USCIS splits family-based Green Cards into immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, who always have a visa available, and preference categories, which have annual limits and wait by priority date. The preference categories are F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4, and each describes one kind of relationship and one marital or age condition.
Quick answer
| Category | Who USCIS lists |
|---|---|
| Immediate relative | Spouse, unmarried child under 21, and parent of a U.S. citizen who is 21 or older; no visa queue |
| F1 | Unmarried sons and daughters, 21 or older, of U.S. citizens |
| F2A | Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of Green Card holders |
| F2B | Unmarried sons and daughters, 21 or older, of Green Card holders |
| F3 | Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, any age |
| F4 | Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens |
These definitions come from the USCIS pages on family of U.S. citizens and family of Green Card holders. The first page says it was last updated in 2018 and the second in 2015 as fetched, so the current pages control.
Immediate relatives and preference categories
USCIS says visas are always available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. They do not wait for a visa number. The group is spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of a citizen who is 21 or older. Everyone else in a family-based category falls into a preference category, where the visas are capped each year and a person waits for the category to reach a priority date.
The USCIS eligibility categories page lists the same groups under “Green Card through Family.” It also names fiance or fiancee of a U.S. citizen, widow or widower of a U.S. citizen, and VAWA self-petitioners as separate entries. Those are outside the five preference categories covered here.
The citizen-sponsored categories
Three preference categories start with a U.S. citizen petitioner. F1 covers unmarried sons and daughters who are 21 or older. F3 covers married sons and daughters, with no age limit. F4 covers brothers and sisters, and the USCIS page says the citizen must be an adult. Marital status therefore separates F1 from F3, while age and marital status together separate these from the immediate relative group.
The Green Card holder categories
When the petitioner is a permanent resident and not a citizen, USCIS lists two categories. F2A covers a spouse and unmarried children under 21. F2B covers unmarried sons and daughters who are 21 or older. A married son or daughter of a Green Card holder does not appear on the USCIS page for these categories, and the page does not say what applies in that case.
Why preference categories wait
USCIS says the category determines how long a family member waits for an immigrant visa number. A visa becomes available when the priority date, the date the Form I-130 was properly filed, is reached within the category’s annual limit. The USCIS page on visa availability adds that the Department of State publishes cut-off dates by category and country each month in the Visa Bulletin, and a priority date earlier than the cut-off means a visa is available.
The pages reviewed do not state the annual numerical limits for the family categories, so none are given here. They also state no wait time. The priority date checker lets a visitor compare a priority date with a cut-off entered from the current bulletin, and the guide to priority dates explains the two charts, Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing.
How age and marriage connect to the categories
The definitions turn on age and marital status, so a change can matter. The USCIS Policy Manual explains that the Child Status Protection Act changes how a child’s age is computed for preference cases. For family and employment preference cases, the CSPA age is the age on the visa availability date minus the time the petition was pending. A result under 21 is treated as a child, and 21 or older is aged out. The person must also remain unmarried to be a child.
For F2A specifically, the Policy Manual footnotes say that if a person’s calculated age is 21 or older, the F2A petition can automatically convert to F2B or F1 under INA 203(h)(3), and the person may continue to pursue adjustment of status. The part of the Policy Manual chapter that was read does not set out every step of that conversion, and the last portion of the chapter was not reviewed. For the age rules themselves, see the guide on CSPA age-out protection and the CSPA age calculator.
Marriage deserves a plain note. A son or daughter described as unmarried in F1 or F2B, or married in F3, is placed by marital status. The pages reviewed do not describe what happens to a pending petition when a beneficiary marries, so that question is for USCIS or a licensed attorney.
Reading the Visa Bulletin by category
- Identify the relationship to the petitioner and whether the petitioner is a citizen or a Green Card holder.
- Match the relationship to F1, F2A, F2B, F3, or F4.
- Note the priority date, which is the filing date of the Form I-130.
- Find the family-sponsored table in the current bulletin and read the row for the category and the column for the country of chargeability.
- Compare the dates. The Green Card calculator hub lists the tools for this step.
Frequently asked questions
Do parents of citizens wait in a preference category?
No. USCIS lists a parent of a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older as an immediate relative, so visas are always available.
Which category covers a spouse of a Green Card holder?
F2A, which covers spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents.
What is the difference between F1 and F2B?
Both cover unmarried sons and daughters who are 21 or older. F1 applies when the parent is a U.S. citizen, and F2B applies when the parent is a Green Card holder.
Is there a published wait for each category?
The USCIS family pages give none. They point to the Visa Bulletin for current cut-off dates.
Related reading
- Priority dates and the Visa Bulletin
- CSPA age-out protection
- Green Card eligibility categories
- Green Card FAQ
About this guide
This website is for information only. It is not affiliated with the U.S. government, does not give legal advice or consultations, and does not offer application services. A personal case belongs with USCIS or a licensed immigration attorney, and the current official pages control.
Last verified: October 2026. Sources: USCIS family of U.S. citizens; USCIS family of Green Card holders; USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 7.