Green card for children and other relatives
IR2 and F1 to F4 · Official name: Immediate relative (child) and family preference immigrant categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4)
US citizens and green card holders can petition (Form I-130) for certain relatives to immigrate. Unmarried children under 21 of US citizens are immediate relatives: visas are unlimited and always available. Other relatives fall in capped family preference categories and must wait until their priority date is current in the State Department's Visa Bulletin: F1 (adult unmarried children of citizens), F2A (spouses and minor children of green card holders), F2B (adult unmarried children of green card holders), F3 (married children of citizens) and F4 (siblings of citizens aged 21 or older). Waits can be many years, especially for some countries.
3 entry rules for United States based on recent travel
These apply to people who were recently in certain countries. Sign in and add your trips to see whether any apply to you.
Entry refused after a stay in DR Congo, Uganda, South Sudan in the last 21 days
If you're not a US citizen and you've been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days, you can't enter the United States. This includes green card holders. The US government renewed this on 11 October 2026 for another 30 days.
CDC Order: Suspending the Right to Introduce Certain Persons... (order history) Federal Register 2026-18948 (Sept 16, 2026 continuation) CDC: Information for Travelers Returning from Ebola-Affected Areas (updated Sep 11, 2026) Checked October 19, 2026
Entry refused after a stay in DR Congo in the last 21 days
Anyone who has been in DR Congo in the last 21 days, Americans included, can't board a commercial flight to the United States. US citizens are asked to wait outside DR Congo for 21 days before flying.
CDC: Information for Travelers Returning from Ebola-Affected Areas CDC Travel Health Notice Level 2: Ebola Bundibugyo in DRC and Uganda (reviewed Aug 28, 2026) Checked October 19, 2026
Health screening after a stay in Uganda, South Sudan in the last 21 days
US citizens who have been in Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days must fly into Washington-Dulles, Atlanta or New York JFK for a health check, and get text-message check-ins for 21 days.
CDC: Information for Travelers Returning from Ebola-Affected Areas CDC: Enhanced Ebola Airport Screening Begins at Washington-Dulles Checked October 19, 2026
Entry restrictions apply to 40 passports for United States
The government has suspended some or all visas for holders of these passports. Exceptions exist; see the source.
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Chad
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Palestinian Territories
- Republic of the Congo
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Afghanistan
Angola
Antigua & Barbuda
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Chad
Côte d’Ivoire
Cuba
Dominica
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Gabon
Gambia
Haiti
Iran
Laos
Libya
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Myanmar (Burma)
Niger
Nigeria
Palestinian Territories
Republic of the Congo
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Tonga
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweSource: Proclamation 10949 - Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats (Federal Register, 10 Jun 2025)Source: Proclamation 10998 - Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the Security of the United States (Federal Register, 19 Dec 2025)Source: Proclamation 10998 full text (GovInfo)Source: U.S. Department of State - Suspension of Visa Issuance to Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United StatesSource: Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for FY2027 (Federal Register, 2 Oct 2026) - cites Proclamation 10998 as in force
Life in United States
Finance
3
Currency
US Dollar
USD
US Dollar
Cost of living
100
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
10–37%
Income tax (national)
social security 7.65%
Federal rates; most states and some cities add their own income tax. 37% starts above USD 626,350 (single, 2025).
Living
1
Happiness
#22 of 145 countries
World Happiness Report 2025
Your edge here Premium
What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
Children, adult sons and daughters and siblings of US citizens, and spouses and children of green card holders.
Eligibility
Immediate relative child (IR2)Children of US citizens
Sign in to check this route against your profileThe child must be unmarried and under 21, with a US citizen parent, to be an immediate relative.
- Immigrant visas for immediate relatives are unlimited
- Visas are always available
Official wording
The unmarried child under 21 of a US citizen is an immediate relative. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives are unlimited, so visas are always available.
F1
Sign in to check this route against your profileYou must be an unmarried son or daughter, aged 21 or older, of a US citizen.
Official wording
Unmarried sons and daughters (21 or older) of US citizens.
F2A
Sign in to check this route against your profileYou must be the spouse, or an unmarried child under 21, of a lawful permanent resident.
Official wording
Spouses and children (unmarried and under 21) of lawful permanent residents.
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- 5 more requirements
- 4 documents
- 3 fees
- 4 steps
- Processing times and conditions
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