Foreign citizens looking to live in the US need to get an immigrant visa. One of the ways to do this is to receive a family-based immigration sponsorship from a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Before anyone applies for a visa designed to reunite families, they must identify if they are eligible or not and if there is a limit to how many relatives the air condition. Here is more on who is eligible for an immigrant visa based on their familial connections.
Immediate relatives
Family-based immigration is most common and it admits immediate relatives, like spouses, children and parents. There is no limit to the number of visas the government offers to immediate relatives of US citizens, but there is a limit for lawful residents.
Distant relatives
This is the term the government uses to describe distant relatives of US citizens. Unfortunately, there is a limited number of visas the government gives out in this category.
US citizen petitions
Under the Immediate Relative immigration visas, US citizens can file petitions and sponsor their family, including:
- Spouses
- Children
- Parents
They can also sponsor distant relatives, like siblings. They should file for these relatives under Family Preference visas.
US lawful permanent resident petitions
US lawful residents can petition for and sponsor a limited selection of their immediate family, including spouses and unmarried children. They must do this under the Family Preference visas.
Anyone who meets one of these criteria is able to emigrate to the US due to their familial status. The next step is to begin the visa application process.