Green Card Through Family
Family-Based Green Card Eligibility for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
If you are an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, you may be eligible to apply for a lawful permanent resident status (Green Card) through your family connection, provided you meet certain criteria.
For immediate relatives, the U.S. immigration system does not impose limits on the number of available immigrant visas, meaning there are always visas available for this category.
You qualify as an immediate relative if you are:
- The spouse of a U.S. citizen
- An unmarried child under 21 years of age of a U.S. citizen
- The parent of a U.S. citizen (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age or older)
- A widow or widower of a U.S. citizen, provided the citizen filed a petition before their death, or the widow(er) files a petition within two years of the citizen’s passing.
Family-Sponsored Preference Immigrant Visas
Unlike immigrant visas for immediate relatives, family-based immigrant visas for other categories are subject to numerical limits, meaning they may not always be readily available. The preference categories for family-based immigration include:
- First Preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of U.S. citizens
- Second Preference (F2A): Spouses and children (under 21 and unmarried) of lawful permanent residents
- Second Preference (F2B): Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of lawful permanent residents
- Third Preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
- Fourth Preference (F4): Siblings of U.S. citizens (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years or older)
If you or someone you know requires immigration law assistance, reach out to Lefebvre Michel Law. Although our office is located in Washington, DC, immigration law is federally governed, allowing us to help clients across the country.