Who Is Eligible for a Family-Based Green Card?
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One of the goals of U.S. immigration law is to unite U.S. citizens and green card holders with their families who are outside the United States. However, not all family members qualify to be united under this law. Rather, the law sets strict guidelines for which specific family relations are eligible to obtain a green card. The law also has limitations on how many green cards can be given each year which affects some of these relatives. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, we have experienced family immigration lawyers who assist clients in the Chicago area in obtaining green cards for their relatives.
Family immigration is divided into two broad categories, and these are the “immediate relatives” and “preference” categories.
Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
US immigration law limits the number of green cards that can be given each year, but for certain relatives of US citizens, there is no limit as to how many green cards can be given to them in any given year. These are the relatives referred to as “immediate relatives.” The biggest advantage of being an immediate relative is one does not have to deal with long waiting times to obtain a green card as in all other categories.
To be classified as an immediate relative, one must be:
- Spouses of U.S. citizens, including recent widows and widowers and same-sex couples whose marriage is legal in the state or country where it took place
- Unmarried individuals under the age of 21 with at least one U.S. citizen parent
- Parents of U.S. citizens, if the U.S. citizen child is over the age of 21
- Stepparent/stepchildren, if the marriage creating the stepparent/stepchild relationship took place before the child’s 18th birthday, and
- Parents and children related through adoption if the adoption took place before the child reached the age of 16.
Preference Relatives of U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Relatives who do not fall under the immediate relative category may be classified and obtain green cards under the “preference” category. A major drawback in this category is there is a limited number of green cards available under this category; therefore, a relative who is eligible to obtain a visa under this category would have to wait for a long time, sometimes years, before they can be given a green card.
Exactly how long they wait depends on how they are related to the US citizen or green card holder sponsoring them. Here are the options available:
- Family first preference (F1). Unmarried individuals of any age who have at least one U.S. citizen parent
- Family second preference(2A): Spouses of green card holders and unmarried children who are under the age of 21; 2B: unmarried daughters and sons of green card holders who are over the age of 21
- Family third preference(F3). Married individuals of any age who have at least one U.S. citizen parent.
- Family fourth preference(F4). Brothers and Sisters of U.S. citizens if the citizen is over 21 years old.
If you are in the Chicago area and wish to have a qualifying family member come to join you or otherwise get a green card based on your relationship, contact us today to schedule an appointment to confidentially discuss your case. We are based in Chicago but serve clients in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
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Exceptional Legal Representation I want to sincerely thank Kevin Raica for handling my case so efficiently. From our very first meeting, he demonstrated confidence and a clear plan for moving forward, which put us at ease right away. He kept the process moving and resolved our case in a timely manner. His professionalism and dedication made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. I have already recommended his services to…
Kriezelman Burton & Associate are Excellent immigration law firm that understands and guide one through any immigration cases. Attorney Khiabett is one of their best attorneys you can trust, she understands, patient, attentive, and gives honest advice about any immigration case her client has. I HIGHLY recommend the law firm to anyone having immigration concerns. Thank you for all you do.
Outstanding experience and successful Green Card approval with Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC! The immigration process can often be stressful and overwhelming, but working with Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC in Chicago made the entire journey smooth, transparent, and successful from start to finish. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Justin Burton for his exceptional professionalism, strategic guidance, and confidence from day one. Knowing my case was in…
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Kevin Raica literally saved my life. He helped me out of a dangerous situation that my previous attorney had put me in. After 17 years without status and 6.5 years of working with my previous attorney, I had experienced so many denials that I had completely lost hope. When I met Kevin, everything changed. He genuinely cared about my situation and gave me hope when I couldn’t see any for…
We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
I would like to sincerely thank Attorney Justin Burton and PL Kamila Lada for support with my adjustment of status case. I have been working with the firm for over a year now, and I have received nothing short of exceptional services and support throughout various cases for myself and family members. Highly recommend consulting and retaining this firm.
We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
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