For Kiwi’s who want to move to the USA permanently there are a few different approaches when it comes to securing an Immigrant Visa. However, before you can apply for this type of visa you will need to go through a pre-approval process.
You will need to petition the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and this petition should be filed by a qualified relative or a potential employer at a USCIS office on the ground in the United States. If your petition gets approved, you can then apply for your Immigrant Visa. Each application is treated as unique and it is difficult to estimate how long the process will take to complete. Some factors that will affect your waiting time include:
Limited categories, where each year only a certain number of a certain type of application can be processed.
Time to submit, where your ability to file all requested documents will largely dictate the time your application will take to complete.
You will need to go through a medical examination process and you will also have to create an online profile, and attend at least one interview. The US Consulate will be the agency that you will need to deal with for all applications, document submissions and interviews.