Immediate Relative

Who is eligible?

The following immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are eligible to qualify for immigration in the immediate relative category.

Note: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws and cousins cannot sponsor a relative for immigration.

Spouse or Minor Child of a U.S. Citizen	An immigrant visa may only be processed for a child if he/she has no claim to U.S. citizenship.
Parent of a U.S. citizen	U.S. citizen must be 21 or over
Step parent or child of a U.S. citizen	Step-parent, step-child relationship must occur before the child’s 18th birthday
Spouse of a deceased U.S. citizen	Petition must be filed within 2 years of the death of the U.S. citizen

How do I apply?

**Important note to the Citizens resident in Zimbabwe:Due to provisions in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, consular officers can no longer accept family-based immigrant petitions.  All I-130 petitions for family based immigrant status must now be filed only with USCIS.
The first step in applying for an immigrant visa is for the U.S. citizen (petitioner) to file an immigrant visa petition, Form I-130, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A separate petition must be filed for each person immigrating.

The processing time for an immigrant visa for an immediate relative normally varies according to individual circumstances and the volume of pending cases. We cannot, therefore, estimate how long it will take to process an individual case.