My relative wants to sponsor me for an immigrant visa. How do family-based visa petitions work?
Similar to an immigrant work visa, family-based immigrant visa petitions are assigned preferences based upon the relationship between the sponsor and beneficiary. For example, the first preference includes unmarried children of U.S. citizens over the age of 21. Your relative will file an an I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on your behalf. It will be assigned a priority date (date the petition is filed), and, based on that date and your country of origin, as described above in Question 15, you will be able to determine if there are immigrant visas available in your category.
Related Questions
- If I qualify to petition at U.S. Embassy Ulaanbaatar, can I petition for an immediate relative immigrant visa for a third country national (non-Mongolian citizen)?
- If I qualify to petition at U.S. Embassy Paris, can I petition for an immediate relative immigrant visa for a third country national (non-French citizen)?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages to the special immigrant visa petitions that do not require recruitment?
