Immigration: Guatemala

General information, not legal advice. Data as of October 10, 2026

Visa line

Guatemala does not have its own column. If you were born in Guatemala, you use the rest-of-the-world column ("All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed").

Family (Final Action Date / Date for Filing):

Employment: EB-1 C / C; EB-2 01APR25 / 15MAR26; EB-3 15JUN24 / 01AUG24; other workers 01JUN22 / 01JUL22; EB-4 and religious workers 15DEC22 / 01JAN25, but the part for religious workers who are not ministers expires December 11, 2026 unless Congress extends it.

If you and your spouse immigrate together (cross-chargeability):

• If your spouse was born in a country with a longer line (for example, Mexico in the family categories), your spouse can use the Guatemala column. For that, you both must get the green card in the same case, as the principal applicant and the accompanying spouse.
• It does not apply if you are already a citizen or resident and you petition for your spouse: in that case, your spouse's country of birth counts.

The "El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras" column no longer exists:

• It existed from May 2016 for EB-4 (special immigrants, such as young people with SIJ status and religious workers), because people from those three countries applied for a very large number of visas.
• It was removed starting with the April 2023 bulletin. The State Department said the law only allows separate dates when a country goes over the per-country limit, and that it did not expect any of the three to do so.
• If someone shows you dates from that column, they are old.

2026 pause on immigrant visas:

• Starting January 21, 2026, the State Department stopped issuing immigrant visas (the ones requested from outside the U.S. to live here) to people from 75 countries. Guatemala was on that list. Tourist visas and other nonimmigrant visas were not paused.
• On August 21, 2026, a federal court in New York struck down that pause (case CLINIC v. Rubio). The State Department says that, because of that order, it no longer applies the pause as of that day.
• The government appealed. The New York court refused to suspend its order while the appeal is decided. The government asked the court of appeals for the same thing, and that court has not yet ruled (according to the public copy of the court record, updated October 12, 2026). On October 14, 2026, the New York court held a hearing on whether to give the State Department a deadline to review again the visas refused because of the pause.
• This may change. If your relative in Guatemala is waiting for an immigrant visa, check travel.state.gov before their interview.

Which chart USCIS uses: in November 2026, USCIS says to use the "Dates for Filing" chart for family and employment cases if you apply for a green card inside the U.S. This changes every month.

Careful: a current date does not mean you can apply for a green card inside the country. Talk to a lawyer or accredited representative.

Official sources: State Department · November 2026 Visa Bulletin ↗ · USCIS · Visa Bulletin chart for green cards ↗ · State Department · Immigrant visa pause ↗ · State Dept. · 9 FAM 503.2 (cross-charging) ↗

TPS

Guatemala does not have TPS. It is not on the USCIS list of countries with TPS or on the list of countries that had it before. Do not trust anyone who offers "TPS for Guatemalans."

Official sources: USCIS · TPS countries ↗

DACA

The rules are the same for Guatemalans as for any other country.

• USCIS still renews DACA and its work permits.
• It accepts new requests but does not process them. Paying for one today does not give you DACA.
• Your current DACA and work permit stay valid until they expire.
• Renew 120 to 150 days before it expires. Cost: $85 (I-821D) + $470 online or $520 on paper (I-765) = $555 or $605. There is no fee waiver. Only very limited fee exemptions exist, and USCIS must approve them before you file; see uscis.gov/DACA.
• There may be changes in Texas; check the USCIS page (uscis.gov/DACA).

Official sources: USCIS · DACA ↗ · USCIS · Form I-821D fee ↗ · USCIS · Form I-765 fee ↗

Consulates and appointments

• Guatemala has 26 consulates in the U.S. The Embassy in Washington, D.C. has no consular section: if you live in D.C., the Consulate General in Maryland (Rockville) serves you. Find yours in the Embassy's official directory (embaguateusa.gob.gt/consulados).
• In August 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minex) said consulates serve people without an appointment for passports and DPI, except Nashville and Atlanta, which required appointments. Call before you go. Rules change: also check your consulate's official social media the week you plan to go.
• If you want an appointment, call your consulate's appointment number. That number is posted on minex.gob.gt and on the consulate's social media. Since August 2025, appointments are made by phone only. They are free: no one should charge you for an appointment.
• The emergency phone and the emergency WhatsApp are only for emergencies, such as a person who is detained or missing. They do not make appointments. The WhatsApp is for text messages only.
• There are mobile consulates and "Consular Saturdays." For a mobile consulate you need an appointment by phone. Dates are posted on minex.gob.gt and on your consulate's social media.
• Some consulates offer free immigration guidance. Ask at yours.

