Family Based Visas and Permanent Residency Options
United States citizens (USC) and lawful permanent residents (LPR) may sponsor certain relatives for lawful permanent residency (ie. "green cards".) The sponsorship is based on a preference system which went into effect on October 1, 1991. The system created the following 4 preference categories:
- First Preference - Unmarried sons and daughters.
- Second Preference - Divided into 2 categories.
2A - Spouses and unmarried children of LPRs.
2B - Unmarried sons and daughters of LPRs.
- Third Preference - Married sons and daughters of USCs.
- Fourth Preference - Brothers and sisters of USCs.
The above preferences are subject to numerical limitations, which result in a waiting period before the beneficiary can receive a "green card" following an approved I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. The only persons not subject to any numerical limitations are unmarried children of United States citizens who are under the age of 21 and spouses or parents of United States citizens. These individuals are labeled immediate relatives. Lawful permanent residents may sponsor only spouses and children and are subject to the preference system and the numerical limitations discussed above.
The processing times for various applications at INS offices around the country, as well as the current visa bulletin, can be viewed at CIS Processing Times.