Immigrant Visas

Family-Based Visas

For more information regarding Family-Based Visas - Visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs Website

Who is eligible?

A U.S. Citizen, may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the U.S:

- Husband or wife
- Unmarried child under 21 years of age
- Unmarried son or daughter over 21
- Married son or daughter of any age
- Brother or sister, if the sponsor is at least 21 years old, or
- Parent, if the sponsor is at least 21 years old.

If the sponsor is a lawful permanent resident (LPR), they may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the U.S. 

- Husband or wife, or
- Unmarried son or daughter of any age.

In any case, the sponsor must be able to provide proof of the relationship.

NOTE: Lawful Permanent Residents must file the I-130 at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office which has jurisdiction over the petitioner's residence in the United States. 

NOTE: U.S. citizens whose principal residence is not in the Republic of Ireland and/or who have entered as a temporary visitor/student/or with limited leave to remain must file the petition with the appropriate USCIS Service Center in the United States.  U.S. citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland should follow this link for further information. 

How Do I Apply?

The first step in this process is for the petitioner to file a Form I-130 immigrant visa petition on behalf of his or her foreign relative.  I-130 petition forms are available from any USCIS office in the United States or downloaded from the USCIS website. A separate petition must be filed for each person immigrating.  The fee for filing an I-130 petition is US$355.00.  U.S. citizen petitioners resident in the Republic of Ireland should follow this link.

Married children of a U.S.citizen, unmarried children over the age 21 years of a U.S. citizen, siblings of U.S. citizens, and the spouse and children of permanent resident aliens are all subject to numerical limitations. There are only a limited number of such visas issued each year, and a surplus of applicants. The result is a waiting list. In some categories, the wait is many years. You may obtain more information on Immigrant Visas and an updated list of each category's current priority date if you visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Visa Bulletin, home page.