What is the family-based green card? | Explained

How does one enter the United States if they have family members who are already residing there? To phrase it another way, how can you assist members of your family in obtaining their green cards by acting as a sponsor? Learn the ins and outs of getting a green card through a family member or other relative in the United States so that you can get started on the path to becoming a citizen of the United States.

What is the family-based green card? | Explained

One of the most common and widespread ways that individuals can obtain green cards is through their families, which is also one of the most common and widespread ways that individuals can become permanent residents of the United States. The issuance of these green cards makes it simpler for individuals to immigrate to the United States based on their family ties, and they account for nearly two-thirds of the total number of green cards that are issued each year.

Becoming a permanent resident of the United States gives you the ability to live and work in the country indefinitely, as well as the right to pursue any profession of your choosing. Green cards that are awarded on the basis of familial ties are among the most sought-after forms of permanent residency in the United States for this very reason. However, before beginning the application process, there are a number of requirements that must be met, which will be discussed in more detail below. If you meet all of these requirements, you will be able to start the application process.

Green Card Based on Family Status?

A family-based green card is a type of immigrant visa that allows applicants to join their close relatives in the United States if they are found to be eligible. If you are granted this type of green card, you will be able to:

  • Permanently residing in the United States
  • Obtain a driver's license in the United States.
  • Work anywhere in the country
  • It is simple to travel out of the country and back in.

However, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can only issue a certain number of these visas at any given time. If you apply for a family-based green card and discover that the annual quota has already been met, you won't be able to submit an application until the following year.

Types of Family-Based Green Cards

There are two overarching classifications that can be applied to a green card petition that is based on a family relationship. Immediate relatives and family preference are the two categories that fall under family-based green card eligibility requirements. Having said that, the application processes for these two different categories are quite different from one another.

In the following section, we will discuss the distinctions between these two different categories.

Immediate Relative Immigrant (IR) Visas

This type of family-based green card is issued to close relatives of U.S. citizens. For example, here are some of the relatives that can be considered:

  • IR-1 Visa: Spouse of a U.S. citizen
  • IR-2 Visa: A United States citizen’s unmarried child under the age of 21
  • IR-3 Visa: An orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen
  • IR-4 Visa: An orphan to be adopted in the United States by a U.S. citizen
  • IR-5 Visa: A United States citizen’s parent who is at least 21 years of age

In addition, family-based green cards for parents and family-based green cards for siblings are included in this category as part of this category. As a result of this, the situation gets more complicated whenever a child or young adult sponsor passes away.

When a green card application was submitted with a Form I-130 that included a parent who had passed away in the past, it was rejected. Despite this, USCIS will investigate the case and will process the application in the same manner as all other applications. But even if you don't fit into these subcategories, there's still a chance you could qualify for a green card through another family-based route.

Family Preference Immigrant Visas

This subcategory is meant for certain family members. Unlike the above category, things are a bit different here. Family preference green cards include:

  • First Preference (F1): This first family preference is for unmarried sons or daughters of U.S. citizens and their minor children.
  • Second Preference (F2): This subcategory is solely for spouses, minor children, and unmarried sons and daughters who are 21 years and above of lawful permanent residents and above. Once this first group has reached the limit, the remainder in the subcategory will be allocated to unmarried sons and daughters.
  • Third Preference (F3): This category is for married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens as well as their spouses and minor children.
  • Fourth Preference (F4): This is for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens and their spouses and minor children. However, the petitioner must be 21 years old or above.

Green Card Timeline

The amount of time required to process an application for a permanent resident card can range anywhere from a few months to many years, depending on the type of green card you are applying for and the location from which you are applying.

The application must be submitted from within the United States.

At this time, the processing time for adjustment of status applications submitted from within the United States by spouses, parents, and children under the age of 21, as well as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, is measured in months.

The waiting period is typically at least two years or longer for employment-based green cards, spouses of U.S. green card holders, and other relatives of U.S. citizens. For other relatives of U.S. citizens and for green cards based on family relationships.

Allow Boundless to assist you in getting your application for adjustment of status started as soon as possible.

submitting an application from a location outside of the United States

There is currently a wait time of months for spouses and immediate relatives (parents and minor children) of U.S. citizens who are applying from outside the United States via consular processing. Every other category of green card is subject to a quota system, and wait times can vary greatly depending on the country.

There is currently a wait time of months for spouses of green card holders in the United States who are applying from outside the country.

Green Card Costs

The government filing fee for a family-based green card is $1,760 for an applicant applying from within the United States, and $1,200 for an applicant living outside the United States. Note, this does not include the cost of the medical exam, which varies by provider. Learn more about the costs of a family-based green card.

