What are the family preference categories?

The law sets an annual limit for each category. Unused visas from one category can pass to another:

  • F1: unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of U.S. citizens. Limit: 23,400 a year.
  • F2A: spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents. F2 limit: 114,200 a year, with at least 77 percent for F2A.
  • F2B: unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of permanent residents. They share the F2 limit.
  • F3: married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Limit: 23,400 a year.
  • F4: brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, if the citizen is at least 21. Limit: 65,000 a year.

Who can file a petition?

A U.S. citizen can file in the F1, F3, and F4 categories. A permanent resident can file only for a spouse, unmarried children under 21, and unmarried sons and daughters of any age.

A permanent resident cannot petition for a married son or daughter, a parent, or a sibling. In F3 and F4 cases, the relative's spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come on the same petition, without a separate Form I-130.

How does the wait work?

For family cases, the priority date is the date USCIS properly receives Form I-130. The State Department gives out visas by category, country of chargeability, and priority date. When demand is higher than supply, a waiting line forms.

The monthly Visa Bulletin has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. USCIS tells you which chart to use for Form I-485. The wait depends on demand, the per-country limits, and the number of visas in your category, so it changes over time.

Which family changes move a case to another category?

A marriage, a divorce, or a naturalization can change the category. The priority date usually stays the same:

  • An F1 son or daughter who marries moves to F3. A child of a citizen who marries also moves to F3.
  • An F3 son or daughter who divorces moves back to F1, or becomes an immediate relative if under 21.
  • An F2B son or daughter of a permanent resident who marries loses the petition. No category exists for a married son or daughter of a permanent resident.
  • If the permanent resident parent naturalizes, an F2A child under 21 becomes an immediate relative, and an F2B son or daughter moves to F1. An F2B beneficiary can ask to stay in F2B if that wait is shorter.
  • If an F2A child turns 21, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) may protect the child. The CSPA age is the age when a visa becomes available, minus the time the petition was pending.

Can you get the green card inside the United States?

Only if a visa is immediately available, you were inspected and admitted or paroled, and no bar to adjustment applies. Preference applicants generally must show that they kept a lawful status since they arrived. INA 245(i) may help some people who face a bar.

To keep CSPA protection, a preference child must seek to get permanent residence within 1 year after a visa becomes available. If the relative is abroad, USCIS sends the approved petition for consular processing, and a consulate interviews the relative.

How much does it cost?

These USCIS fees apply as of October 2026, from Form G-1055 (edition 10/16/26). The State Department charges its own visa fees. Processing times vary, so check the USCIS processing times tool.

  • Form I-130: $675 on paper or $625 online
  • Form I-485: $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online. A child under 14 who files with a parent pays $950 or $900.
  • Form I-864, Affidavit of Support: $0
  • USCIS Immigrant Fee after consular processing: $235

What changed in 2025 and 2026?

Proclamation 10998 took effect on January 1, 2026. It suspends immigrant visas for nationals of listed countries, such as Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela, with limited exceptions.

USCIS hold memos PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194 paused applications from nationals of listed countries. Federal courts in Rhode Island and California vacated and enjoined them in June and August 2026. On August 14, 2026, the First Circuit let the re-review of approved benefits continue.

A new public charge rule applies to Form I-485 filed on or after September 18, 2026. A State Department pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries, Colombia among them, ended on August 21, 2026, by court order.

These rules may change, and some are in litigation. Get a case-specific review before you file or travel.

How Buroz Law helps

Rene Buroz is an immigration attorney in Aventura, FL. The firm confirms the right category, files Form I-130, and tracks your priority date in the Visa Bulletin. It reviews category changes after a marriage, a divorce, or a naturalization, and checks CSPA protection for children. It prepares the green card filings in the United States or the National Visa Center case, in English or Spanish.

Step by step

  1. Confirm the category

    Check the petitioner's status (citizen or permanent resident) and the relative's age and marital status.

  2. File Form I-130

    File with proof of status and of the relationship. The filing date becomes the priority date.

  3. Track the Visa Bulletin

    Check the monthly bulletin and the USCIS chart for your category and country.

  4. Report family changes

    A marriage, divorce, or naturalization can change the category. Get advice before a marriage that could end the petition.

  5. Apply for the green card

    When your date is current, file Form I-485 if you qualify, or complete the National Visa Center and consular steps.

Frequent questions

How long is the wait in a family preference category?

It depends on the category, your country of chargeability, and visa demand. The monthly Visa Bulletin shows the current dates for each category and country.

Can a green card holder petition for a married son or daughter?

No. A permanent resident can petition only for a spouse, unmarried children under 21, and unmarried sons and daughters. A married son or daughter needs a U.S. citizen parent (F3).

What happens if I become a citizen while my child's petition is pending?

An F2A child under 21 becomes an immediate relative. An F2B son or daughter moves to F1, or can ask to stay in F2B if that wait is shorter.

Can my sibling's spouse and children come too?

Yes. In an F4 case, your sibling's spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come as derivatives on the same petition.

Related

Official sources