F2B Visa USA: Eligibility, Application and Wait Time
The F2B Visa is a Family Preference Visa that grants a Green Card to unmarried adult children of existing Green Card holders (lawful permanent residents) in the U.S. It can take years to get an F2B visa given the annual caps on numbers, and USCIS will deny or revoke the petition if the applicant gets married meanwhile.
If you wish to apply for an F2B visa or another US family visa, or if you want to find out your best option for emigrating to the USA, call us on +1 844 312 4979. Our US immigration experts can advise on the best way forward and provide legal support with your application.
What is the F2B visa?
The F2B visa is a Family Based Green Card that is part of the U.S. Family Preference visa category, along with the F2A visa, F3 visa and F4 visa. The F2B visa is for unmarried adult children of a U.S. Green Card holder.
Family Preference visas have an F prefix. The F2 visa category is for spouses and children of U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). The F2 visa provides two options:
- F2A visa – for spouses and minor children of LPRs
- F2B visa – for unmarried children above 21 years of age of LPRs
The F2B visa provides Green Card holders the chance to reunite with their adult child in the U.S. and permits the child to legally live, work and study in the U.S. This page sets out the F2B visa requirements, application process, and other relevant information.
For specific help with any U.S. family visa or any other U.S. immigration matter, please call our U.S. immigration lawyers on +1 844 312 4979 or fill out the quick online form. We’re available in-person, by phone or online.
FY 2026 F2B Visa Limit
The Family Preference visas have a cap as to how many visas are issued each fiscal year (FY). This means that each visa category is allocated a certain number of visas per fiscal year, and when the limit is reached, other applicants have to wait for their turn.
The FY 2026 annual cap for F2 visas is approximately 114,200 plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000 and any unused first preference numbers.
Of this, 77% is going to F2A visas and 23% to F2B visas.
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F2B visa eligibility criteria
Applicant’s eligibility
If your child is older than 21 years of age and unmarried, they will be eligible to apply for a Green Card through the F2B visa. Do bear in mind that if the child gets married before the petition is approved, they will no longer be eligible for the F2B visa.
To apply for an F2B visa, the child will need to complete an application form and several documents will need to be submitted in their application.
A vital document is evidence of the relationship between your child and the Green Card holder, through a birth certificate or adoption documents.
Sponsor’s eligibility
The F2B visa sponsor must fulfil several key requirements, as listed below.
The F2B visa sponsor must be:
- A Green Card holder
- The parent of the person they are petitioning for, and be able to provide evidence of this
- Living in the U.S. with a verified address
Note that a Green Card holder is also called a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), or Permanent Resident Alien. An LPR is a non-citizen who is lawfully authorized to live permanently within the U.S. He or she may also apply to become a U.S. citizen if they meet certain eligibility requirements.
F2B visa document requirements
When you apply for an F2B visa, you will need to submit a number of documents along with the application form. These include the following:
- Passport – must be valid for 6 months after planned entry into the U.S.
- Birth certificate or adoption certificate
- A signed Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support from U.S. petitioner)
- Form DS-260 confirmation page
- Medical examination and vaccination documents
- Two photographs
- Court and criminal records and/or police certificate
- Divorce certificates (if relevant)
- Death certificate (if relevant)
- Military certificates (if relevant)
Note that any documents that are not in English must be translated by an accredited translator, as documents that are not provided in English will be rejected in the application.
F2B visa application process
The F2B application process comprises two main stages: petition filing by the sponsor (i.e., the LPR parent in the US) and visa application by the applicant (i.e., unmarried adult child of the LPR). We have discussed steps for both processes here:
Filing the F2B petition
The first step in the F2B application process is filing the petition. This is a vital step. If a petition is not submitted, or is submitted and rejected, you will not be able to proceed with the application.
Both the U.S. Green Card holder and sponsor need to complete the petition. Usually the sponsor is the petitioner. Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) will be processed by the USCIS.
The sponsor will receive an approval or rejection from the USCIS. If the petition is rejected, the sponsor will be informed of the reasons, which provides the sponsor the opportunity to rectify any issues and re-submit the petition.
If the petition is accepted, the documents will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for onward processing. The adult child applicant will then receive a package from the NVC, with detailed next steps in the process.
