The great dream of petitioning for our closest relatives, according to current immigration law, allows U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor certain family members to obtain their permanent legal residency.

Immediate family members of a U.S. citizen are:

• Spouses of U.S. citizens.
• Unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. citizens.
• Orphans adopted abroad.
• Orphans to be adopted in the U.S. by U.S. citizens.
• Parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old.

Additionally, there are other categories for more distant specific family members of U.S. citizens and certain specific relationships with a legal permanent resident (LPR), which have limitations on available visas.

• First Family Preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses, and their children. (Approximately 9 years of waiting for an available visa).
• Second Family Preference (F2):
  • F2A: Spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents. (Approximately 6 years of waiting for an available visa).
  • F2B: Unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years of age of legal permanent residents. (Approximately 9 years of waiting for an available visa).
• Third Family Preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and minor children. (Approximately 15 years of waiting for an available visa).
• Fourth Family Preference (F4): Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and minor children, provided the U.S. citizens are at least 21 years old. (Approximately 17 years of waiting for an available visa).

The availability can be checked in the monthly visa bulletin.