Do American citizens and permanent residents become the sponsor for their spouses, children, orphans, and parents to take the green card?
How long does it take to sponsor a family member?
All green card applications are not treated the same way. Family preference category (F) must wait for a long period because they have a limited number of immigrant visas (green card) available every year. On the other hand, “immediate relatives” of U.S. citizens (IR) have an unlimited supply so there is not a line and the waiting period.
| Petitioner/Sponsor | Category | Family Members Immigration Benefit | Annual Quota | Estimated Waiting Period |
| American Citizen | IR-1 | Spouse | No numerical limit | 6-12 months |
| American Citizen | IR-2 | Unmarried child under age of 21 | No numerical limit | 6-12 months |
| American Citizen | IR-3 | Orphan to be adopted abroad | No numerical limit | 6-12 months |
| American Citizen | IR-4 | Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. | No numerical limit | 6-12 months |
| American Citizen (must be at least 21 years old) | IR-5 | Parents | No numerical limit | 6-12 months |
| American Citizen | F-1 Family First Preference | Unmarried children over the age of 21 and their minor children | 23,400 | 1-2 years Mexico (5 years) Philippines (11 years) |
| Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) | F-2 Family Second Preference | F-2A: Spouses, unmarried children under 21 age F-2B: Unmarried children 21 or older) | | F2-A: 4 years F2-B: 6 years * ** *** |
| American Citizen | F-3 Family Third Preference | Married children of any age, and their spouses and minor children | 23,400 | 3-4 years Mexico (5 years) Philippines (11 years) |
| American Citizen (must be at least 21 years old) | F-4 Family Fourth Preference | Brothers and sisters, and their spouses and minor children | 65,000 | 10 years Philippines 19 years |
Permanent Resident: Any person not a citizen of the U.S. who is residing in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant. Also known as “Permanent Resident Alien,”, “Lawful Permanent Resident,” “Resident Alien Permit Holder,” and “Green Card Holder.”
(*) There are annual per-country limits that cap the percentage of immigrant visas that can be given to individuals from each country. China, Mexico, and the Philippines often experience longer wait times for green cards than individuals from countries with lower rates of U.S. immigration such as Turkey.
(**) When a permanent resident becomes the U.S, he/she can sometimes upgrade the I-130 petition and expedite the process. For instance, when the permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen, his/her spouse’s category will improve from F-2 to IR-1. So a green card is immediately available for IR-1 spouse.
(***) There is no visa category for a married child of a permanent resident