The family preference categories cover relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not immediate relatives. Their numbers are limited each fiscal year.[1]
Because of that limit, a waiting line forms whenever more people apply than there are visas.[2]
Spouses, minor children and parents of U.S. citizens use a separate immediate relative path.[3]
That path is mapped on Spouse of a U.S. citizen.
The five family preference categories
In each category below, the U.S. citizen or permanent resident who files is the petitioner, and the relative who will immigrate is the beneficiary.[4]
- F1: unmarried sons and daughters, age 21 or older, of U.S. citizens.[5]
- F2A: spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents.[6]
- F2B: unmarried sons and daughters, age 21 or older, of permanent residents.[7]
- F3: married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.[8]
- F4: brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, when the citizen is 21 or older.[9]
In general, the law gives the family preference group a yearly limit, and each category receives its own share of it.[10][11]
The spouse and children of a preference immigrant can come along, or follow later, in the same category and with the same place in line. They are called derivative applicants.[12][13]
Step 1: The U.S. relative files Form I-130
The process starts when the U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with USCIS.[14][15]
The petition only proves the family relationship. Filing it, or having it approved, does not give the relative any status.[16][17]
- Each relative needs a separate I-130, unless that person counts as a derivative beneficiary.[18]
- The petitioner includes proof of their own status and of the relationship; for a brother or sister, that means birth certificates for both siblings.[19][20]
- On the form, the petitioner marks exactly one choice: adjustment of status inside the U.S. or consular processing abroad.[21]
The filing date of the I-130 becomes the priority date: the beneficiary's place in the visa line. It appears on the Form I-797 notice for the petition.[22][23][24]
More on how that date works is in Priority date.
If a permanent resident petitioner becomes a U.S. citizen while the relative is still waiting, the relative's category can be updated by notifying USCIS or the State Department.[25]
USCIS's published I-130 processing times for each family preference category are below; all offices are on the I-130 processing times page.
Step 2: Wait for the priority date in the Visa Bulletin
The State Department hands out the limited visas by category, by country of chargeability and by priority date. Chargeability is usually the country of birth, and each country has a cap.[26][27]
The monthly Visa Bulletin shows a cutoff date for each category and country.[28]
The October 2026 bulletin has a general column plus separate columns for mainland China, India, Mexico and the Philippines.[29]
Which column applies is explained in Chargeability.
Each bulletin has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.[30]
- Final Action Dates: a visa can be issued only when the priority date is earlier than the date listed.[31]
- Dates for Filing: immigrant visa applicants whose priority date is earlier than this date can start sending documents to the National Visa Center once it contacts them.[32]
- "C" (current) means numbers are available to every qualified applicant; "U" means none can be issued.[33][34]
For people applying from inside the U.S., USCIS states each month which chart to use for filing.[35]
The two charts are compared in Final Action Dates vs Dates for Filing.
Cutoff dates can also move backward, which is called retrogression.[36]
That is covered in Retrogression.
Past cutoff dates: F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4.
Step 3: Two routes to the green card
Once the petition is approved and a visa number is available, there are two routes.[37]
- Consular processing: a relative outside the U.S. applies for an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad.[38]
- Adjustment of status: a relative already in the U.S. applies without leaving.[39]
After approval, USCIS generally sends the petition to the National Visa Center when the relative's address is abroad, and keeps it when the relative is in the U.S. and appears eligible to adjust.[40][41]
The two routes are compared in Adjustment of status vs consular processing.
Step 4: Consular processing through the National Visa Center
The approved petition goes to the State Department's National Visa Center (NVC) and waits there until a visa number is available.[42]
NVC creates a visa case and sends a Welcome Letter with a case number and invoice ID, used to log in to its online system.[43][44]
NVC collects fees and documents, and tells both petitioner and beneficiary when a visa number is about to become available.[45][46]
- Before NVC reviews a case, all fees and documents must be in, including the affidavit of support, financial documents, the DS-260 application and civil documents.[47]
- Not responding to NVC notices within one year risks termination of the petition and loss of its priority date.[48]
- A new address, a child turning 21 or a change in marital status may affect eligibility or visa availability.[49]
NVC publishes its current processing times and updates them weekly.[50]
The weekly record is on the NVC timeframes page, and what NVC does is explained in National Visa Center.
When the priority date is current, the consulate schedules an interview and decides the case.[51]
What happens there is covered in The interview.
After a visa is granted, a USCIS Immigrant Fee pays for producing the green card. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer then inspects the immigrant and decides whether to admit them as a permanent resident.[52][53]
Step 5: Adjustment of status inside the U.S., where allowed
USCIS lists the requirements for a family preference applicant who files Form I-485 from inside the U.S. Among them:[54]
- Inspection at entry: inspected and admitted, or inspected and paroled.[55]
- Being in the U.S. on the filing date.[56]
- A visa immediately available both at filing and at decision.[57]
- The family relationship still in place.[58]
- No bar to adjustment, and admissibility or a waiver.[59]
Bars depend on how the person entered or on past immigration violations; section 245(i) may let some barred applicants adjust anyway.[60][61]
When a visa is available, the I-485 can go in with the I-130 (concurrent filing), while it is pending, or after it is approved.[62][63]
- A required medical exam form (I-693) must be sent with the I-485.[64]
- After filing, USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment for fingerprints and photos.[65]
- A work permit can be requested while the I-485 is pending.[66]
- Leaving the U.S. without advance parole generally counts as abandoning the I-485.[67]
USCIS's published I-485 processing time for family-based cases is below; more detail is on the I-485 processing times page.
Step 6: The affidavit of support (Form I-864)
Most family-based immigrants use Form I-864, in which a sponsor shows the immigrant will have financial support.[68]
It is a binding contract. If the immigrant receives means-tested public benefits, the agency can ask the sponsor to repay them.[69]
- Every sponsor includes their latest federal tax return or an explanation of why none was required.[70]
- A joint sponsor must prove U.S. citizenship, permanent residence or U.S. national status.[71]
The sponsor gives the completed form to the immigrant, who files it with Form OF-230 or Form I-485; in NVC cases, NVC's instructions apply.[72]