Every expatriate wishes to unite with his or her family members despite working outside his or her origin country. An L-2 visa allows an L-1 visa holder to bring in their dependents to solve this issue. This article highlights essential details about this visa so that applicants can get a clear idea before applying for it.
An L-2 visa of the US is a non-immigrant permit that allows eligible dependents of L-1 visa holders to visit the United States.
The eligibility criteria that individuals must fulfil to avail an L-2 visa are stated below:
Follow the steps mentioned below to apply for an L-2 visa:
Step 1: Â Applicants must fill in the Form DS-160 with personal and other required details and upload a recent photograph. Take a printout of the confirmation page of this application form where the DEAC barcode is available.
Step 2: Pay the appropriate visa application fee and keep the receipt for future reference.
Step 3: Schedule a slot for an interview. This is valid for applicants aged more than 13 but less than 79 years. After booking a convenient slot, applicants will receive an appointment letter required later during the application process.
Keep the following documents ready while applying for an L-2 visa:
Applicants need to pay an application fee of around $154.99. Besides, every non-immigrant above 15 years must pay $154.99, and $15.49 for those under 15 years.
It takes approximately 15 days to 1 month to process the application request for an L-2 visa. However, time may vary based on an embassy's workload.
To check the application status of an L-2 visa, follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Visit the official portal of USCIS and navigate to the 'Check your case status' option'.
Step 2: Enter the 13-digit receipt number and click on 'Check Status' to view the application status.
The validity of an L-2 visa is similar to the validity of an L-1 visa. This means that an L-2 visa holder can stay in the US until the L-1 visa holder qualifies to remain in this country.Â
The renewal of an L-2 visa depends on the renewal or extension of the L-1 visa. An L-2 visa holder can visit the US embassy or consulate or apply for an extension or renewal during their stay in the US. However, if an L-2 visa holder chooses the first option, they need to stay outside the country for a few weeks.
An L-2 visa holder enjoys the following benefits:
So, aspiring applicants must know the details mentioned above about an L-2 visa to apply for it without any inconvenience.