Preference Categories for Affidavit of Support

[grad_student 11]

So I was just reading on Affidavit of Support on USCIS website. Under where it states which individuals (applicants) are required to submit AOS if they are relatives of US citizens under one of family based preferences:

• First Preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens (Adult means 21 years of age or older)
• Second Preference: Spouses of permanent residents and the unmarried sons and daughters (regardless of age) of permanent residents and their unmarried children
• Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses and their unmarried minor children
• Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens, their spouses and their unmarried minor children

First of all, adult sons and daughters are first preference, and are higher than spouses. Second, it doesnt list clearly where spouses of US citizens fall. Am I not reading this right? I thought spouses would be first preference, followed by minor (under 21) sons and daughters of US citizens. Can someone please explain. Thanks

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/affidavit-support

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The classes you mention as not being listed are immediate relatives , the ones you have in your posting are not ( at lest for immigration purposes) so they are waiting for a visa number. Immediate relatives have the affidavit submitted at the time of the petition approval where the ones above it is submitted when the number becomes available years later and hopefully when you are making more money than when the petition was approved.

[kausar 26]

spouses and minor children as well as parents of US citizens are categorized as immediate relatives. visas are unlimited and readily available for this category and they do not have to wait like other categories of family preferences.

[NikLR 13,220]

~~moved to general immigration as topic is about preference categories not the IR1/CR1 process and procedures~~

Please note, there is NO preference category for minor children or spouses of US citizens. As noted above, there is always a visa available for those immediate family members.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Spouses, unmarried children under age 21, and parents of US citizens are in the Immediate Relative categories.

There are the IR categories and there are family preference categories.