Petitioning for a family member to join you in Florida
Petitioning for a family member to join you may be easier than them attempting to immigrate on their own. Foreign nationals who have a U.S. citizen family member may have an easier time of acquiring a visa and joining their relative in Florida. There are a number of ways families may be reunited through immigration.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a U.S. citizen may file a petition on behalf of the following people:
- Spouse
- Fiancé(e)
- Unmarried children under 21 (and unmarried children of a fiancé(e) or spouse)
- Sons and daughters who are at least 21 and/or married
- Parents (if the petitioner is over the age of 21)
- Siblings (if the petitioner is over the age of 21)
The type of immigration benefit the petitioner applies for will depend on the circumstances.
Immediate relative visas
The U.S. Department of State explains that immediate relative visas include IR-1 for spouses of citizens, IR-2 for unmarried children under 21, IR-3 and IR-4 for orphans who are being adopted by a U.S. citizen, and IR-5 for a parent of the petitioner who is 21 years old or older. There is no limit on the number of these visas available each year.
Family preference visas
There are also family preference immigrant visa categories. These may be for family members of U.S. citizens or, in some cases, lawful permanent residents:
- F1 Family First Preference:S. citizens’ unmarried children and their minor children
- F2 Family Second Preference: Lawful permanent residents’ spouses, children under 18, and unmarried children 21 and older
- F3 Family Third Preference:S. citizens’ married children, their spouses and their minor children
- F4 Family Fourth Preference: The siblings of U.S. citizens (who are 21 or older), and the siblings’ spouses and minor children
The government limits how many of these types of visas may be distributed each year.
