Our Family Reunification Legal Service: What It Covers
Family reunification is the immigration path that allows a US citizen or Green Card holder to bring relatives to America permanently. Which relative you can bring and how long the process takes depend on the degree of kinship and your status. Yellow Law Group first determines the correct category in your family reunification process, then manages the relative petition (I-130) and all subsequent stages.
We cover which relative you can bring under which category, and the general process step by step, in our how US family reunification works guide.
Whom Can You Bring? Relative, Category, and the Relevant Service
The first step in family reunification is determining which category the relative you want to bring falls into. Each degree of kinship has its own category, process, and our relevant dedicated service:
| Whom You Want to Bring | Category | Our Relevant Service |
|---|---|---|
| Your spouse (married) | IR-1/CR-1 or F2A | Marriage-Based Green Card |
| Your fiancé (unmarried) | K-1 | K-1 Fiancé Visa |
| Your mother or father | IR-5 | Parent Visa |
| Your child | IR-2 / F1 / F2A / F2B | Child Visa |
| Your sibling | F4 | Sibling Visa |
Each service covers the process, timelines, and risks specific to that degree of kinship in detail. Our family reunification service, in turn, determines which of these paths suits your situation and builds your file correctly from the start.
The Difference Between Immediate Relative and Family Preference
In family reunification, the categories fall into two large groups, and this distinction determines your wait. The immediate relative group covers a US citizen's spouse, unmarried child under 21, and parents; because there is no annual quota in this group, there is no priority date wait. The family preference group (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4) is subject to an annual quota and, depending on the degree of kinship, can involve waits of years, sometimes more than a decade. You can review the official category definitions on the USCIS family preference page.
You as the Sponsor: Citizen or Green Card Holder?
Whom you can bring also depends on your status. US citizens have the broadest range: they can sponsor a spouse, child, parents, and sibling. Green Card holders, on the other hand, can sponsor only their spouses and unmarried children (F2A, F2B); they have no right to sponsor parents, siblings, or married children. This is why, in some cases, becoming a citizen first is the most strategic step that opens the way for family reunification. You can find all stages of the process through to citizenship in our family immigration roadmap.
How the Family Reunification Process Works
It begins when the US-based sponsor files Form I-130 with USCIS; the filing date becomes the priority date. For immediate relatives, the spouse, unmarried children under 21 and parents of a US citizen, there is no cap and no waiting list, and cases typically complete in 12 to 20 months. Preference categories wait for the Visa Bulletin. After I-130 approval the file moves to the National Visa Center, documents and the affidavit of support are filed, and a consular interview follows. If the relative is in the United States in a qualifying status, the case can instead proceed as an adjustment of status.
Who Can Sponsor Whom?
A US citizen can petition without a cap for a spouse, unmarried children under 21 and parents, and in preference categories for unmarried adult children (F1), married children (F3) and siblings (F4). A green card holder can sponsor only a spouse and unmarried children (F2A and F2B), not parents or siblings. That distinction is what makes naturalization central to family planning.
The Affidavit of Support (I-864) and the Income Requirement
The sponsor must show income of at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the household size; for active-duty military sponsors petitioning a spouse or child the threshold is 100 percent. Where income falls short, assets (generally three to five times the shortfall) can be used, or a joint sponsor added. The I-864 is a legally enforceable contract that runs until the immigrant naturalizes or is credited with the required work quarters.
Common Obstacles
The recurring issues: missing or inconsistent civil records establishing the relationship; a prior overstay or entry without inspection; past refusals or findings of misrepresentation; insufficient sponsor income; and missing vaccinations at the medical exam. Some are addressed with a joint sponsor or a waiver; others change the route the case should take. A case review surfaces them before anything is filed.
Why Yellow Law Group?
Yellow Law Group serves from its headquarters in Plano (Texas), with offices in Chicago (Illinois), Irvine (California), Alpharetta (Georgia), and Fairfield (New Jersey). In family reunification, a wrong category choice or incomplete filing can delay your reunion with loved ones by years; working with an experienced team minimizes that risk. You can review our attorney profiles on our team page and schedule a free initial consultation through our contact page.
