There’s nothing like having your family close to you. One of the great benefits in becoming a U.S. permanent resident or citizen is that it can give your loved ones a preferred status for coming here.
You may want to familiarize yourself with the different types of “F” visas. It’s one of many types of family visas that U.S. immigration officials issue. The F class visa, also known as the preference immigrant visa, may entitle you to bring your spouse, siblings and children, whether they’re married or single, minors or adults.
How do immigration officials prioritize who they allow to come to the U.S.?
Immigration officials prioritize applications for this preference immigrant (F class) visa based on their degree of relationship with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
U.S. citizens who have unmarried children age 21 or over qualify for the highest priority tier for the F visa, called F1.
The second-highest qualification level for this visa applies to permanent residents. Their spouse or unmarried children under age 21 may qualify for the F2A visa. A permanent resident’s unmarried sons and daughters who are 21 or over may qualify for the F2B visa.
Any married children that a U.S. citizen has may be eligible for the third-highest priority status of the preference immigrant visa, F3, no matter what their age is.
The lowest priority status for this preference immigrant family visa, F4, belongs to a U.S. citizen’s adult siblings.
The family preference visa isn’t the only option for bringing your family to the United States
Given the preference classifications above, not every family is covered. You may want to bring your parents, a fiance or many distant relatives.
A loved one who does fit into one of the categories above isn’t guaranteed to receive this visa. They would just receive a preference processing if they met all of the other requirements to immigrate to the U.S. A family-based immigration attorney will want to know more about your family members and their intentions for coming here before outlining which visa option may be best for them to pursue.