter is not the key to qualifying for a tourist visa, and in fact invitations are not repeat NOT required to apply for or obtain a tourist visa. You or anyone else may perfectly well apply for a visa without any invitation at all. The only documentary requirements for application are a completed application form with photo, a valid passport and the receipt from the bank showing payment of the application fee (100 dollars or the equivalent in leva). To qualify for a tourist visa, an applicant must seem a good risk not to remain in the U.S. longer than he or she should, and not to begin working while there. That is really the only requirement. Invitation letters are unnecessary and often irrelevant. We’d like to remind all potential applicants not to spend time thinking about them or trying to get them. Please! |
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Question: " My mother-in-law, 72 years old, traveled to the U.S. in Sept. 2006. She was issued a green card there. She stayed for about three months and she returned in January 2007. Since then she has been here about 9 months. She wants to return to the USA. Does she need a visa? " | | Consular Section: No, she does not need a visa if she was outside of the U.S. for less than one year. However, since she was outside of the U.S. for more than 6 months she will most likely be taken into secondary inspection by the U.S. Immigration at the airport when she arrives for further questioning. This is because if you have a green card you are supposed to live in the U.S. You are not generally allowed to live in another country and use the green card to travel to the U.S. occasionally. If your mother-in-law does this more than once or twice, the Immigration officer at the airport may decide that she is not really entitled to resident status and deny her entry. If she wants to live in Bulgaria and travel occasionally to the U.S. (to visit one of her children, I assume) she should exchange her green card and apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa instead. |
| Question: "My husband, a natural born U.S. citizen, is coming from the U.S. to Bulgaria in a couple of weeks with a Bulgarian Visa Type D. Will he be able to work in Bulgaria? Will he be able to travel back and forth to the U.S.? What is the procedure and fees to get papers here? I talked to one Migration Officer in Vidin and that Officer couldn't answer most of my questions, except for telling me that my husband needs to pay 500 leva every year if he wants a temp 1 year ID - is that true? " | | Consular Section: A “D” visa is for temporary long-term residency in Bulgaria. Depending on the reasons for which the visa was issued, the holder may or may not be allowed to work. If paperwork was submitted and it was issued for work, then, of course, the holder may work. However, if it was issued to him as the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen only, then he is not allowed to work. Once he has that visa and is in Bulgaria, he needs to apply for a lichna carta which does indeed cost 500 leva to renew every year. He may come and go as he pleases from Bulgaria with the lichna carta. After he has been in Bulgaria for 5 years on this “D” visa, he is considered a permanent resident and can work. | | |
| Question: " If one has a valid C1/D visa (for seamen), is it possible to travel with it as a tourist to the U.S.A. and for how long? Thank you."
| | Consular Section: No, you may not travel as a tourist to the U.S. with a C1/D visa. That type of visa is only for transit as a crew member to and from a ship or plane. | | |
| Question: "I am graduating with an MBA in Finance in December at OCU, in OK. My mother has been living and working in Greece for 7 years. The university and I invited her to my graduation ceremony, but on 24th of Sept. at the U.S. Embassy in Greece, the visa was denied. Can she apply for a visa again from Bulgaria and what are her chances of getting a visa? In Greece nobody even looked on her invitation letter from the university. One of the reasons for the denial, we are guessing, is because she doesn't own any property in Greece, but she does in Bulgaria.
| | Consular Section: A visa applicant should apply in the country where he/she lives and works. Always, to qualify for a visa, an applicant must appear a good risk NOT to remain in the U.S. or seek unauthorized employment there. Owning property is not necessarily a crucial aspect of any given applicant’s case. As far as applying in Bulgaria, no, your mother lives and works in Greece, so she ought to continue applying there. Perhaps you or her may want to submit a written appeal to the Consular Chief there.
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| Question: "We are U.S. citizens living in the U.S. since 2000. We have parents outside the country in Bulgaria and are wondering how we can get green cards for them. Thank you."
| | Consular Section: You must file a petition for your parents with the Department of Homeland Security. If you go to this website: http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/ you can find the information and forms you need to start the process. The good news is that it is fairly quick to get Bulgarian parents the proper visas to immigrate to the U.S. (less than one year).
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| Question: "I AM A BULGARIAN CITIZEN BUT CURRENTLY I RESIDE IN FYRO MACEDONIA. I'M ALSO A CITIZEN THERE. WHERE DO I APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA - IN BULGARIA OR MACEDONIA"
| | Consular Section: You should apply in the country where you normally live and work. According to U.S. law, you must prove to a Consular Officer that you have ties to the country where you are applying and that you will return to that country after your visit. In this case, it would be Macedonia.
