The most important goal of Immigration Law is family reunification.  The understanding of this crucial concept in Immigration Law will ensure proper and timely processing with the Department of State and Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS).  Having assisted thousands of immigrants reunite with their families here in the United States, we would like to share some important aspects and observations regarding family-sponsored immigration.

Generally, there are two types of intending immigrants, immediate relatives and preference immigrants.  Immediate relatives include spouses of U.S. citizens, minor children (under 21) of U.S. citizens, parents of U.S. citizens provided that the petitioner is 21 years or older, under certain conditions spouses of deceased U.S. citizens who were married at least two years at the time their citizen spouse’s death, child born after the issuance of the immigrant visa but before it is used to apply for admission to the United States, and a child born to a lawful permanent resident during a temporary visit abroad.