Preference Categories for Family Visas

Once you are established as a permanent resident or naturalized citizen of the United States, you can help your family and certain loved ones immigrate to the United States. In general, there are an unlimited number of visas available to immediate family members, including spouses of U.S. citizens, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old.

However, there are a limited number of visas available to family and loved ones who do not qualify as immediate relatives. These family members are then put into different preference categories before their visas are granted. If you need help with petitioning for a family member to immigrate to the U.S., please contact a tenacious Orange County immigration attorney from Garg & Associates, P.C., at 949-540-6704 today.

What are the Four Preference Categories?

The limited number of visas available to non-immediate family members is first divided into four preference categories. To determine the preference level assigned to your family member, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) looks at information such as the petitioner’s age, relationship to you, and other important factors. They are then put into one of four preference categories:

• First preference – Adult (21 and older), unmarried children of U.S. citizens
• Second preference (A) – Spouses and unmarried, under-21 children of permanent residents
• Second preference (B) – Adult-age, unmarried children of green card holders
• Third preference – Married children of U.S. citizens
• Fourth preference – Siblings of adult U.S. citizens

While ordering these preferences may make it seem as if some are better than others, this is simply the method that USCIS uses to categorize petitioners.

Contact Us

It can be important for U.S. citizens and permanent residents to have their loved ones in the United States with them. For more information regarding immigrant petitions for family members, contact a knowledgeable Orange County immigration lawyer from the respected firm of Garg & Associates, P.C., today at 949-540-6704.