Family Based
For the family members of a Green card holder or a Citizen of the United States, the path to permanent residency is through the Family based quotas. To apply through the family based categories, the applicant needs the sponsorship of the Green card holding family member.
The US based relative of the applicant must be able to prove that -
- He/she is a citizen or a lawful Permanent Resident of US and
- He/she can support the applicant financially (often determined by income that should be equivalent to or 125% above the mandated US poverty line).
UNLIMITED FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION
This following categories of family based green card have no quota -
- Immediate Relatives of US Citizens (IR)- A spouse, parents, widowed or unmarried child under the age of 21.
- Returning Residents (SB) – Immigrants who have previously lived in the U.S. as lawful Permanent Resident and should be returning to live in the U.S. after living abroad for more than one year.
LIMITED FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION
There are four family based green card preference categories with limited visa numbers.
- First Preference F1 – For unmarried children over the age of 21 of US citizens.
- Second Preference F2 – Spouses of lawful permanent residents, their unmarried children under the age of 21 and married children under the age of 21 of lawful permanent residents.
- Third Preference F3 – Married children of US Citizens and their spouses and children.
- Fourth Preference F4 – Siblings of adult U.S. citizens and their spouses and children.