Family-Based Immigration

Family‑based immigration allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor certain relatives for permanent residency. This pathway has long been a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy and remains the largest category of legal immigration.

Who can be sponsored?

1. Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens

These visas are not subject to annual limits, making them the fastest option. Immediate relatives include:

Spouses
Children under 21
Parents (if the U.S. citizen is 21 or older)

2. Family Preference Categories

These visas do have annual caps, which leads to long wait times. Categories include:

Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens
Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents
Married children of U.S. citizens
Siblings of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be 21+)

How does the process work?

Most cases involve:

Filing Form I‑130
Waiting for visa availability (if applicable)
* Wait times can be long due to demand for family‑sponsored visas exceeds the annual limits set by law, creating multi‑year queues for many categories.
Completing consular processing or adjustment of status
Submitting evidence and attending interviews

How can Aguila Consulting help you?

We provide clear, compliant support with:

I‑130 preparation
Adjustment of status or consular processing
Evidence organization
Interview preparation
Understanding timelines and visa bulletin updates

We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. We offer document preparation and procedural guidance based on publicly available USCIS information.