In the United States, immigration laws are made to keep families together or reunite them to some degree. That is why there are a couple of ways of getting legal status in the country. This means that you can immigrate using family options. For instance, you can use your spouse, sibling, or another immediate family member to move to the United States.

Foreign nationals need to have a relative who is a permanent resident or a citizen of the United States. Then, this relative will have to file a petition on their behalf. Through this petition, foreign nationals might get a family-based green card or a family-based permanent resident status.

If you’re having a hard time navigating through family immigration, a professional immigration lawyer in Orlando, Florida can help you.

Family Immigration If You’re a US Citizen

You can file petitions if you are a citizen of the United States. This will help you secure from family-based permanent residence to K-3/K-4 visas to fiancée visas. This depends on your relationship with the family member. Fortunately, your relative will not have to wait for visas to be available if you’re a citizen of the United States, unlike relatives of green cardholders. Always remember that you might petition for these immediate relatives if you are a citizen of the United States:

  • Spouses
  • Parents (you need to be at least 21 years old)
  • Siblings (you need to be at least 21 years old)
  • Married kids of any age
  • Unmarried kids under age 21

Family Immigration If You’re a Permanent Resident

You might petition for your foreign immediate relatives if you are a permanent resident of the United States. The process will need you to send applications to prove that you and the foreign individual are related to each other. You will also have to prove that you have completed all the documents to become a resident of the United States.

In addition to that, relatives of permanent residents will have to wait for a visa to be available before they can immigrate to the United States. You might petition for these immediate relatives if you are a holder of a green card:

  • Spouses
  • Parents (you need to be at least 21 years old)
  • Married kids of any age
  • Unmarried kids under age 21

Other Options for Family-Based Immigration

If you have a family member who isn’t considered as an immediate relative, you can utilize preference categories when petitioning for family-based immigration. Just like green cardholder petitioners, your relatives will have to wait for visas to become available.

These are the preference categories:

  • Preference 1 – adult sons and daughters of full citizens
  • Preference 2A – spouses and unmarried kids of green cardholders
  • Preference 2B – unmarried adult sons and daughters of green cardholders
  • Preference 3 – married kids of any age of full citizens
  • Preference 4 – brothers and sisters of full citizens

Since it can be a bit complicated to navigate through the different legal processes of immigration, it is extremely recommended that you hire an immigration lawyer to help you with your endeavors.