Family Visa Attorney

Overview:

Two groups of family-based immigrant visa categories, including immediate relatives and family preference categories, are provided under the provisions of United States immigration law, specifically the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Immediate Relative Immigrant Visas (Unlimited):

These visa types are based on a close family relationship with a United States (U.S.) citizen described as an Immediate Relative (IR). The number of immigrants in these categories is not limited each fiscal year. Immediate relative visa types include:
  • IR-1: Spouse of a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-2: Unmarried Child Under 21 Years of Age of a U.S. Citizen
  • IR-3: Orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. Citizen — Learn More
  • IR-4: Orphan to be adopted in the U.S. by a U.S. citizen — Learn More
  • IR-5: Parent of a U.S. Citizen who is at least 21 years old

Family Preference Immigrant Visas (Limited):

These visa types are for specific, more distant, family relationships with a U.S. citizen and some specified relationships with a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). There are fiscal year numerical limitations on family preference immigrants, shown at the end of each category. The family preference categories are:

  • Family First Preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their minor children, if any. (23,400)
  • Family Second Preference (F2): Spouses, minor children, and unmarried sons and daughters (age 21 and over) of LPRs. At least seventy-seven percent of all visas available for this category will go to the spouses and children; the remainder is allocated to unmarried sons and daughters. (114,200)
  • Family Third Preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children. (23,400)
  • Family Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, and their spouses and minor children, provided the U.S. citizens are at least 21 years of age. (65,000)

Numerical Limitations for Limited Family-based Preference Categories

Whenever the number of qualified applicants for a category exceeds the available immigrant visas, there will be an immigration wait. In this situation, the available immigrant visas will be issued in chronological order in which the petitions were filed using their priority date. The filing date of a petition becomes what is called the applicant’s priority date. Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant’s priority date is reached. In certain categories with many approved petitions compared to available visas, there may be a waiting period of several years, or more, before a priority date is reached.

Utah Family Visa Lawyer

At Buhler Thomas Law, P.C., our Provo family immigration lawyers have more than 25 years of experience guiding clients through the maze of family immigration laws. The most important aspect of family immigration is to start the process as early as possible. We understand that the uncertainty of your immigration status after marrying a U.S. citizen or permanent resident is unsettling. We understand that being away from other members of your family and loved ones can be heart-wrenching. We can help you start the process, and keep you updated throughout the process.

Because immigration law is governed by federal law, we can provide legal services to clients domestically and internationally. Contact us today.

 

Buhler Thomas Law, P.C.
Excellent
Anna H.
I can't find enough words to thank Kim! She is so amazingly knowledgeable and helped me so much that I can't thank her enough. She answered all questions, gave invaluable advice, and I am so lucky that I had chosen her as a lawyer! Thank you again, Kim!
Response from the owner:It was truly a pleasure meeting with you! The U.S. benefits from individuals like you.
Garrett S.
We cannot thank Kim and her team enough for everything she has done for us. From the very beginning, she went above and beyond with her time, guidance, and support. Her professionalism, knowledge, and compassion made all the difference in our journey, and we truly believe that without her help, the whole process would have been a lot harder.

What sets her apart is not only her expertise, but also dedication she shows to her clients. She always took the time to explain each step clearly, answer our questions thoroughly, and ensure we felt confident and supported throughout the process.

We are deeply grateful for her hard work and commitment, and we look forward to working with her again in the future if needed. We would gladly recommend her to anyone seeking legal help - Kim is, without question, the lawyer you want by your side.
Response from the owner:Thank you! Every attorney is thrilled to have clients like you who were on top of responding to emails.
Autumn B.
Buhler Thomas Law assisted our agency with the H1-B visa process. They were knowledgeable, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the process. We appreciated their guidance and support they provided us.
Response from the owner:Autumn, thank you for being fantastic to work with especially when we would reach out on Fridays.
David G.
Kim helped me get the green card when we were newly weds. Had a great experience through it all. Very knowledgeable and professional!
Response from the owner:David, it was my absolute pleasure!
Gary H.
Worked with Kim and Eliza over the last several months. They truly are experts and wonderful to work with. We had a successful outcome as a result of their work!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the positive review! We truly enjoyed working with you. You will always be one of Eliza's favorites! We appreciate how dedicated you are and quick to respond to emails. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
Rebekah H.
Kim was a beacon of clarity during a frustrating and confusing process. I initially tried to file our marriage green card application on my own and only realized later that I had submitted just one of several required forms. I was overwhelmed and worried I’d make serious mistakes. From the moment we started working with Kim, everything changed. She answered all our questions with patience, simplified the entire process, and brought us peace of mind. She even met with us on Christmas Eve to help finalize our packet so we could submit it ASAP. When we got our interview notice, she responded quickly—scheduling a late-night Zoom call to walk us through what to expect and gave us a detailed checklist to stay organized. Thanks to her guidance, we felt confident and prepared—and the interview went smoothly. Kim is not just a knowledgeable attorney, but a kind and supportive person who genuinely cares about her clients. We’re so grateful for her help and can’t recommend her enough!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words. You were truly a pleasure to work with. I don't routinely schedule to meet with clients on Christmas Eve or holidays in general. That said, your efforts were so sincere and I could not help but want to help you. Wishing your family much happiness.
J
Kim, Beca, and the entire team at Buhler Thomas Law were fantastic in our process of securing permanent residency, to say the least. From beginning to end, we received detailed, thorough, timely, and helpful communication about every step of the process. They were always quick to answer questions as well, but above all, we could tell that this team genuinely cared about us. The excitement we felt together as we reached each milestone of the process was tangible and means a lot. I cannot recommend this team enough for any immigration legal needs one might have.
Response from the owner:We have many wonderful clients that we enjoy working with. You two are among our favorites. We appreciate how responsive you bother were to our emails and calls. More importantly though we appreciate how helpful and kind you both were in how you both were in how you communicated. It truly was our pleasure to work with you.
Vale D.
Very impressed with the work that was completed. I've worked with many law firms & attorneys from many different industries. Kim & he team are by far the most impressive in this field than anybody else. I plan to work with them in a few years again. Thanks Kim & team!
Response from the owner:Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your review is so appreciated during this chaotic time in our nation. Our sincerest gratitude for taking this time to write this review.
Yolanda O.
Kim and Eliza are amazing to work with! They have helped us through 2 H1B processes. Their attention to detail, thorough communication and encouragement made a complicated process easy and smooth on our end. I highly recommend them for your immigration needs.
Response from the owner:I wish all our clients were as responsive as you were. It was our pleasure to work with you.