Family Immigration Petitions
Harlingen, Texas Family Immigration Attorney
United States Family Immigration Petitions
When your family is spread across international borders, it can make life difficult emotionally, physically, and financially. Often, spouses, parents, children, and other relatives have a goal of bringing the family together through family immigration petitions. The Villegas Law Office, PLLC, assists immigrant families by assessing their immigration options and in filing the necessary paperwork to bring everyone together.
Immediate Relative Green Card Petitions
Top immigration priority is given to the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. There is no limit to the number of Immediate Relative Immigrant Visas issued in any given year, so this is the fastest and, typically, easiest family immigration petition process. Within Immediate Relative petitions there are five visa types: • IR-1, which applies to a Spouse of a U.S. citizen.
- IR-2, which applies to Unmarried children of a U.S. citizen up to age 21.
- IR-3, which applies to orphans adopted by a U.S. citizen overseas.
- IR-4, which applies to orphans adopted by a U.S. citizen in domestic family courts.
- IR-5, which applies to parents of a U.S. citizen over age 21.
In addition to the IR petition, the spouse or fiancé of a U.S. citizen may qualify for a K1 or K3 visa. The K1 allows a fiancé to travel to the U.S. for the marriage ceremony. A K3 shortens spouses' separation as they await approval of a pending IR-1 petition.
Family Preference Immigrant Visas
When a family member does not fit within the scope of immediate relatives, his or her immigration options are more limited. Distant relatives including grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and cousins are not typically allowed to directly sponsor family immigration petitions. This often creates a series of family petitions, where one relative will sponsor a second. Then when the second becomes eligible, he or she sponsors a third, and so on.
Every year, the United States grants a limited number of family immigration petitions, sponsored by U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders), from each of the following categories:
- F1, which applies to unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens and their minor children.
- F2, which applies to spouses and, minor or unmarried adult children of LPRs.
- F3, which applies to the married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses, and minor children.
- F4, which applies to siblings of U.S. citizens at least 21 years of age, their spouses, and minor children
Children Sponsoring Their Parents
Many within the immigrant community know that their children who were born in the United States can sponsor their parents' immigration petitions. However, a U.S. citizen must be at least 21 years old to file a petition for parents or siblings. Depending on your family's circumstances, this could result in lengthy delays in the petition process.
Contact a Family Immigration Attorney
The technical details of U.S. immigration law can be difficult. Without the help of an experienced immigration attorney, it can be easy to get confused and mistakes can be made. That can lead to delays and even having your immigration petition denied. Your family is too important to risk. Contact the Villegas Law Office, PLLC, in Harlingen, Texas today to schedule a consultation with a skilled immigration attorney.
Family immigration attorney, Ana Maria Villegas, files family immigration petitions for relatives of U.S. citizens and green card holders.
When your family is spread across international borders, it can make life difficult emotionally, physically, and financially. Often, spouses, parents, children, and other relatives have a goal of bring the family together through family immigration petitions. The Villegas Law Office, PLLC, assists immigrant families in filing the necessary paperwork to bring everyone together and ensure proper legal status for everyone involved.