Immediate Relative of a United States Citizen
For the Immediate Relative of a United States citizen, there are an unlimited number of Green Cards available, and there is practically no wait.
For most Visas, there are a limited number available each year. Generally speaking, there are more foreign nationals applying to the various types of Visas then there are Visas available. This causes congestion in our immigration system. It also invites abuse.
Those troubles do not present themselves for the Immediate Relative of a United States citizen. These lucky people get to go to the front of the line. This is because of the special relationship between the United States citizen and the foreign born Immediate Relative.
Essentially, the government of the United States takes the position that citizenship has its privileges. It is the rights of the United States citizen that allows the Immediate Relative to go to the front of the line.
Immediate Relative of a United States citizen is defined as:
1. Spouses of a United States citizen,
2. Unmarried people under the age of twenty one (21) years old who have at least one (1) parent who is a United States citizen,
3. The parents of a United States citizen only if the United States citizen child is over twenty one (21) years of age,
4. Stepchildren and stepparents if the marriage that created the relationship occurred before the child’s eighteenth (18th) birthday, and
5. Parents and children related through adoption only if the adoption occurred before thc hild reached sixteen (16) years of age.