Services

Senator Lieberman's Constituent Service Center offers help in the following areas:

• Child Support
• Consumer Protection
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• Immigration
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• Medicare--Part D Rx Program
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Immigration

Senator Lieberman's Constituent Service Center regularly receives the following questions regarding immigration. If your question is not answered here, please send an email so that his staff may address your concern.

• Where can I find comprehensive information on immigration policies and procedures?
• Can Senator Lieberman's Constituent Services Center help me with my immigration issue?
• Where can I obtain more information on the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery?
• How do I become a naturalized citizen?
• Where can I find information about student visas?
• I want someone from a foreign country to visit me. What does this person need to do in order to obtain a tourist visa?
• I know someone who was denied a tourist visa. Can tourist visa denials be appealed?
• What can someone who was denied a tourist visa do in order to enter the United States?
• Where can I go for more information on tourist visas?
• What does the Constituent Service Center need to be able to review my immigration case?

Q: Where can I find comprehensive information on immigration policies and procedures?

Because immigration law is so complex, the best single informational resource is the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). A well-organized list of common question topics can be found on that site.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs also provides a wealth of information about overseas immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing.

Q: Can Senator Lieberman's Constituent Services Center help me with my immigration issue?

The Constituent Service Center provides general information and assistance in a number of areas related to immigration, including nonimmigrant visas, permanent residency ("green card"), naturalization, work permits, asylum and refugees. The Constituent Service Center cannot help expedite applications, with the exception of those that involve documented medical emergencies. Please visit the BCIS for more information on immigration forms and processing.

Q: Where can I obtain more information on the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery?

Each year, 55,000 visas are offered by lottery to immigrants from specific countries. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the DV lottery on the BCIS' web site.

Q: How do I become a naturalized citizen?

Please visit the frequently asked questions on BCIS' web site for information on naturalization requirements and procedures.

Q: Where can I find information about student visas?

Please visit the academic section on BCIS' website for information on student visa requirements and procedures.

Q: I want someone from a foreign country to visit me. What does this person need to do in order to obtain a tourist visa?

A person must go to the United States Consulate Office in their home country in order to apply for a tourist visa. Some countries may require an interview. To qualify for a tourist visa, an alien must meet the Section 214(b) test which states that, "every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa...that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant visa," and the applicant must show that he or she has a permanent residence and other ties abroad that would compel his or her return home upon the end of his or her temporary stay. The law places this burden of proof upon the applicant. Evidence of strong ties are family, home or property ownership, a letter of employment, and bank account.

Q: I know someone who was denied a tourist visa. Can tourist visa denials be appealed?

Consular offices have sole authority to approve or deny tourist visas. The decision cannot be appealed to a higher authority, and it can be reviewed only for factual error within the Nonimmigrant Visa Section. The U.S. Department of State does not review nor is it able to provide individual responses to overseas visa decisions. There is no provision in U.S. immigration law that provides for an American relative to guarantee an alien's return home. You cannot post bond nor offer any guarantee that will weigh into the consular officer's decision to grant or deny the tourist visa. Section 214(b) is the test for determining whether an alien can visit the United States.

Q: What can someone who was denied a tourist visa do in order to enter the United States?

Every person who is denied a tourist visa can reapply unless the Embassy or Consulate overseas puts a stamp in the alien's passport barring the person from coming back for a period of time. An alien should reapply only if there have been changes to the person's family or economic circumstances, or new evidence is presented that was not considered in the first visa interview.

Q: Where can I go for more information on tourist visas?

Please visit the Department of State's Visa Information website.

Q: What does the Constituent Service Center need to be able to review my immigration case?

All that is necessary is for you to send us an email or written letter and, in plain language, please let the Constituent Service Center know:

1) your alien number and receipt number (if applicable)
2) what forms you have filed, the dates the forms were filed, and the location at which the forms were filed (if applicable);
3) whom you have already contacted to try to resolve the problem, and
4) what responses you have received.

In certain cases, the Constituent Service Center may require copies of receipts, applications, or additional documentation. A staff member will contact you as soon as possible if additional material or information is required.

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