What Family Immigration Numerical Visa Limitations Mean and Who Cannot Sponsor a Relative

One of the questions that the U.S. citizen or the Lawful Permanent Resident may have is what the visa limitations mean for the Family Preference category. The immigration lawyer Helena is able to answer these questions and the other family immigration lawyer questions. The immigration lawyer questions to ask might be who can sponsor a relative to immigrate to the United States.

The immigration lawyer Helena, will explain to the family that the people in the family that are unable to sponsor another individual or family include:

  • Grandparents
  • Aunts
  • Uncles
  • Cousins
  • In-Laws

The other concern with family immigration issues is the numerical limitations of the Limited Family Preference categories. The number of qualified applicants, when exceeded over the annual number of available immigration visas in one of the Preferences, will cause the individuals immigration visa application to be placed on wait. The immigration visas in these categories are issued in a chronological order in which the applications were filed. This is then referred to by the USCIS as the applicant’s priority date.

The Helena immigration lawyer advice will often include explaining the limit of available family immigration visas in a specific category and can ensure that the U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident files for the right type of family immigration visa. This is crucial, since some fill so quickly for their quota that there can be a waiting period as long as several years, before the application priority date is reached.