How do I bring my family to the US?

You can bring your family to the United States if you are a US citizen, legal permanent resident (LPR) or US non-immigrant.

A US citizen or LPR needs to file Form I-130 immigrant petition for the alien relative. Visas are immediately available for the parents, spouses and unmarried minor children of a US citizen. Any unmarried son or daughter of a US citizen 21 years of age and above will have to wait 6-16 years (depending on your country of chargeability) before visas become available. For the married son or daughter and siblings of a US citizen the waiting period may even take longer.

Legal permanent residents can also bring their spouses and unmarried minor children but the waiting period is 4–7 years depending on which country they were born. They can also petition for their unmarried son or daughter 21 years or age and above but cannot petition married children, parents, brothers or sisters.

US non-immigrants (such as students, specialty workers, intracompany transferees, trainees, etc.) can also bring their loved ones to the United States. There are no numerical limits or processing delays related with dependent visas. Medical examination is also not required.

Immediate relatives of US citizens (parents, spouses and unmarried minor children) are not subject to numerical limitation but it may take 8-12 months before the relative can obtain his/her immigrant visa. The process may take longer if required additional documents are not submitted promptly. Some Consular Officers may require DNA testing if birth records presented are insufficient.

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