G-4 Special Immigrant Applications
You left your home country and decided to worked hard for an international organization such as the IMF and the World Bank on a G-4 visa. As the years have passed, you have raised a family, and your children always thought of themselves as Americans. However, life is full of surprises. You know there is no real stability in America for your family until you receive your green cards and become legal permanent residents or U.S. citizens.
The G-4 Special Immigrant section of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides certain G-4 visa holders with just that opportunity to qualify for green cards for themselves, their spouses, and their unmarried children under the age of 25. If you or your children are G-4 holder and have lived in the U.S. for the specified number of years required by your G-4 sponsoring organization, you may be eligible to become permanent residents.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires an applicant for G-4 special immigrant status file a petition (Form I-360) to establish eligibility. The I-360 petition can be filed as part of the adjustment of status application. If the applicant is in the United States, the I-360 and the I-485 adjustment of status can be filed together for efficiency.
If the individual is not filing an adjustment of status application, but is abroad and consular processing, the Form I-360 is filed first with USCIS. The National Visa Center will then contact the designated consulate in your home country to arrange for the visa application as well as potential interviews.
Who are Eligible?
Those eligible under these provisions include the following:
1. The unmarried son or daughter of an officer or employee, or of a former officer or employee, of an international organization who, while holding a G-4 visa or an N visa, has resided and been physically present in the U.S. for periods totaling at least one-half of seven years preceding the date of the application, and for a period or periods aggregating at least seven years between the ages of 5 and 21 years. Absence by the unmarried son or daughter while enrolled in school abroad will not be counted toward the physical presence requirement. The application for a visa or adjustment of status must be made no later than his/her 25th birthday.
2. The surviving spouse of a deceased officer or employee of an international organization who, while holding a G-4 visa or an N visa, has resided and been physically present in the U.S. for periods totaling at least one-half of seven years before the date of the application, and for a period or periods aggregating at least fifteen years before the date of the death of the officer or employee of an international organization. The petition must be filed no later than six months after the date of the death of the officer or employee.
3. A retired officer or employee of an international organization who, while holding a G-4 visa, has resided and been physically present in the U.S. for periods totaling at least one-half of the seven years before the date of the application and for a period or periods aggregating at least fifteen years before the date of the officer or employee’s retirement is eligible for permanent residence. The spouse of the retiree is also able to become a permanent resident and is not required to hold a G-4 visa for these periods. However the spouse can not file independent of the principal G-4 retiring. The petition must be filed no later than six months after the retired officer or employee’s date of retirement.
Who we are:
Oliver-Zhang Law is the premier, award winning immigration law firm in Washington D.C. We are located just a short walk away from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Our goal is to help you navigate and succeed in your G-4 green card application for you and your family in today’s challenging immigration policies. Please contact our immigration attorneys at 202-643-1110 or [email protected]
We can assist G-4 employees of the following organizations and their immediate family members in their green card applications:
9 FAM 402.3-7(M) (U) List of Designated International Organizations
(CT:VISA-853; 06-11-2019)
(U) The following is an alphabetical listing of the international organizations that have been designated by Executive Order pursuant to various treaties or under the International Organizations Immunities Act (IOIA) of December 29, 1945. A G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visa may only be issued to an applicant who is traveling to the United States (or in some cases transiting the United States) for activities of one of these international organizations. If you have questions regarding whether a particular office or entity is part of one of these organizations, email CA/VO/L/A.
| International Organization | E.O. | International Organization | E.O. |
| African Development Bank | E.O. 12403 (Feb. 8, 1983) | African Development Fund | E.O. 11977 (Mar. 14, 1977) |
| Asian Development Bank | E.O. 11334 (Mar. 7, 1967) | African Union | E.O. 13377 (April 13, 2005) |
| Border Environmental Cooperation Commission | E.O. 12904 (Mar. 16, 1994) | Caribbean Organization | E.O. 10983 (Dec. 30, 1961) |
| Commission for Environmental Cooperation | E.O. 12904 (Mar. 16, 1994) | Commission for Labor Cooperation | E.O. 12904 (Mar. 16, 1994) |
| Commission for the Study of Alternatives to the Panama Canal | E.O. 12567 (Oct. 2, 1986 | Customs Cooperation Council | E.O. 11596 (June 5, 1971) |
| European Bank for Reconstruction and Development | E.O. 12766 (June 18, 1991 | European Central Bank | E.O. 13307 (May 29, 2003) |
| European Space Agency (formerly the European Space Research Organization) | E.O. 11318 (Dec. 5, 1966) & E.O. 12766 (June 18, 1991) | ||