Official sources: Guatemalan Embassy · Consulate directory ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Appointments by phone ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Mobile consulates ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Free immigration guidance ↗

If a relative is detained

• Call the emergency number of the consulate that serves the state where they are detained. Each consulate's page in the directory says which states it serves.
• Almost all consulates list an emergency number. Las Vegas (Nevada) does not list one: call its main line, (702) 605-5420.
• Look for them at ice.gov/locator with their A-number and country of birth (Guatemala), or with their name and country of birth.
• Minex advises: stay calm, do not show false documents, do not sign anything you do not understand, and ask them to notify your consulate.

Official sources: Guatemalan Embassy · Consulate directory ↗ · Guatemalan Embassy · Las Vegas Consulate ↗ · ICE · Detainee Locator (brochure) ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Advice if detained ↗

Passport, DPI and consular ID card

• Passport: $65 (5 years) or $100 (10 years). Bring your original DPI (if you do not have one, your valid birth certificate), the payment receipt and your old passport if you are renewing.
• Passport for minors: the child goes with their father or mother. Bring the child's valid birth certificate, the DPI (or valid birth certificate) of the parent who goes, and the payment receipt. If one parent does not go, you need that parent's authorization signed before a consular officer or a special power of attorney (mandato especial con representación).
• The child can also go with another person or with someone who has legal representation of the child by a judge's order. Those cases have other requirements: check pasaportes.igm.gob.gt.
• If your passport (issued in 2013 or later) is expired or about to expire, you can extend it: 18 months (the Guatemalan Migration Institute does not ask for a payment; it needs 2 blank sheets) or 3 years ($25; it needs 4 blank sheets).
• DPI (national ID) requested at the consulate: $15.
• RENAP birth certificate requested at the consulate: $6.
• Guatemalan Consular ID Card (TICG): an ID card the consulate gives to Guatemalans who live in the U.S. Before you go, ask your consulate whether it is issuing the card, what it requires and how much it costs.
• None of these documents (passport, DPI or consular ID card) gives you immigration status or a work permit in the U.S.

Official sources: IGM · Passport abroad ↗ · IGM · Passport validity extension ↗ · RENAP · Fees (DPI and certificates) ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Mobile consulates ↗

Children born in the U.S. and nationality

• Guatemala's Constitution (article 144) says that children of a Guatemalan father or mother born in another country are Guatemalan by origin. It also says that no Guatemalan by origin can be deprived of their nationality. Under the Constitution, becoming a U.S. citizen does not take away your Guatemalan nationality.
• Registering your child as Guatemalan at the consulate is free and needs no appointment.

To register your child, bring:

• the child's U.S. birth certificate (if it is not in Spanish or English, it must be the full version with a legal translation);
• the birth certificate of both parents: from RENAP, no more than 6 months old, for the Guatemalan father or mother; from the other parent's country, no more than 1 year old, if they are from another country;
• the valid DPI or passport of the Guatemalan parents (a valid passport if they are from another country, with a legal translation if it is not in Spanish or English).

Also:

• Since February 15, 2025, children of Guatemalans born abroad who are 18 or older can also register at the consulate.
• For your child's Guatemalan passport, the IGM asks for the child's valid birth certificate. If the child was born abroad, to extend the passport the certificate must have the article 144 annotation (showing the child is registered as Guatemalan).

Official sources: Minex (AGN) · Registering your child ↗ · Minex (AGN) · Registration for adults 18+ ↗ · IGM · Passport validity extension ↗ · IGM · Passport abroad ↗

Voting from the U.S.

• Guatemala's next General Elections are in 2027. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has not yet published the official call with the date.
• To register to vote or update your information from abroad, you need a valid DPI. A valid passport only works if you already registered your DPI before.
• To vote: be a Guatemalan citizen, be registered in the Voter Roll Abroad (Padrón Electoral del Extranjero), show your valid DPI or passport, and not have already voted in that election.
• If you are registered, you can vote at any polling place set up outside Guatemala. How you will vote will be announced in the official call.
• These TSE rules have applied since July 29, 2026.

Official sources: TSE · Agreement 242-2026 (voting abroad) ↗ · Diario de Centro América · TSE agreement ↗ · TSE · 2027 General Elections ↗ · TSE · 2026 agreements ↗

If you return to Guatemala

• The Return Home Plan (Plan Retorno al Hogar) receives you when you arrive (Air Force base, zone 13, or Tecún Umán) with food, medical care, psychological support, clothing and guidance.
• Later you can go to the Service and Registration Center (CAR), in zone 1, for help with documents, jobs and training.
• Guatemalan Migration Institute Call Center: 2411-2412 in Guatemala. From the U.S., dial +502 2411-2412.

Official sources: IGM · Return Home Plan ↗ · U.S. Embassy Guatemala (+502 code) ↗

Sources: travel.state.gov, federalregister.gov, uscis.gov, ice.gov, federal courts (case records), embaguateusa.gob.gt, igm.gob.gt, renap.gob.gt, tse.org.gt, dca.gob.gt (Diario de Centro América, the official gazette), agn.gt (Guatemalan News Agency, run by the Government of Guatemala). Always check the official source before you start a process.

Consulates in the U.S.