Moving to the USA from Morocco: Visas, Green Cards and Where to Apply

Morocco is not among the 39 countries restricted by Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026). Moroccans can apply for visitor, student, work, E-2, and immigrant visas.

Immigrant visas have been affected by two 2026 pauses:

• Morocco was also on the list of 75 countries whose immigrant visas were paused starting January 21, 2026. A federal court vacated that pause on August 21, 2026 (CLINIC v. Rubio), and the government has appealed, so the situation can still change.
• Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers are trained on public charge reviews. Scheduled interviews were moved to later dates, and no restart date has been announced as of September 2026. Visitor, student, and temporary work visas are not part of this pause. Details: immigrant visa pause.

For an overview of every route, see our guide to US immigration and how US immigration works.

Yes. Morocco is not in the Visa Waiver Program. You need a B-2 tourist visa or B-1 business visa, applied for with the DS-160 form and an interview in Casablanca. Bring evidence of your job, income, family ties, and travel plans. The State Department's guidance is to apply for a visitor or other temporary visa at the US embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Applying elsewhere is possible but can make it harder to show you qualify.

E-2 investor visa. Morocco's investment treaty with the US entered into force in 1991, so Moroccan nationals qualify for the E-2. There is no fixed minimum, but the investment must be substantial for the type of business, already committed, and at risk. You must own at least half of the business and direct it. The E-1 trader visa is not available to Moroccans.

H-1B and skilled work. Since February 27, 2026, the H-1B lottery gives more entries to higher wage levels. A separate $100,000 fee on some new H-1B petitions (from a September 2025 proclamation) is being fought in court, with judges split as of September 2026. See H-1B $100k fee.

Study. Moroccan students often come for engineering and business degrees. Many speak French and Arabic, so plan for an English test such as TOEFL or IELTS. Since September 15, 2026, new F-1 students are admitted until a fixed date instead of for "duration of status", so you may need to file for an extension if your program runs longer. See F-1 fixed admission period.

Family. Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens have no annual cap. Other relatives wait in the F1 to F4 queues of the Visa Bulletin, where Moroccans use rest-of-world dates.

Employment. EB-2 and EB-3 use rest-of-world dates; most require a PERM labor certification from an employer.

Diversity Visa. Morocco has been one of the larger DV countries in Africa, and Moroccans were eligible for DV-2026. You need a high school education or two years of qualifying work experience. The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is paused: visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. See DV lottery paused.

The US Consulate General in Casablanca processes all immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for Morocco, including Western Sahara. It is the only post the State Department lists for visas in Morocco, so do not book at the embassy in Rabat. Book appointments through the embassy's website, and read our visa interview guide before you go.

The State Department's Morocco page lists these documents for immigrant visas:

• Police certificate: Moroccan citizens over 18 get an Extrait de la Fiche Anthropometrique from the central police station where they live, using the new-format national ID card. If you live abroad, you write to the DGSN central records office (Fichier Central) in Rabat. Citizens aged 16 or 17 and foreign nationals get an Extrait du Casier Judiciaire instead.
• Birth certificate: an Extrait d'Acte de Naissance from the civil registry office (Bureau d'Etat Civil) where the birth was registered.
• Marriage and divorce records: from the Adoul or family court that recorded them.

Most documents are much easier to get from inside Morocco. Documents in Arabic or French need certified English translations.

The largest Moroccan communities are in the New York area, especially Astoria in Queens, and in northern New Jersey. Other sizeable communities live in the Boston area (Massachusetts), the Washington, DC area and Northern Virginia, Florida (Miami and Orlando), and Southern California. Mosques and Moroccan American associations often help new arrivals.