• The processing and issuing of family visas is based on a priority system.america image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  Visas for relatives of U.S. citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents are divided into three categories: citizen relatives, non-immigrant relatives and immigrant relatives. The processing and issuing of family visas is based on a priority system in which immigrant family members of permanent residents fall below the family members of citizens and non-immigrants.
  
  

Immigrant Visa

• A Legal Permanent Resident (LPR), also known as a green card holder, holds the right to petition for her family members to obtain permanent visas in the U.S. The LPR must file an I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative before applying for the family visa. The LPR must demonstrate sufficient fiscal responsibility for incoming relatives and prove a location of residency. Family members of LPRs are categorized as "Limited Family-Based Relatives Second Preference." This means that the spouses, children and unmarried adult children are given a case number and enter a waiting period. Once all documents are reviewed, family members are interviewed. It is possible for the waiting period to reach five years before family members reach the interview stage.
  
  Foreign family members of U.S. citizens (rather than LPRs) follow the same procedure but are considered "Immediate Family" and processed much more quickly.
  
  

Non-immigrant Visa

• A non-immigrant visa is issued for the purpose of completing a task in a designated period of time with the intent of returning home when the task is complete. Non-immigrant visas cover student, exchange, artistic, athletic, religious and volunteer workers. In other words, a non-immigrant visa is neither a tourist nor a permanent visa. An accompanying visa known as the dependent visa may be reserved for spouses, children and dependent family members of the non-immigrant visa holder. These visas last as long as the non-immigrant visa they are attached to.
  
  

Fiancé(e) Visa

• The fiancé(e) visa, known a the K-1 visa, is a temporary visa that allows an individual who is engaged to a U.S. citizen to enter the country for the purpose of getting married. Recipients of this visa must get married within 90 days of entry. Once married, the spouse may file for permanent residency.
  
  

V-visa

• V-visas were first introduced in 2000 as a way to alleviate the long wait times for family visas. This visa allows for travel to and residency in the U.S. while the family visa is processed. Only the spouse and children of an LPR are eligible for a v-visa. The family member must first wait three years for I-130 petition approval before applying for the v-visa.