Family Immigration

Immediate Relatives

Sherman Immigration is here to assist you with obtaining family-based Green Cards for immediate family members including spouses, children (under 21 years of age), and parents of U.S. citizens. The type of application depends on whether the immediate family members are living in the United States or outside of the country. The U.S. citizen filing on behalf of their family member is what is known as the petitioner. The petitioner is responsible for filling out an I-130 form and providing the necessary documents and evidence.

Immediate family members already living in the United States can apply for an Adjustment of Status by filling out an I-485 form to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the U.S. After the I-485 and supporting evidence are accepted there may be a request for an interview or requests for additional evidence.

Immediate family members living outside of the United States will go through Consular Processing to become LPRs. Once the I-130 is approved, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will forward the approval to The National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will process the case and then forward it to the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate so that an interview can be scheduled. There is no limit on visas for immediate family members of U.S. citizens, so they are available at any time of the year.

Family Preference Immigrants

Green Cards for family members who are not in the immediate relative category are split into five separate categories depending on the relationship of the family members including  F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4.

First Preference (F1) is for unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old. Second Preference (F2A) is for spouses and children under 21 years old of legal permanent residents (LPRs). Second Preference (F2B) is unmarried adult children over the age of 21 of legal permanent residents. Third Preference (F3) is for married children of U.S. citizens, and Fourth Preference (F4) is for siblings of U.S. citizens.

The application process for family preference immigrants is similar to the process for immediate family of U.S. citizens. Unlike immediate family members though, there is an annual limit on the number of applications accepted each year for family preference immigrants, which can make the process take longer.

The Visa Bulletin

The U.S. government’s Visa year runs from October 1st through September 30th. In order to make sure that the annual allotment of family-based Green Cards lasts for the entire Visa year, The U.S. Department of State limits the number of Green Cards available each month. They publish a monthly document called the Visa Bulletin which lists the cutoff dates for each family preference category. If the priority date for the applicant is before the cutoff date on the Visa Bulletin, the applicant is able to continue with their application.

If you’re interested in family-based Green Cards, contact Sherman Immigration and we can help you decide which categories apply to your family members and assist them with the Green Card application process.