Immigrant Visas

For Immediate Relatives

American citizens can file for immigration for all immediate relatives (IR/CR immigrants).  Permanent residents of the U.S. can file for immigration only for spouses, minor children and unmarried children over 21 years of age.

All family based immigration starts with the U.S. citizen or permanent resident filing an I-130 immediate relative petition with the appropriate office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
U.S. Citizens, residing in the Netherlands for at least six months or more, with Dutch residence permits, can file I-130 petitions at the Consulate General, Amsterdam.

• For detailed instructions as how to file for a spouse click here.
• For detailed instructions as how to file for a child click here.
• For detailed instructions as how to file for a parent click here.
• For detailed instructions as how to file for a sister/brother click here.

In essence there are two categories of immediate family based immigrants:

• unlimited (spouses, minor children and parents of U.S. citizens), and
• numerically limited (all other family based categories).  Limited means that the Immigration and Nationality Act lists a cap on how many immigrants can receive their visas in these categories each year.

Numerically limited categories are so-called preference cases.  Due to oversubscripton of the annual limit, all of these categories have developed long waits before the filing date (priority date) of their petitions become current for actual visa processing at a Consulate or Embassy.  Until a priority date is current the petitions are stored in the United States with the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, NH.  More information on preference visa number availability and current priority dates can be found in the State Department Visa Bulletin. 

More information on all family sponsored IR/CR and preference categories is available from the State Department website.