Family visas
A petition starts a line. It doesn't end the wait.
A citizen or green card holder can ask for a spouse, child, parent or sibling to immigrate. The form that starts it is short. What comes after is a queue, and we'll tell you where you stand in it.
A citizen's spouse, parents and unmarried children under 21 usually don't wait in a numbered line. Everyone else waits by category and country, sometimes for years, and the rules about what a relative may do meanwhile, such as travel, work or study, are strict. Before anyone files, we check who qualifies, what each person's history looks like, and whether the sponsor's income meets the affidavit of support.
Petitions for a spouse, child, parent or sibling
Green cards at a U.S. consulate or inside the country
The affidavit of support and joint sponsors
Fiancé(e) visas
Four stages, in order
What most family cases look like, from the first call to the card in the mailbox.
- 01
Step 1: We sort out who qualifies
Relationship, ages, the sponsor's status, and anything in anyone's history that changes the plan.
- 02
Step 2: The petition is filed
With proof of the relationship: certificates, photographs and the years you've shared. Nothing goes in until you've read it.
- 03
Step 3: The wait
We keep track of your place in line and answer every letter that arrives. You hear from us when something changes.
- 04
Step 4: The interview
At a USCIS office or a U.S. consulate. We prepare you for the questions, and at USCIS we sit beside you.
Questions from families waiting on a petition
How long will it take?
It depends on the relationship and the country. The State Department's monthly visa bulletin shows which dates are being processed, and we'll show you how to read it. Spouses, parents and young children of citizens usually wait much less than other relatives.
Can my relative visit while the petition is pending?
It can be harder. A visitor visa asks the person to show they plan to go home, and a pending petition suggests otherwise. Ask us before anyone applies.
My husband came in without papers. Can he still get a green card?
Sometimes, depending on how he entered and what has happened since. Talk it through with us before anything is filed, because some mistakes in this area are hard to undo.
What if the sponsor doesn't earn enough?
A joint sponsor, usually a relative who agrees to share responsibility, can make up the difference. We go over the income numbers with you first.
Tell us who you're waiting for
Bring what you have, even if it's only a name and a date of birth. We'll explain what comes first.