| Food and Agriculture Organization | E.O. 9698 (Feb. 19, 1946) | Global Fund | E.O. 13395 (Jan. 13, 2006) |
| Great Lakes Fishery Commission | E.O. 11059 (Oct. 23, 1962) | GRECO (Council of Europe in Respect of the Group of States Against Corruption) | E.O. 13240 (Dec. 18, 2001) |
| Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices | E.O. 13052 (June 30, 1997) | Inter-American Defense Board | E.O. 10228 (Mar. 26, 1951) |
| Inter-American Development Bank | E.O. 10873 (April 8, 1960) & E.O. 11019 (April 27, 1962) | Inter-American Institute for Cooperation for Agriculture | E.O. 9751 (July 11, 1946) |
| Inter-American Investment Corporation | E.O. 12567 (Oct. 2, 1986) | Inter-American Statistical Institute | E.O. 9751 (July 11, 1946) |
| Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission | E.O. 11059 (Oct. 23, 1962) | International Atomic Energy Agency | E.O. 10727 (Aug. 31, 1957) |
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) | E.O. 9751 (July 11, 1946) | International Boundary and Water Commission – the United States and Mexico | E.O. 12467 (Mar. 2, 1984) |
| International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes | E.O. 11966 (Jan. 19, 1977) | International Civil Aviation Organization | E.O. 9863 (May 31, 1947) |
| International Coffee Organization | E.O. 11225 (May 22, 1965) | International Committee of the Red Cross | E.O. 12643 (June 23, 1988) |
| International Cotton Advisory Committee | E.O. 9911 (Dec. 19, 1947) | International Cotton Institute | E.O. 11283 (May 27, 1966) |
| International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) (Limited Privileges) | E.O. 12425 (June 16, 1983) | International Development Association | E.O. 11966 (Jan. 19, 1977) |
| International Development Law Organization | E.O. 12842 (Mar. 29, 1993) | International Fertilizer Development Center | E.O. 11977 (Mar. 14, 1977) |
| International Finance Corporation | E.O. 10680 (Oct. 2, 1956) | International Food Policy Research Institute (Limited Privileges) | E.O. 12359 (April 22, 1982) |
| International Fund for Agricultural Development | E.O. 12732 (Oct. 31, 1990) | International Hydrographic Bureau | E.O. 10769 (May 29, 1958) |
| International Joint Commission – the United States and Canada | E.O. 9972 (June 25, 19480 | International Labor Organization | E.O. 9698 (Feb. 19, 1946) |
| International Maritime Organization (formerly the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization) | E.O. 10795 (Dec. 13, 1958) | International Mobile Satellite Organization | E.O. 12238 (Sept. 12, 1980) |
| International Monetary Fund | E.O. 9751 (July 11, 1946) | International Organization for Migration (Formerly Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants for Europe and Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration) | E.O. 10335 (Mar. 28, 1952) |
| International Pacific Halibut Commission | E.O. 11059 (Oct. 23, 1962) | International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) | E.O. 13705 (Sept. 3, 2015) |
| International Secretariat for Volunteer Service | E.O. 11363 (July 20, 1967) | International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) | E.O. 11718 (May 14, 1973) & E.O. 11966 (Jan. 19, 1977) |
| International Telecommunication Union | E.O. 9863 (May 31, 1947) | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Limited Privileges) | E.O. 12986 (Jan. 18, 1966) |
| International Wheat Advisory Committee (International Wheat Council) | E.O. 9823 (Jan. 24, 1947) | Interparliamentary Union | E.O. 13097 (Aug. 7, 1998) |
| Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation | E.O. 12956 (Mar. 13, 1995) | ITER International Fusion Energy Organization | E.O. 13451 (Nov. 19, 2007) |
| Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization | E.O. 12997 (April 1, 1996) | Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency | E.O. 12467 (Aug. 22, 1988) |
| Multinational Force and Observers | E.O. 12359 (April 22, 1982) | North American Development Bank | E.O. 12904 (Mar. 16, 1994) |
| North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission | E.O. 12895 (Jan. 26, 1994) | North Pacific Marine Science Organization | E.O. 12894 (Jan. 26, 1994) |
| Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina and theInternational Civilian Office in Kosovo | E.O. 13568 (Mar. 8, 2011) | Organization for American States (including Pan American Union) | E.O. 10533 (June 3, 1954) |
| Organization for Eastern Caribbean States | E.O. 12669 (Feb. 20, 1989) | Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (formerly the Organization for European Economic Cooperation) | E.O. 10133 (June 27, 1950) |
| Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons | E.O. 13049 (June 11, 1997) | Pacific Salmon Commission | E.O. 12567 (Oct. 2, 1986) |
| Pan American Health Organization (including Pan American Sanitary Bureau) | E.O. 10864 (Feb. 18, 1960) | Pacific Community (formerly the South Pacific Commission) | E.O. 10086 (Nov. 25, 1949) |
| United International Bureau for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIPRI) | E.O. 11484 (Sept. 29, 1969) | United Nations | E.O. 9698 (Feb. 19, 1946) |
| United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization | E.O. 9863 (May 31, 1947) | United Nations Industrial Development Organization | E.O. 12628 (Mar. 8, 1988) |
| Universal Postal Union | E.O. 10727 (Aug. 31, 1957) | World Health Organization | E.O. 10025 (Dec. 30, 1948) |
| World Intellectual Property Organization | E.O. 11866 (June 18, 1975) | World Meteorological Organization | E.O. 10676 (Sept. 1, 1959) |
| World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) World Tourism Organization | E.O 13759(Jan. 12, 2017) E.O. 12507 (Mar. 22, 1985) | World Trade Organization | E.O. 13042 (April 9, 1997) |
