Family-Based Green Card Eligibility

Published on: Thu Apr 03 2025

Family-based immigration is one of the primary ways to obtain a Green Card in the United States. US citizens and lawful permanent residents can sponsor certain family members for permanent residency.

Immediate Relatives of US Citizens

Immediate relatives of US citizens include:

• Spouses of US citizens
• Unmarried children under 21 years of age of US citizens
• Parents of US citizens (if the US citizen is 21 or older)

Immediate relatives have special immigration priority and do not have to wait for a visa number to become available.

Family Preference Categories

Other family relationships fall under preference categories:

• First Preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of US citizens
• Second Preference (F2): Spouses, minor children, and unmarried sons and daughters (21 years or older) of lawful permanent residents
• Third Preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of US citizens
• Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and sisters of US citizens (if the US citizen is 21 or older)

These categories have annual caps and may require waiting for a visa to become available.