Family-Based Green Cards
Who qualifies, the difference between immediate relatives and preference categories, and what the waits really look like.
Immediate relatives
Spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens have no annual visa cap — the timeline is driven purely by processing, typically 12–18 months.
Preference categories
F1 (adult children of citizens), F2A (spouses/minor children of green-card holders), F2B, F3, and F4 (siblings) are capped and backlogged — from roughly current for F2A to decades for some F4 countries. The Visa Bulletin governs when each priority date can move forward.
Process overview
The sponsor files I-130; when the date is current the beneficiary either adjusts status in the U.S. (I-485) or consular-processes abroad. An affidavit of support (I-864) showing 125% of the poverty guideline is required.
Stay ahead of every change
Create a free account for case tracking, priority-date alerts, and monthly bulletin analysis.