Did you know that nearly three-quarters of all legal immigration is family-based immigration? For the past fifty years, family unification has been at the heart our national immigration policy. Today, eligible family-sponsored immigrants are divided among four “preferences” and a separate category, referred to as “Immediate Relatives.”
“Immediate relatives” are the most favored of all family-based immigrants. The term “immediate relatives” refers to the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and the parents of adult U.S. citizens. Unlike the preference categories, immediate relatives are not subject to numerical limitations. For this reason, petitions for immediate relatives are processed and approved much faster than any other family-based category. In addition, the law excuses some immediate relatives from the consequences of certain immigration violations, such as overstaying a visa and employment without authorization.
Persons who are not “immediate relatives” of U.S. citizens may still immigrate if they fall within one of the following family-based preferences classifications:
- First Preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens;
- Second Preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents, their unmarried children (under the age of 21), and the unmarried adult 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.
The family-based preferences are subject to restrictive numerical limits. This means that a person can be classified as an eligible immigrant within one of the above family-based preferences and will still have to wait for many years to become a legal permanent resident. The mere filing or the approval of a Petition within one of the above family-based preferences does not permit a person to live and work legally in the U.S.
U.S. immigration law does not allow citizens or legal residents (green card holder) to sponsor any other family members, except for those described above. It is not possible for a U.S. citizen or legal resident to sponsor a grandparent, aunt or uncle, cousin or close friend. It is also not possible for a minor child under the age of 21 to sponsor a parent for legal residence. However, the law does recognize many parent-child and sibling relationships created by adoption, step relationships and legitimation.
Family-based immigration can be one of the most complicated areas of immigration law.
Even a seemingly simple case can require analysis and strategy that only an experienced immigration lawyer can provide. The Law Office of Matthew I. Hirsch invites you to contact
us to review and discuss your questions on family-based immigration.
