Family Visas

Visas for immediate relatives

• Spouses of U.S. citizens
• Children (unmarried and under 21) of U.S. citizens
• Parents of U.S. citizens (The petitioning citizen must be 21 or older.)

Visas are always available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. This means your family member does not need to wait in line for a visa. Immediate relatives who are in the United States can file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status at the same time as Form I-130. For more information on how your relative can apply to adjust status (get a Green Card) while they are in the United States, see the How Do I Help My Relative Become a Permanent Resident? (PDF, 688.27 KB) guide.

Visas for other relatives - Preference categories apply to family members who are not immediate relatives. The visas allotted for these categories are subject to annual numerical limits. A visa becomes available to a preference category based on the priority date (the date the Form I-130 was filed). Preference categories are grouped as follows:

• First preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (adult means 21 or older.)
• Second Preference (2A): Spouses of Green Card holders, unmarried children (under 21) of permanent residents
• Second Preference (2B): Unmarried adult sons and daughters of permanent residents
• Third Preference: Married sons and daughters (any age) of U.S. citizens
• Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens

For current wait times, see the USCIS Processing Time Information page on this website and the Visa Bulletin page on the U.S. Department of State website. For more information on priority dates, see the Visa Availability and Priority Dates page.

Ref source: https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens