F3 Visa USA: Eligibility & How to Apply in 2026

The F3 visa is designed for married children of a U.S. citizen who are over 21-years old.

Any F3 visa applicant must fulfil the following three criteria. They must:

• Have a parent who is a U.S. citizen. This must be proved via a birth certificate or adoption documents
• Be over 21 years in age
• Be married. This must be proved via a marriage certificate

The U.S. sponsor is the one who starts off the F3 application by completing a petition for their child to join them in the United States.

To be eligible to be a sponsor a person must:

• be a U.S. citizen
• be living in the U.S. with a valid American address
• have a child in a foreign country
• be able to prove the relationship with the child via a birth certificate or adoption papers

Filing the petition by the sponsoring US parent is the first stage of the F3 application process.

The sponsor must complete the petition form, Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. They must also pay the  fee of $625. 

It’s important that the sponsor includes any spouse or children of their child in the application if they are also applying to move to the U.S.

The sponsor needs to then send the petition to the USCIS. The petition is then sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security who processes the application upon the sponsor paying the required F3 petition fee.

In the event the F3 petition is rejected, the sponsor will be informed of the reasons for rejection.

They will have an opportunity to adjust the petition for any mistakes that were made in the original petition, and to add any required or additional information. The sponsor can then resubmit the petition.

After the petition has been successfully accepted, the next stage is the F3 visa application. Whether you can start the application process at this point depends on whether the F3 visa quota for that year has been reached or not. If it has, then you will have to wait till the following fiscal year to start the visa application process.

You will be informed by the NVC, National Visa Center, when your date becomes current. This means that there is no F3 visa backlog, you have reached the front of the queue, and a spot is available for you. It’s important to remember that each applying family member must complete a visa application, not just the child of the U.S. citizen.

At this stage, the Immigrant Visa Electronic Application, Form DS-260 will need to be completed. This form requires detailed information about the applicant’s background and reasons for wishing to immigrate to the U.S.

Once the form is completed, a reference number will be shown on a confirmation page. This page needs to be printed out and submitted with the other F3 visa required documents.

Once you have compiled together all your documents, and have taken the necessary medical examinations and vaccinations, the next step is to send your application, with all documents, to the NVC.

The NVC will then consider whether your application meets all the requirements of the F3 visa, and if they are satisfied, then you will be invited for an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country.

The interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate is the final stage and a very vital part of the F3 visa application process. The NVC will arrange for an interview date at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where you currently reside.

The Embassy or consulate will decide if the F3 visa application will be approved or refused. If the application is approved, the passport of the applicant will be stamped with the F3 visa.

You will also be given a sealed package from the NVC. This package will need to be given to the U.S. immigration official when you land in the United States. You must not open this package.

Medical examinations and vaccinations are a required step in the process of immigrating to the United States. Details of these will be sent in the packet of information sent to the applicant by the NVC.

The medical examination and vaccinations are required to be taken by every member of the family who is applying for an F3 visa.

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The documents that need to be submitted for an F3 visa application are very similar to those needed for other US family visas.

You may have to submit the following documents along with your F3 visa application:

• A valid passport for each applicant (your spouse and children), which must be valid for more than six months after planned entry to the United States
• Medical examination and vaccination documents
• A signed Form I-864, affidavit of support from the U.S. sponsor
• Two photos for each individual applicant
• A valid marriage certificate
• If you are divorced, a divorce certificate
• If you are a widow, a death certificate for your former spouse
• Form DS-260 confirmation page
• Birth certificates or adoption documents for your children
• Any court or criminal records, and/or police certificate
• Military records if you served in the military

Note that you must provide translated documents for any documents which are not in English. Translations must be by an accredited translator.

There are various costs involved when applying for an F3 visa, including:

• Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative): $625
• Form DS-260 (immigrant visa electronic application) processing fee: $325
• Medical examination and vaccination fees
• Fees for any documents that need to be translated into English
• USCIS immigrant fee – to be paid after you receive your visa and before travelling to the U.S.