Orlando Family-Based
Immigration Attorneys
We are Here to Help You Achieve Your Immigration Goal
Compassionate Family Immigration
Legal Guidance
Family reunification is one of the cornerstones of U.S. immigration policy. If you are the spouse, parent, or child of a U.S. citizen, you can get a green card through their sponsorship. If you are the adult child or sibling of a U.S. citizen, or the family-member of a green card holder, you can also get a green card through family sponsorship, but the wait times can be decades long. Our goals at HAWM Law are to find a legal way to reunite family in the short term as well as getting a green card for the long term.
Understanding Family-Based
Immigration Categories
In the United States, citizens and permanent residents (also known as green card holders) can submit a petition to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office or online to allow a family member to live in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident (or LPR), otherwise known as a green card holder. Filing a petition on behalf of a foreign national is also referred to as “sponsoring” them.
The U.S. government categorizes family members of citizens and permanent residents into two main groups: immediate relatives and family preference immigrants.
For immigration purposes, only the following groups
are considered immediate relatives:
Spouses of U.S. citizens
Unmarried children
(under 21) of U.S. citizens
Parents of U.S. citizens
On the other hand, the category of family preference immigrants includes any of the following:
Unmarried sons and daughters (over 21) of U.S. citizens
Spouses and children (under 21) of permanent residents
Unmarried sons and daughters (over 21) of permanent residents
Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
Siblings of U.S. citizens (so long as the U.S. citizen is over 21)
Other relatives who fall outside these two categories may still qualify for family-based visas, such as individuals engaged to U.S. citizens, their children, and surviving spouses of deceased U.S. citizens.
If you are planning to sponsor a family member to become a lawful permanent resident, it is important to know that the immigration process differs for immediate relatives and family preference immigrants. For one, there is no cap on the number of visas the U.S. government grants to immediate relatives, but there is a limit to how many they grant to family preference immigrants. The specific documentation that must be submitted also varies between each family-based immigration category.
Adjustment of Status is the process that allows a nonimmigrant visa holder to become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Whether a family member is eligible for Adjustment of Status is a complicated analysis that requires the aid of an experienced immigration attorney. We are here to help.