For other green card categories, check the USCIS website for the cost of your particular form.

Need more help? At Boundless, you’ll get an experienced immigration attorney to review your green card application and answer all of your questions — for no extra cost. Get started on your application today!

The Step-by-Step Guide to Obtaining a Green Card in the United States Through Your Family

In order to successfully sponsor a family member for immigration to the United States, a lawful permanent resident of the United States must first go through a series of steps that have been predetermined. Applicants whose petitions are considered to be for immediate relatives (IR) immigrants enjoy a faster processing time than applicants whose petitions are considered to be for family preference immigrants, despite the fact that the application procedures and required documentation are the same for both types of petitions.

Applicants whose petitions are considered to be for immediate relatives (IR) immigrants enjoy a faster processing time than applicants whose petitions are considered to be for family preference immigrants.

The Process of Submitting the Petition

In order to get started with the process of applying for a green card based on family ties, the first thing you will need to do is submit a petition on form I-130. In order to submit a petition for a visa to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a family member who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States will need to send a petition on USCIS Form I-130 along with the required supporting documents. This is necessary in order to apply for a visa (USCIS). It is necessary to submit Form I-130 in order to demonstrate the existence of a genuine family relationship between the petitioner (LPR) and the beneficiary. This relationship must exist in order for the petitioner to be granted permanent resident status.

After receiving the petition, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will process the petition in order to determine whether or not all of the family-based green card eligibility criteria are met by the petitioner as well as the beneficiary. This determination will be made in order to determine whether or not the petitioner is eligible for a green card. If the request is approved, the case file will be forwarded to the National Visa Center so that it can go through the next stage of processing there. If the petition is denied, the person who originally submitted it has the option of doing so once they have determined what changes need to be made in order to increase the likelihood that it will be accepted.

The case file of the immigrant will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in order to undergo further processing once the I-130 petition has been approved and granted approval. And if there is an available immigrant visa for the category, then the person who is the beneficiary of the visa will need to take the next step, which is either applying for a status adjustment or going through the process of consular processing, depending on which option is available. This is something that will be determined by the location of the family member that is being sponsored, specifically whether they are in the United States or elsewhere in the world.

Modification to one's standing or position

In order for you to move on to the next stage of the process, you will need to provide the USCIS with a completed Form 1-485. The processing of green cards for members of families who are already residing in the United States of America This will be your primary application for a green card once you have established a qualifying familial relationship with the help of the I-130 petition.

If you are successful, you will be granted a green card. It is required to be filled out, and all of the required attachments should be included in the submission. Applicants who are immediate relatives can submit both the I-485 and the I-130 forms at the same time, which indicates that their category does not have any numerical limitations on the number of applicants it can accept.

The procedure at the Consulates

This is for the members of your family who currently reside outside of the United States in their respective countries. In the event that this occurs, the approved Form I-130 will be forwarded to the appropriate embassy or consulate in the country in which you (the beneficiary) currently have your primary residence. All parties involved, including the petitioner and the beneficiary, will be notified as soon as the petition is received at the embassy or consulate. In addition, the notification will provide specifics on when and how you can proceed with the process of getting your green card, as well as any other relevant information.

During the subsequent process, the immigrant will be required to participate in a medical examination in addition to filling out a variety of forms and providing documents. In addition, the immigrant will be required to provide evidence of their identity. The next step is to have a one-on-one interview with a consular officer to verify that you meet the requirements for the application. Documentation in the form of a DS-260, which is also referred to as an Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration, is required to be handed in for this purpose.

Do Not Hesitate Any Longer; Today Is the Day to Get Started on Your Application!

If you have been on the fence about applying for a green card based on your family, you should not be afraid to go ahead and submit your application. We will be able to provide you with assistance throughout the entirety of the application process by utilizing clickrum.com in any and all ways that are feasible. If anything is mistranslated or done incorrectly, we are aware that you will not only lose significant amounts of money but also the time and effort that you have invested in this endeavor. This is something that we are aware of.

When you have established whether or not you meet the requirements, moving forward with the process shouldn't be too challenging for you. Having support, on the other hand, is very important. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us as soon as possible if you have any questions or if you are ready to get started on the process of obtaining a green card through your family.

Conclusion

Before you get started with the process, you should talk to an immigration lawyer about your options because this is going to be one of the things you have to do. You definitely don't want to put in all of this effort and spend all of this money on an application, only to find out later that you forgot to include some essential documents or information!

Please click on the following link for additional information on how to apply for a green card based on the relationship between members of your family.