immigration is the process of sponsoring your relatives to enter inside the United States. Family immigration depends on the the type of relation you are to them. It also depends on whether you are a U.S citizen or a Green Card holder. This plays a vital role in family based immigration because U.S. citizens are allowed to bring relatives like parents, brothers, sisters, spouse and children, where Green card holders are limited to sponsor spouse and unmarried children. Best part in family immigration of being a U.S. citizen is that in many cases your family members can immigrate faster than you being a Green Card holder.
There are two groups of family visas categories including immediate relatives and family preference categories:
Family Immigration - Immediate Relatives: People who fall under immediate relatives are spouse, unmarried child under twenty one years of age of a U.S. citizen. Parent will also fall under immediate relative category provided U.S. citizen son/daughter is at least twenty one years of age. Orphan adopted abroad or to be adopted inside the United States also fall under immediate relative.
There are no limitations of family immigration visas for those who fall under immediate relative category. Number of immediate relatives immigrating to the U.S. are unlimited. They are not controlled by any annual set limit or by any quota.
Family Immigration - Preference Relatives: People who fall under preference category are more distant relationship with U.S. citizens and in some cases the specified relationship with lawful permanent resident ("Green Card" holder). Family preference categories are further divided into the following categories:
Family First Preference (F1): People who fall under this preference category are unmarried sons and daughter of a United States citizen.
Family Second Preference (F2): People who fall under this preference category are spouses, minor children. unmarried sons and daughters of a lawful permanent resident ("Green Card" holder)
Family Third Preference (F3): People who fall under this preference category are married sons and daughters of a U.S. citizens, Son's/daughter's spouses and children will also fall under this category.
Family Fourth Preference (F4): People who fall under this preference category are brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. Brother's/sister's spouses and minor children will also fall under this category. In order to sponsor family members under this category, U.S. citizens must be at least 21 years of age.
There are set limitations of family immigration visas for those who fall under preference category. Whenever the number of family immigration applicants for a category exceeds the available family immigration visas, there will be an immigration wait period. In this case, the available immigrant visas will be issued in the order in which the petitions were filed using their priority date. The date when the petition was filed or the filing date called the applicant's priority date. Remember that the immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain categories there may be a waiting period of several years, or more, before a priority date is reached.
unused F4 numbers can fall-up to F1
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