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Handout 4.2: Family-Sponsored Immigration
Family-sponsored immigration is how U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) bring their close relatives from other countries to live permanently in the United States. - Approximately 67-70% of legal immigrants are admitted to the United States to be reunited with close family members.
- Immigration of immediate relatives (spouses, parents or minor, unmarried child) of United States citizens is unlimited.
- Other family-sponsored immigrants fall into preference categories and are given at least 226,000 visas per year according to the following categories:
- Unmarried sons and daughters of United States citizens: 23,400
- Spouses, children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents: 114,200
- Married sons and daughters of United States citizens: 23,400
- Brothers and sisters of adult United States citizens: 65,000
- Individuals are responsible for family members who they sponsor. This means that they accept financial and personal responsibility for helping the new immigrant get settled. Before the 1996 immigration law, the sponsoring individual or family signed affidavits pledging their support to assist the immigrant. Now the affidavit has become a binding obligation. If the sponsoring individual or family does not uphold the obligation, the sponsored immigrant and/or the state can sue them.
 Source: American Immigration Law Foundation 2004.
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