Family Immigrant Visas are for those people who want to reunite with their family members in the US. The US government, however, only allows close family members like spouses, children (biological/adopted), parents, and siblings to gather. Other relatives such as grandparents, uncles and cousins are considered extended family members and therefore do not qualify.
US family members must legally reside in the US. Otherwise, if they are illegally living in the US, they cannot apply for their family members to immigrate to the US. They must at least be Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) and have a Green Card for these visas. US citizens can also reunite with their immediate family with Immediate Relative (IR) Visas.
Family-based US Immigrant Visas will grant entry for family members to the US. They can also enroll in schools or universities. They can also own property and apply for a driver's license. Surely, after all, they can travel in and out of the US for short periods.
The IR-2 visa is given to unmarried children under the age of 21 of a US citizen. The child must be unmarried and under the age of 21 to obtain this type of visa, but it can also be given if the child is under the Child Status Protection Act and is treated as if the child is under 21 years of age.
The advantage of obtaining an IR-2 visa for your child is that your child can live in the US, as well as attend school and continue his education. Lastly, the son has a Green Card and is able to work without needing an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) in the future. What are the requirements for the IR-2 visa?
The requirements for the IR-2 visa are not as extensive as some other visa types. The child of the US citizen must:
Be under 21 years of age
Be single
Living in a foreign countryIn addition to the requirements for the child applying for the IR-2 visa, the US citizen who will be the parent must meet these criteria:
Must consent to adopt an unmarried child under one year old from a foreign country.
Must be a US citizen. If all these conditions are met, the US citizen and the child of a foreign country can start the IR-2 visa application procedure
Several factors cause a US citizen to bring their immediate family members to the country. Some became US citizens because of their status in the country. For that reason, most of them might want to take their close relatives to be with them. An IR-5 visa would provide the opportunity for US citizens to bring their parents to the US from their homeland.
The IR-5 visa allows parents of a US citizen who are at least 21 years old to live in and immigrate to the US for life. The visa gives them the opportunity to reside and work in the US and to be reunited with their children in the US. Parents can legally work in the US without the need for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) once they receive the IR-5 visa.
The advantage of getting an IR-5 visa is that it has no capacity or annual limit because it is an immediate family visa. This means that whoever applies, meets the criteria and has an approved application, can obtain the visa without the need to wait.
In order to qualify for the IR-5 visa, there are conditions that the US citizen and their parents must meet. These conditions are as follows:
• The US citizen must be at least 21 years old
• The US citizen must be financially stable to be able to support his parents until the parents have started working.
• The US citizen must reside in the US and have a valid US address.
• Parents must be from a foreign country.
• US citizens and their parents must present a valid birth certificate to prove their parentage.
The US F-2A visa, or the visa for certain family members of Lawful Permanent Residents, is intended to authorize LPRs to bring spouses or minor children to the US permanently. This visa gives LPR's the ability to reunite with their families living in a different country.
Each year, there are approximately 80,000 US F-2A visas granted to those applying in the US. As this visa has a numerical limitation, it is in high demand and has a very long waiting period. However, family members of LPRs can live in the US permanently after obtaining the visa. They will be granted permission to live in the US, work and enroll in schools and universities.
Obtaining the F-2A is not complicated and is quite simple. Let us consider legitimately married spouses. A wife who wants her companion to accompany them in the US needs to confirm that they are, in fact, legally married by presenting marriage documents. Persons who are not legally married (ie, active partners) cannot appeal or petition for their partner to enter the US.
The same can also be said when someone wants to bring their children using the F-2A US visa. The citizen must declare the relationship with them as well. The following stipulations involve:
• Children must be under 21 years of age.
• Children must be single.
• Valid birth certificates or adoption documents must be submitted to validate the relationship
The F2B visa is a US visa that is issued exclusively to the adult children of US Legal Permanent Residents. An unmarried adult child over the age of 21 must be the child of an LPR and have supporting documents such as birth certificates or adoption documents. If married, he/she must submit complete documents proving they are legally married.
The F2B visa can give you the opportunity to reunite with your family. It also gives your adult child the opportunity to study and work in the US permanently and legally.
These are the necessary requirements to apply for the F2B visa:
Child of a US Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) and have documents to prove
Age 21 years and above
Single
The F-3 visa is primarily for immediate family members of a certified US citizen who live in a foreign country. Qualifications are strict, for spouse only, minor children who are unmarried and under one year old.
The F-3 visa is only granted to 23,400 people each year. If the limit is reached within a year, further visas will be granted in chronological order.
If their F-3 visa is approved, qualified personnel can now legally work without the need for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), study, travel and live in the US, needing only a Social Security Number.
These are the following requirements to apply for an F-3 visa:
You must have an immediate family member who is a US citizen, and you can prove this through supporting documents such as birth certificates and adoption documents.
Must be married and can prove it through a legal marriage certificate.
Must be over 21 years old
The F-4 visa is specifically for the siblings of a US citizen or LPR. It is intended for brothers and sisters together with their minor children. This visa will give them the opportunity to live, study and work in the US without the need for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The petitioner or US citizen must also be at least 21 years old to be eligible to apply for the F-4 visa.
Like other US visas, the F-4 visa has a limited number of slots granted each year and the government will only process 65,000 visas per year.
The F-4 visa requires eligibility for both siblings of the US citizen who wants to be reunited with family and also siblings who live in a foreign country. If you are married and have children, they are also eligible for the visa. The following conditions must be fulfilled by a US citizen who wants to bring their siblings in the US:
Must be a US citizen and have a valid US address
Must be at least 21 years old
Supporting documents, such as birth certificates or adoption documents
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