Family Preference Categories: An Introduction

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The Family Preference CategoriesAn Introduction

• By Carl Shusterman
• Former INS Trial Attorney
• (1976-82)

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Immediate Relatives

• No Numerical Limits
• Spouses of US Citizens

• Children of US Citizens
• Parents of US Citizens

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Preference Categories

• 226,000 Persons per Year
• 7 per-Country Limit
• Each Category Has a Limit

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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

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2A Preference Category

• Spouses and Children of LPRs
• 87,934 Green Cards per Year
• 75 are Exempt from per-Country Limits

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2B Preference Category

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

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3rd Preference Category

• Married Sons Daughters of USCs
• 23,400 Green Cards per Year

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4th Preference Category

• Brothers Sisters of USCs
• 65,000 Green Cards per Year

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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

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Example of Long Waiting Times2B Category

• No More than 7 of 26,266 (1,841) Green Cards per
  Country per Year
• 200,000 Mexicans, 50,000 Filipinos

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Example of Long Waiting Times2B Category

• Real Waiting Time for Filipinos 28 years
• Real Waiting Time for Mexicans 115 years

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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