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Question: "DOES BULGARIA HAVE A RECIPROCAL TREATY WITH THE U.S. AS TO THE PAYMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS? AN AMERICAN CITIZEN HAS A WIFE LIVING IN BULGARIA WHO IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN. IS SHE ENTITLED TO SPOUSAL BENEFITS UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY?" |
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Consular Section: No, Bulgaria does not have a reciprocal social security agreement with the U.S. However, Bulgarian spouses of American citizens may receive benefits as a dependent or a survivor if they meet certain criteria. For example, they must have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. During those five years, the family relationship on which benefits are based must have existed. You may find further details at this Social Security website: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html.
You may also come to the Embassy to fill out the paperwork, and we will submit it to the Social Security office for you so that can determine your eligibility. |
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Question: "I HAVE AN EMPLOYER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY WILL HIRE ME TO WORK AS AN AU PAIR IN THEIR COUNTRY. WHAT IS THE TYPE OF VISA I MUST SECURE AND HOW LONG IS THE PROCESS? WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE NEEDED?" |
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Consular Section: To work as an Au Pair, you need a J1 exchange visitor visa, not a work visa, for which you will need to obtain a form DS-2019 from an official program sponsor. You must go through an official program, speak English and obtain at least 6 hours of academic credit at an accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institution while there. You may work as an au pair for up to 12 months. Further information and a list of participant programs is available at: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/private/aupair.htm. |
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Question: "I HAVE BEEN A CITIZEN OF THE U.S.A. SINCE APRIL 2005. ON MAY 21, 2007, A CHILD OF MINE WAS BORN IN BULGARIA. CAN THE CHILD GET A U.S. CITIZENSHIP AS WE LIVE IN BULGARIA?" |
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Consular Section: Your child may receive U.S. citizenship provided you have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 5 years (the time you were there before you were a citizen counts) and two of those years must be after the age of 14. If you believe your child qualifies as an American citizen, you may come to the U.S. Embassy with proof of your citizenship, the child’s birth certificate, and marriage certificate, and divorce decrees if applicable, and we will help you fill out the forms to properly register him. |
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Question: "I AM A BULGARIAN CITIZEN BUT CURRENTLY I RESIDE IN FYRO MACEDONIA. I'M ALSO A CITIZEN THERE. WHERE DO I APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA - IN BULGARIA OR MACEDONIA"
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Consular Section: You should apply in the country where you normally live and work. According to U.S. law, you must prove to a Consular Officer that you have ties to the country where you are applying and that you will return to that country after your visit. In this case, it would be Macedonia.
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Question: "My family is very disappointed to learn that web sites like www.usafis.org are not legal. We paid them a fee to enter the diversity visa green card lottery. Now that the campaign for DV-2008 is over, we understand that the company is not authorized by the State Department. Why has the American Embassy not stopped them and has not banned their business activity in this country?" |
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Consular Section: I am very sorry to hear that you spent money unnecessarily. Unfortunately, the U.S. Embassy has no control over what people advertise on the internet and anyone may start a business and advertise on the internet. On the first page of visa information on our Embassy web site we have a warning about these companies. It states the following: Please remember that NO FEE is ever charged to enter the annual Diversity Visa (DV) program. The U.S. Government does not employ outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV applications or other visa paperwork do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Here is another site that has information about these companies: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm One piece of good news though: even though these companies are not authorized by the State Department and we do not recommend you use them, they will still submit your application and you have the same chance of winning even though you went through an outside company. So, good luck! |
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Question: "Imam pasport validen do 2010 god. No trqbva da kandidatstvam za viza F1. Tq trqbva da e validna do moeto zavur6vanesled 4 god i 6 meseca spored iziskvaneto. Trqbva li da si pravq nov pasport sled kato toi vaji o6te 3 god." |
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Consular Section: No, you do not need to get a new passport now. When you get a new passport in 2010, you can continue to carry your old passport with the valid visa in it until you finish school in 2011. As a rule, when you apply for a visa your passport needs to be good for at least 6 months beyond the current date. |
| Question: Bix iskala da kandidatstvam za neimigrantska viza F-1,no neznaq kolko vreme predi intervuto za viza trqbva da platq taksata i kolko vreme e neobxodimo za prigotvqneto na samata viza. Blagodarq predvaritelno" | | | Consular Section: In order to apply for a F1 student visa, you must first have a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)-generated document (either an I-20 or DS-2019) issued by a U.S. college or university or Department of State-designated sponsor organization. You will be required to submit this form when you apply for a visa. The U.S. academic institution or program sponsor will provide you with the appropriate SEVIS-generated form only when you have been academically admitted to the institution or accepted as a participant in an exchange program. You will pay the SEVIS fee and the visa processing fee just before you apply. It only takes a day or two to issue a visa. Please visit the State Department web site for more information on studying in the U.S. and student visas: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying.html |
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