American citizens and permanent residents of the United States of America may request for their relatives the family sponsored migrant visa. For each of these cases there exist specific categories, being the greatest number of these for American citizens than for permanent residents.
How much time before I obtain the Family Sponsored Visa?
From the moment the application is made to the moment the family member obtains the Visa, 6 to 20 months may pass. It all depends on the migrant status of the person who makes the application, the category to which the family member belongs and their country of residence.
What is the priority according to kinship?
According to kinship. The government allocates priorities. That is, some family members (according to the relationship), will obtain the permanent residence faster than others.
Direct family members have the highest priority. That is, spouses, unmarried children under 21 years of age and the parents of American citizens who are over 20 years of age. In this cases, the migrant Visa is immediately available and there is no quota for it.
On the contrary, non-direct kinships are classified in categories of priority. Those who are placed in those categories must wait until a migrant visa is available before they can submit their application.
When the moment arrives and there is availability for the Family member Visa, other factors may play a role. Such as: migratory background into the U.S.A., the person’s criminal record and their current location.
What are the Visas available for family members?
For applicants who are American citizens:
Direct kinship: immediately available visa:
- Spouses
- Unmarried children under 21 years of age
- Parents: the applicant must be over 21 years of age
First priority: must wait until the date of priority
- Unmarried children over 21 years of age and their children
Second priority: must wait until the date of priority:
- Married children of any age and their spouses and children
Third priority: must wait until the date of priority:
- Siblings and their spouses and children
For applicants who are permanent residents:
Second priority:
- Spouses
- Unmarried children under 21 years of age (and their children)
Third priority:
- Unmarried children over 21 years of age (and their children)