Immediate Relative Immigrant Visa

Petition

The family relationships that can be sponsored for immigration purposes are based on U.S. immigration laws, which establish both the allowable immigrant visa categories, requirements for eligibility, and procedures. While many family relationships can be sponsored, some family relationships cannot be sponsored to immigrate to the United States.

The petition filed by the U.S. sponsor must be approved by USCIS before you can begin the steps in immigrant visa application process. Learn more about filing a petition.

About Submitting a Petition for Your Relative 

A foreign citizen must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen relative(s), U.S. lawful permanent resident, and be the beneficiary of an approved petition. A first step in the process is the sponsor filing a Form I-130, Immediate Relative Immigrant Visa Petition, for you as:

• an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, this includes spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of U.S. citizen petitioners 21 or older
• a family member of a U.S. citizen fitting into a preference category, this includes unmarried sons or daughters over the age of 21, married children of any age, and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizen petitioners 21 or older
• a family member of a green card holder, this includes spouses and unmarried children of the sponsoring green card holder
• a member of a special category, this can include battered spouse or child (VAWA), a K nonimmigrant, or a widow(er) of a U.S. Citizen

Information on fiance(e) visas or adoption is located in other sections of our website.

Note: There is no USCIS office at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

Petition Approval

Your immigrant petition must be approved by USCIS before you can begin the immigrant visa application process.  

(Posted on 2017/04/13)