Arlington Family Preference Visa Lawyer
Family preference visas cover family relationships that are not covered by the immediate relative category. For example, they cover siblings as well as the spouses and children of permanent residents. The process for obtaining this type of visa, however, may require the assistance of a skilled attorney. If you or a family member are planning to file an application for a family preference visa, contact an Arlington family preference visa lawyer.
How to Help a Non-Immediate Family Member Obtain a Visa
If a person’s non-immediate family members entered the U.S., unlike an immediate family member, that non-immediate family cannot file Form I-130 and the I-485 at the same time. Since a family member is a non-immediate family member, the petitioner would only be able to file the Form I-130 on their behalf.
The non-immediate family member visiting the United States must then make a choice regarding whether they want to go back home and wait for the Form I-I30 to be approved or enter the U.S. under a certain a non-immigrant visa that would allow for them to remain in the U.S. lawfully until the priority date becomes current.
Family Preference Categories 1, 2, 3, and 4
Family preference category 1 includes unmarried children of U.S. citizens who are 21 years of age or older. Category 2 includes the spouses and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents who are 21 years of age or older. Category 3 includes married children of U.S. citizens. Category 4 includes siblings of adult U.S. citizens.
To apply to be entered into one of the family preference categories, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident would file the Form I-130 on behalf of that beneficiary family member. This should be done with the help of an Arlington family preference visa lawyer.
Quota for Family Preference Visas in Arlington
For each preference category, the Department of State issues a specific number of visas. A person can determine that number by looking at the visa bulletin and looking at each preference category to see the dates that are being currently processed and the numbers that are being issued.
Each visa has a fixed number of applicants that would be approved. It is possible that even though those categories may have been met, other categories’ quotas may not have been met. Also, priority dates either speed up or slow down the process, so it is important that any petitioners and beneficiaries check the visa bulletin that is released by the Department of State once a month in order to be up to date regarding the current processing times.
How is Wait Time Determined?
Petitioners and beneficiaries have to check the State Department visa bulletin in order to see how long their family member is going to have to wait until a visa becomes available to them. In order to accurately read the visa bulletin, the petitioner and beneficiary need to know the following things: the priority date, which is the date that USCIS received the Form I-130; and whether the family member is abroad.
Common Mistakes Made When Applying for a Family Preference Visa
A common mistake when applying for this type of visa is having a petitioner file for the beneficiary when there could be another petitioner who would allow the beneficiary to immigrate to the United States in a faster manner. Other mistakes include looking at the visa bulletin and not reading it correctly, not telling USCIS that they want to change preferences, and similar issues.
Contact an Arlington Family Preference Attorney Today
When applying for a family preference visa, applicants would have to meet various requirements in order to correctly submit an application. If any errors are made during this application process, it could prove detrimental towards an applicant’s case. For help with filing an application, contact an Arlington family preference visa lawyer today.