Family Immigration Attorney Near Me

When you are a United States citizen or a permanent resident and green card holder, you can be eligible to petition or sponsor a family member to also become a legal resident. The federal government categorizes family members of citizens based on their relationship to United States citizens, age, and marital status, and you should seek the help of a family immigration attorney near me when trying to secure immigration for a family member.

With the exception of immediate relatives like spouses or parents, every immigrant’s category represents a different preference group. Preference groups are given a fixed number of immigrant visas that are issued each year, and a higher preference translates to more available immigrant visas being processed annually. 

Bringing a Family Member to the United States

It is critical to know what preference group your family member belongs to so you can understand whether they will be eligible to be sponsored and how many immigrant visas will be available. Based on this information, you can know approximately how long it will take to sponsor a family member such as a spouse, a sibling, or a parent.

Immigration to the United States usually breaks down as follows:

Immediate relatives include spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21 years of age of adult United States citizens. Immigrant visas or green cards will always be available for immediate relatives of United States citizens. 

There will be no wait time or queue for these family members to get a green card, but only the immediate relatives of United States citizens are allowed to skip the line for green card applications. When it comes to parents, spouses, and children of permanent residents, they must get in line for immigrant visas or green cards and be subject to the limit placed on the preference category.

As it concerns the family-based immigration system in the United States, first preference visas sponsored by United States citizens are limited to 23,400 per year. When a permanent resident or green card holder sponsors a 2A spouse or minor child, the limit is 87,900 per year, and a 2B unmarried adult child has a limit of 26,300.

For third preference married adult children of United States citizens, the limit is 23,400. When it comes to fourth preference brothers and sisters of United States citizens, the limit is 65,000.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with a Family Immigration Attorney Near Me

Did you need help bringing a family member to the United States? You will want to be working with Joseph & Hall P.C.

Our firm is a full-service immigration law firm with offices in Aurora, Colorado Springs, and Frisco, Colorado. You can call us or contact us online to receive a free consultation so we can review your case and discuss all of your legal options.