Family based petitions are available for certain family members of United States citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents in the United States who are at least 18 years of age.
A U.S. Citizen may petition for the following relatives:
A Lawful Permanent Resident may petition for the following relatives:
The U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident sponsors the alien relative for lawful permanent residency. For the immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens (parents, spouses and unmarried children under 21 years old), an immigration visa number becomes immediately available upon the filing of an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. Preference categories have been established for the remaining categories of family members. The waiting period for an immigration visa number depends on which preference category the family member falls into. The preference hierarchy is as follows (highest to lowest priority):
Contact San Diego Immigration Lawyer Donald R. Oder for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions