The Family Preference Categories

An IntroductionBy Carl Shusterman

Former INS Trial Attorney

(1976-82)

Immediate Relatives • No Numerical Limits• Spouses of US

Citizens

• Children of US Citizens

• Parents of US Citizens

Preference Categories

• 226,000 Persons per Year

• 7% per-Country Limit• Each Category Has a

Limit

1st Preference Category

• Unmarried Adult Sons & Daughters of USCs

• No Longer Children if over 21 Years of Age

• CSPA Freezes Age of Some Children

• 23,400 Green Cards per Year

2A Preference Category

• Spouses and Children of LPRs

• 87,934 Green Cards per Year

• 75% are Exempt from per-Country Limits

2B Preference Category

• Adult Sons & Daughters of LPRs• 26,266 Green Cards per Year• 7% per-Country Limit Applies

3rd Preference Category • Married Sons & Daughters of USCs• 23,400 Green Cards per Year

4th Preference Category

• Brothers & Sisters of USCs

• 65,000 Green Cards per Year

Waiting Times

• State Department Monthly Visa Bulletin

• Range from 2 to 23 Years on Paper

• Reality is Much Worse• Visa Bulletin Looks

Backward, Not Forward

Example of Long Waiting Times:2B Category• No More than 7% of 26,266 (1,841) Green Cards

per Country per Year• 200,000+ Mexicans, 50,000+ Filipinos

Example of Long Waiting Times:2B Category

• Real Waiting Time for Filipinos: 28+ years

• Real Waiting Time for Mexicans: 115+ years

How to Shorten Waiting Times: In Our Next Video!

• Change Categories while Keeping Priority Date

• Have Multiple Relatives Sponsor You• Use Alternate Chargeability• Use the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)• Consider Other Ways to Obtain Green Card