Immigrant Visas

Family-Based Visas

U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) may file a petition on behalf of a family-based relative with USCIS. The following family-based relatives of U.S. citizens or LPRs are eligible to qualify for immigration only if they have the necessary relationship:

• Unmarried Son or Daughter over the age of 21 of a U.S. citizen;
• Spouse or Unmarried Son or Daughter of a Lawful Permanent Resident;
• Married Son or Daughter of a U.S. Citizen; and
• Brother or Sister of a U.S. Citizen - U.S. citizen must be 21 or over.

These categories of immigrant visas are subject to numerical limitation. Visa numbers are assigned based on the filing date of the petition (the “priority date”). Current priority dates are published in the monthly Visa Bulletin.

For more information about family-based immigrant visas, please visit the Family-Based Immigrants page.

The first step in applying for an immigrant visa is for the U.S. citizen or LPR (petitioner) to file an immigrant visa petition, Form I-130, with USCIS. The natural child of a U.S. citizen may have claim to U.S. citizenship. A petition cannot be filed until it has been established that the child is not a U.S. citizen.

Approved petitions are forwarded to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which collects the fees and documents and schedules the visa interview. The applicant will receive instructions in the mail describing what documents to bring to the interview.

What forms and documents should I bring?

For any visa-related question not answered on the consular section’s website, applicants may refer to the A-Z Subject Index or send a message to the following email address: VisasBucharest@state.gov. In most cases, the message will be answered within 3 business days.

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