Understanding immigration quotas

If you have immigrated to the United States (or are a naturalized citizen of Texas with family members in other countries), it may be only natural for you to desire that they join you here. Yet given the difficulties you may have encountered during your own journey towards immigration and naturalization, one can understand your concern over those of your loved ones.

Many come to us here at the Barba Inegol Law Firm PLLC with similar worries. However, you will likely find it as a relief to discover that with you already in the country, your family members may have a built-in advantage in the process of securing a visa thanks to immigration quotas.

Reviewing the Immigration and Nationality Act

U.S. immigration policy emphasizes family reunification. Thus the Immigration and Nationality Act establishes quotas specifically to address the issue of family-based immigration. The first of these is an unlimited allotment of immediate relative visas for the spouses, parents and unmarried minor children of current U.S. citizens.

Breaking down the other immigration quota categories

According to the American Immigration Council, the remaining quota categories (and the exact number of visas allotted to them) are as follows:

• Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens (23,400)
• Spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (87,900)
• Unmarried adult children of legal permanent residents (26,300)
• Married adult children of U.S. citizens (23,400)
• Siblings of U.S. residents (65,000)

The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that a minimum of 226,000 visas remain available for family-based immigration. Authorities determine the total number of available visas by starting a 480,000, subtracting the number of immediate relative visas issued in the previous year (along with the number of aliens paroled into the U.S. during that time), and then adding any visas unclaimed through the employment preference program.