A lawful permanent resident (LPR, also called a Green Card holder) can apply for a Green Card for their spouse and children. There are four family-based immigration categories for a Green Card holder to file for their spouse and their children to also become LPRs. Two Family Preference Visas – F2A and F2B visas – allow a Green Card holder to sponsor their spouse or children to get their own Green Card.
There is a wait time for F2A and F2B visas and an annual limit of 114,200 visas per year for family preference visas that can be issued in each category. This visa cap per category is:
• F2A visa: 79,940 visas / 70%
• F2B visa: 34,260 visas / 30%
The wait time to receive an F2A or F2B visa can be different based on your country of origin.
Second Preference: F2A and F2B Visas
F2A Green Card Application
Under the family-based F2A immigration category, a Green Card holder can sponsor their spouse and any children under the age of 21 to move to the U.S. and become permanent residents and get their own Green Card.
F2B Green Card Application
The F2B is for Green Card holders filing to sponsor their unmarried children above the age of 21 to become legal permanent residents.
There are application and administration fees that the visa sponsor and applicant must pay before a Green Card application is approved. The fees are determined by USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services), the Department of Homeland Security and the US Embassy or Consulate in your home country:
Form I-130 filing fee
Processing fee for the Form DS-260
Medical examination
Vaccination fees
Document translations
USCIS Immigrant Fee
If your spouse or minor child is currently living in the United States with legal status, you will need to apply for an Adjustment of Status. The family member who is a Green Card holder must also have valid legal status to sponsor their family member.
Our immigration attorneys offer assistance in family-based immigration legal services include spouses, same-sex couples, fiancés, parents and children. We can also advise immigrants looking to secure status as permanent residents through the process of applying for a Green Card or citizenship. Contact Godoy Law Office online or call us at 630-912-0322.
AREAS WE SERVE: Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
