Form I-130 is the petition a U.S. citizen or permanent resident files to bring a relative to the United States. The same form starts every family case. What happens next depends on the relationship.
Immediate relatives
The law treats three groups of U.S. citizens’ relatives as immediate relatives:
- Spouses.
- Unmarried children under 21.
- Parents, if the citizen is at least 21.
Immediate relatives are not limited by annual numbers. Once the petition is approved, they can apply for a green card without waiting for a priority date to become current.
Preference categories
Other family relationships fall into preference categories, each with an annual limit and a waiting line.
- F1: unmarried sons and daughters of citizens, 21 or older.
- F2A: spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents.
- F2B: unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents, 21 or older.
- F3: married sons and daughters of citizens.
- F4: brothers and sisters of adult citizens.
Permanent residents can petition only for spouses and unmarried children. They cannot petition for parents, married children or siblings.
When the category changes
A relative’s category can change while they wait. A permanent resident who naturalizes turns an F2A case into an immediate relative case. A child who marries may move to a different category, or out of eligibility altogether.
Age matters too. The Child Status Protection Act can freeze a child’s age for visa purposes in some cases. The calculation is technical, so ask before assuming a child has aged out.
Track the line for each category in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
Sources
Published Jan. 27, 2026.