People who reside in the US yet feel the absence of their family members always have no alternative but to seek for ways of helping them to immigrate into the United States. The greatest concern is always to know who among the relatives legally qualifies to immigrate. It is possible to assist a number of your family members to join you in the United States, whether you are a green card holder or a Citizen. However, your ability to help your non American citizens to join you improves greatly after you become a USA Citizen.
Both the “preference relatives” and immediate relatives can benefit from your support comfortably if you are already a Citizen. According to the U.S immigration laws, spouse and unmarried children of green card holders are grouped as preference relatives. This means that the limit that the Congress puts on the number of visas to be issued by the American Government annually affects this class of people. Remember that they are the only group of persons that a green card holder can support to immigrate to the United States.
On gaining full recognition as an American, the status of your spouse and your unmarried children below the age of 21 years, change immediately. They get ranked from “preference relatives” and become classified as “immediate relatives “. This status guarantees a quick and easier relocation process. Your relatives in this class can apply for lawful permanent residence in the States and be provided with their travel documents without delays relating to annual limits and waiting lists. Otherwise even immediate relatives are not safe in facing the hurdle of paperwork before getting their green cards ready. Processing usually takes a year or sometimes more, but you are always assured of a successful transfer process.
When at the time of attaining citizenship status, your spouse, children or parents had applied for visa or green card (Form 1-130); they do not need to re-apply. Their application grading will automatically be improved from the waiting list as “preference relatives” to immediate relative category. For your unmarried children above 21years, according to visa preference category “2B”, your citizenship turns them into first preference relatives. Though this position in the Embassy’s file does not give your child rights equal to “immediate family members,” mainly due to age, the child is better placed to benefit from visa chances availed by the US Government at any moment.
Finally, remember that your married child and brothers or sisters can benefit from your citizenship. They are classified as “family third preference” and “family forth preference ‘respectively. They can also assist other members of the family to move into the United States upon gaining citizenship position.