Family Based Immigration

Los Angeles visa help for your family

U.S. citizens and permanent residents can apply for their family members to receive green cards. A successful application for a family law visa requires you to provide specific evidence and detailed information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Mistakes can cause delays or permanent separation from family members. Experienced immigration lawyers can help you get a visa in Los Angeles for family members who live in the United States and abroad.

Los Angeles visa lawyers to petition for your immediate relative

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens have visas immediately available to them. Furthermore, the government does not limit the number of immediate relative (IR) family visas available and the application process is streamlined to expedite the close relatives’ approval of a green card. The immediate relative category includes:

• IR-1 — The spouse of a U.S. citizen
• IR-2 — Unmarried children under 21 years old of a U.S. citizen parent
• IR-3 — An orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen parent
• IR-4 — An orphan adopted within the United States by a U.S. citizen parent
• IR-5 — The parent of a U.S. citizen child who is at least 21 years old

In most cases, you can remain together in the United States during the green card application process. In addition, your fiancé or fiancée may qualify to enter the country under a nonimmigrant visa and adjust status as an immediate relative.

Family preference categories

Except for immediate relatives, the number of visas available to families is subject to yearly statutory allotments, with priority given to each group of relatives in order of preference category:

• First preference — Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens, and the minor children of the beneficiaries
• Second preference — Spouses, minor children and unmarried adult children of permanent residents
• Third preference — Married children of U.S. citizens, and the spouses and children of the beneficiaries
• Fourth preference — Siblings of U.S. citizens, and the spouses and minor children of the beneficiaries

Relatives are issued a priority date based upon when the application was filed with USCIS. A visa is issued when the priority date becomes current and a green card is issued.

Contact an immigration attorney in Los Angeles for a free consultation

Call 323-391-3932 or use the online contact form for assistance with your immigration case from a qualified lawyer near you.