The categories group candidates for permanent residency by the reason they would immigrate (that is, by the relationship to the person who sponsors them).
There are three broad groups: immediate relatives, family-based immigrants and employment-based immigrants. In addition, there are special quota systems for other purposes that are not covered here, such as the DV lottery, asylum quotas and quotas for Green Cards through cancellation of removal.
Immediate relatives can always receive a Green Card without any numeric limitation. To qualify, you have to be either the spouse or unmarried minor child (under 21) of a US citizen, or you have to be a parent of a US citizen, AND the US citizen child must be 21 years or older.
Family-based immigration categories have a limit of 226,000 annually.
- Family 1st: unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens, any age. Since minor unmarried sons and daughters are immediate relatives, this in practice only applies to adults. The number is limited to 23,400.
- Family 2nd: dependents of Green Card holders. This group is further subdivided into Family 2A (spouses and minor children) and Family 2B ( unmarried adult children). The number is limited to 114,200 (but this limit can be broken in certain cases). Of this number, 77% goes to Family 2A and 23% goes to Family 2B. In addition, Family 2A is partially exempt from the per-country quota.
- Family 3rd: married sons and daughters of US citizens, any age. Note that there is no corresponding category for Green Card holders! The limit is 23,400
- Family 4th: brothers and sisters of US citizens. The limit is 65,000.
The employment-based categories are covered elsewhere in this FAQ.
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