F2B visa for unmarried adult children of US green card holders - The Ultimate Guide

Children of US green card holders are eligible to obtain an F-2B visa if unmarried and under 21. The child is also expected to be able to demonstrate that they do not intend to work in the United States for more than six months out of the year. Children under 16 admitted into the U.S. as minors are also eligible for this visa. A green card holder may sponsor their children under this category, or they may be listed on a qualifying relative's entry- stamp. In either case, checking the requirements before applying is essential so you are not denied because of an invalid VISA application.

  USA Immigration   Mar 17, 2023   0   591  Add to Reading List
F2B visa for unmarried adult children of US green card holders - The Ultimate Guide

The "F-2B" fiancé visa is a popular route for adult children of U.S. green card holders to immigrate to the United States. The "F-2B" fiancé visa allows an unmarried adult child of a permanent U.S. resident to enter the United States and work without fear of falling foul of federal immigration law. With the exception of the H-1B program, there are few legal restrictions on workers in the U.S. However, if you are applying under the auspices of a fiance or similar visa, you will likely run into some resistance from immigration officials. Fortunately, an informed and detailed understanding of the requirements can smooth out any kinks in your application - and we have all the details on this page.

The Family Preference visas have an F prefix. There are many types of them, and one is the F-2 visa. The F-2 key is for spouses, minors, and adult children of Lawful Permanent Residents. There are two categories of F-2 visas:

The Family Preference visas have a cap, so the number of permits issued in a year is limited. This means that each category gets a certain amount of tickets per year while the others wait for their turn.

The F-2 visa has 114,200 visas allocated per year. They are distributed among the two categories in this way:

  •     F2A visa gets at least 79,940 visas, or 70% of the total number of visas
  •     F2B visa gets 34,260 visas or less than 30% of the total

This article will go through the F2B visa, what it is, its requirements, the application process, and other relevant details.

What is the F-2B Visa?

The F-2B visa is a special visa for adult children of green card holders. The visa allows the adult child to enter the United States and work without fear of falling foul of federal immigration law. You are not allowed to use this visa for the marriage itself - the primary purpose is to enable the parents to immigrate to the United States. There are few significant restrictions on workers in the United States in this sector. Still, if you are applying under the auspices of a fiance or similar visa, you will likely encounter some resistance from immigration officials. Fortunately, an informed and detailed understanding of the requirements can smooth out any kinks in your application - and we have all the details on this page.

What are the requirements for the F2B visa?

The F2B visa has limited requirements for an applicant to be eligible. The following are the criteria for the applicant for the F2B visa:

  • You must be the child of a US Lawful Permanent Resident and prove it through birth certificates or adoption documents
  • You must be over 21 years old
  • You must be unmarried

As for the LPR, you must fulfill these criteria:

  • You must be the parent of the person you will petition for and prove it through birth certificates or adoption documents
  • You must be a US LPR
  • You must be living in the US and have a verified address inside the country

How to Apply for a Fiancé Visa

The first step in applying for a Fiancé Visa is to fill out the Fiancé Visa Petition form. The petition can be done online at the USCIS website or by picking up a paper copy at a USCIS office. Once you have the necessary paperwork, it is time to start filling out the required forms.

What is the Eligibility Criteria for a Fiancé Visa?

To be eligible for a Fiancé Visa, you must meet all of the following criteria: You must be the spouse of a US citizen. You must not violate any laws or have a criminal record. You must not be the subject of a petition for any other type of visa. You must not be in custody or in legal proceedings to surrender to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Finally, you must have no other valid reason for applying for a Fiancé Visa.

How to Apply for an F-1 Visa

The next step in the process is to file an application for an F-1 Visa with the Department of Homeland Security. All you have to do is fill out the F-1 Visa Application. You can apply online at the DHS website or pick up a paper copy at a DHS office. You will need to include information such as your: Name, Date of Birth, Occupation, educational and employment history, financial information, Your spouse’s name and relationship to you, current location, and Your intended purpose of travel.

What is the process for applying for a Fiancé Visa?

After you have applied for an F-1 Visa, your application will be reviewed by the USCIS Office of the Chieffactor. If your application is complete, your spouse or common-law partner must mail you a Form I-129, Petition for Alien Relative. This form will contain all required documents to submit, including your spouse’s birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree. Your spouse will also need to sign the form, acknowledging that they are the intended recipient of the visa. The Chieffactor will then issue a decision on your behalf, which you will have the right to appeal. The appeal process is detailed on the USCIS website.

How to Apply for the F2B visa?

The application for the F2B visa is completed in two parts:

  • The US Lawful Permanent Resident petitions for their adult child to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • When the petition is approved, the adult child must apply to a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country

The application process cannot begin until USCIS approves the petition of the LPR for their child. Therefore, the adult child can only apply through a US Embassy with the permission of USCIS and will not be considered.

Filing the Petition

The US LPR must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS. The petition goes to the Department of Homeland Security as part of USCIS. There is a fee that the LPR must pay, and USCIS sets it.

USCIS then processes the petition and sends its answer to the LPR. If they deny the petition, they will also state the reason for denial. This means the LPR can adjust their application and send the petition again. If the petition is approved, the LPR will be notified, and USCIS will send the documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) for further processing.

The NVC will review the case and send a package to the applicant (adult child) with instructions on what to do next. It will include the case number and invoice ID number, which the applicant will need for their application to the US Embassy. In addition, the package will have forms and fee requirements and outline the rest of the process.

To be able to complete step two, the applicant must wait for their date to be current. That is because there is a cap on F2B visas. You have to wait until you are in line for the next batch of F2B visas if the hat for this year is reached. NVC will inform you when your date is current, and you can begin applying for the visa.

Applying for the F2B visa

When your date becomes current, you can follow the NVC instructions step by step to ensure that your application is without mistakes and is accepted by the US Embassy. The adult child must complete this part of the application process in the US Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence. NVC will send the documents to that Embassy so that they can review the information too.

File Form DS-260

Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa Electronic Application, is the form all immigrant visa applicants must submit. The online application will review your personal or background information and why you want to immigrate to the US. You can access it by entering your NVC case and invoice ID numbers. Please fill in the necessary sections; after you submit it, you will get a confirmation page and number which you will need to submit to NVC as part of your documents file.

Complete medical examination and vaccination

If you plan to immigrate to the US, having a medical examination and taking the necessary vaccines is mandatory. The NVC will send you a list of the check-ups you must get from a licensed doctor and what vaccines you need. You must complete both and have the documents ready to send to NVC.

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Bottom line

The F-2B visa is one of the most popular non-immigrant visas for adult children of U.S. Green Card holders. The visa allows an unmarried adult child of a permanent U.S. resident to enter and work without fear of falling foul of federal immigration law. With the exception of the H-1B program, there are few legal restrictions on workers in the U.S. However, if you are applying under the auspices of a fiance or similar visa, you will likely run into some resistance from immigration officials. Fortunately, an informed and detailed understanding of the requirements can smooth out any kinks in your application - and we have all the details on this page.