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Family-Based Immigration
To be eligible to sponsor a relative to immigrate to the United States you
must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States
and be able to provide documentation proving your status.
- You must prove that you can support your relative at 125% above the mandated
poverty line.
- If you are a U.S, Citizen you may petition for the following foreign
national relatives to immigrate to the United States; however you must be able
to provide proof of the qualifying family relationship:
- Husband or wife;
- Unmarried child under 21 years old;
- Unmarried son or daughter over 21;
- Married son or daughter of any age;
- Brother or sister, if you are at least 21 years old; or
- Parent, if you are at least 21 years old.
- If you are a lawful permanent resident you may petition for the following
foreign national relatives to immigrate to the United States; however you must
be able to provide proof of the qualifying family relationship:
- Husband or wife; or
- Unmarried son or daughter of any age.
To be
eligible for lawful permanent residence based on a family relationship you must
meet the following criteria:
- You must have a relative who is a United States citizen or a lawful
permanent resident of the United States who can provide documentation proving
their status and is willing to sponsor you for lawful permanent residency by
filing the
- Your relative must prove they can support you by providing documentation
that their income is 125% above the mandated poverty line for their family,
including you and all other sponsored family members.
If your
relative is a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. permanent resident, and they can legally
prove a qualifying family relationship to you, you may be eligible for lawful
permanent residence on the basis of that qualifying family relationship.
Preference Categories
The relative you wish to
immigrate must obtain an immigrant visa number that is based on the preference
category in which they fall. People who want to become immigrants are
classified into categories based on a preference system. The immediate relatives
of U.S. citizens, which includes parents, spouses and unmarried children under
the age of 21, do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become
available once the visa petition filed for them is approved by the USCIS. An
immigrant visa number will be immediately available for immediate relatives of
U.S. citizens. The relatives in the remaining categories must wait for an
immigrant visa number to become available according to the following
preferences:
- First Preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
Adult means 21 years of age or older.
- Second Preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents, their unmarried
children (under twenty-one), and the unmarried sons and daughters of lawful
permanent residents.
- Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
- Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.
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