trying to understand the VISA BULLETIN, Please HELP

[rsyedna]

Hi All,

I am trying to understand the VISA BULLETIN from State Department’s website. It says something about FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES as:

FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES:

First: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents.

Third: Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens

Fourth: Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens


My Questions are:
#1. What are these First, Second, or Third?

#2. Why there is no mention for Parent? what is the preference for Parent for US citizen?

#3. There is another document from USCIS site (http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/A1.pdf) that states as:

"The law gives special standing to a U.S. citizen’s husband or wife, unmarried children under 21, and Parents.
• There is no waiting list for immigration for these relatives."

My questions:
#1. "There is no waiting list " means that when they(parent) are sponsored by their son(US citizen), they'll get the immigration, is that correct?

#2. if there is no wait time/list U.S. citizen’s husband or wife and Parent then why there is 1st or 2nd family based preference?

I tried to read again and again the VISA BULLETIN but did not understand, anyone please help me to understand these questions.

Thanks a lot.

[Adriane]

Okay, the first, second, thrid & fourth are preference categories. As visa numbers become available (only a certain number are available each year) this is the order in which they are granted.

You sort of answered your own questions. Parents and spouses of citizens do not have to wait for a visa number to come available. Other family relations *do* have to wait- and in the preference categories listed. Parents & spouses of citizens do need to apply and wait for their interviews and then wait for their visas to be issued, but they will not have to wait in any preference category.

The first category is for sons & daughters of US citizens- they DO need to wait for an available visa number. The second is for family of Legal permanent Residents- unlike citizens, when applying for their family, they do have to wait for an available number.

Good luck.

[rsyedna]

Thank you for your reply. :-)