Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens Do Not Need to Wait for Immigrant Visa Number

Question:

I am a U.S. citizen, and my daughter is 16 years old who lives outside U.S. If I apply for U.S. Green Card for my daughter, does she need to wait for the available immigrant visa number?

Answer:

The immediate relatives are at the top of the list when it comes to qualifying for Green Cards and receiving them quickly, and do NOT need to wait for the available immigrant visa number. This category includes:

spouses of U.S. citizens, including recent widows and widowers;

unmarried people under age 21 with at least one U.S. citizen parent;

parents of U.S. citizens, if the U.S. citizen child is at least age 21;

stepchildren and stepparents of U.S. citizens, if the marriage creating the stepparent/stepchild relationship took place before the child's 18th birthday, and;

adopted children of U.S. citizens, if the adoption took place before the child reached age 16.

An unlimited number of Green Cards are available for immediate relatives whose U.S. citizen relatives petition for them -- applicants can get a Green Card as soon as they get through the paperwork and application process