Applying for the F2B visa
To apply from a F2B visa from their country of residence, an applicant will have to take the following steps (after they receive the NVC package) as soon as a visa application slot becomes available:
- Applicant completes Form DS-260 and pays the required application fees
- Applicant collects the required documents together
- Medical examination and vaccinations are carried out
- Applicant attends the F2B visa interview at U.S. embassy or consulate
- Applicant’s passport is stamped, and applicant receives NVC packet
- Applicant travels to the U.S.
Medical examination and vaccinations
Any person who wants to emigrate to the U.S. is required to undergo a medical examination and receive certain vaccinations.
The package which is sent by the NVC to F2B applicants will explain which medical examinations and vaccinations are needed.
Embassy / Consulate interview for F2B visa
Once an F2B application has been sent to the NVC, the application will be processed. If the NVC determines that you meet all necessary requirements, an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the applicant’s country of residence will be arranged.
The Embassy / Consulate interview is a vital and last stage of the F2B visa application process. The Embassy / Consulate will have a copy of your application at the interview and you will be interviewed by an official who will decide whether to accept or reject your F2B visa application.
If your F2B application is successful, the U.S. Embassy / Consulate will stamp the visa in your passport. From this point, you will be able to travel to and enter the United States on the basis of this visa.
You will also be given a sealed package by the Embassy / Consulate, which you must not open. You will need to hand over this packet with you when you travel to the United States, and a U.S. immigration official will open it when you arrive at the airport.
The interview stage of the F2B application process can be a nervous time for applicants. For support and preparation guidance, call Total Law now on +1 844 312 4979.
F2B visa fees
To apply for the F2B visa, several costs will need to be paid.
Main F2B fees and costs:
- I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative form), currently $625 when filed online
- DS-260 Form processing fee of ($325.00)
- Vaccination(s) fees
- Medical examination fee
- Fees for having any documents translated (if relevant)
- USCIS immigrant fee of $235, payable after you receive your visa and before you travel to the U.S.
F2B Visa Waiting Time
Wait times for F2B visas vary by country. Given the annual cap on the F2B visa numbers vis-a-vis the high demand, it may take several years to get an F2B visa slot.
The waiting time starts as USCIS receives the I-130 petition. The date of receipt is called your ‘priority date’, meaning you are assigned a place in the long queue for an F2B visa.
Every month, the US Department of State publishes the visa bulletin. It shows the current cut-off dates for each US visa category including F2B visas, further broken down by country of origin.
You can proceed to filing your visa application only when your priority date becomes current, that is, it falls before the published cut-off date. Monitor the monthly visa bulletin as cut-off dates change regularly.
How Total Law can help
Total Law has highly experienced immigration (and emigration) attorneys, who are able to ensure your F2B application is comprehensive and watertight, to improve your chances of a successful outcome.
Your assigned immigration advisor will review the annual F2B Visa bulletin to check the availability of this visa. Keeping in mind the considerably longer wait time for F2B visas, they will help you avoid any unnecessary delays on your part with regard to your F2B application submission.
Total Law can also advise you on any other, more preferable routes for emigration to the USA, so contact us today on +1 844 312 4979 or use our online contact form to get a prompt callback.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since an F2B visa application can take time to be processed, it is possible that an applicant’s sponsor might become a U.S. citizen before the visa decision is provided.
In such a situation, the sponsor can submit a new petition for an Immediate Relative application. These types of applications have no quotas, and the applicant will enjoy a quicker application processing timeframe.
Every month, the U.S. Department of State issues the F2B Visa Bulletin.
The F2B Visa Bulletin defines the terms and deadline for applying for a visa from foreign countries. It also helps you estimate your F2B visa remaining processing time. Once your petition is filed, you will be able to check the application status and your place in the waiting line.
There are F-1, F2, F3, and F4 visas under the family preference immigrant category (known as F category). These are:
- F1 visa – First preference. For unmarried sons and daughters (21 and older) of U.S. citizens
- F2A visa – Second preference. For spouses and children (unmarried and under 21) of lawful permanent residents
- F2B visa – Second preference. For unmarried sons and daughters (21 and older) of lawful permanent residents
- F3 visa – Third preference. For married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
- F4 visa – Fourth preference. For siblings of U.S. citizens (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age or older)
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