ImmigrantFamily-sponsoredSecond preferenceAnnual limitForm I-130

F2A Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident

Q: Can an F2A spouse file for adjustment of status now?

USCIS says family-sponsored applicants must use the Dates for Filing chart in October 2026, and that chart lists F2A as “Current.” Whether a specific person can adjust also depends on admissibility and eligibility under INA 245.

Q: What happens if the green-card holder becomes a citizen?

A pending F2A petition for a spouse or child under 21 converts to the immediate-relative category on the date of naturalization (8 CFR 204.2(i)(3)), which has no annual limit.

Q: Why is Mexico’s F2A date different?

All F2A numbers for Mexico come from the per-country-exempt share, which in October 2026 reaches priority dates before March 22, 2026. Other countries can also use per-country-subject numbers.

Q: Do F2A spouses get a conditional green card?

Yes, if the marriage is less than two years old when permanent residence is granted. INA 216 covers spouses of permanent residents as well as of citizens.

Family second preference (A): a green card for the spouse and unmarried children under 21 of a U.S. lawful permanent resident.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: Department of State · USCIS · eCFRReport an error

At a glance

Who qualifies: Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of permanent residents
Petitioner: Lawful permanent resident (Form I-130)
Annual limit: 77% of the second-preference total (114,200+)
Final action date (most countries): September 22, 2026
Dates for filing: Current for all countries
Result: Permanent residence (conditional if married < 2 years)

Near-current in October 2026. As of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the F2A final action date is September 22, 2026 for every country except Mexico (March 22, 2026), and the Dates for Filing chart is “Current.” USCIS requires family adjustment applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart this month. Pauses and proclamations (as of October 1, 2026). Proclamation 10998 still suspends immigrant visas for nationals of 39 countries, with limited exceptions (State Department notice). The separate January 21, 2026 pause for 75 nationalities ended August 21, 2026 under a court order (State notice).

Overview

F2A is the larger half of the family second preference. It covers the spouse of a U.S. lawful permanent resident and the resident’s unmarried children under 21. Unlike immediate relatives of citizens, F2A beneficiaries are subject to annual limits.

The second preference receives 114,200 numbers a year, plus any amount by which the worldwide family level exceeds 226,000, plus unused F1 numbers; F2A gets 77% of that total, and 75% of F2A numbers are exempt from the per-country limit (Visa Bulletin, INA 203(a)(2)).

If the permanent-resident petitioner naturalizes, a pending F2A petition for a spouse or child under 21 converts to the immediate-relative category, which has no annual limit (8 CFR 204.2(i)(3)).

Who qualifies

The beneficiary must be

The legally married spouse of a lawful permanent resident, or
The unmarried child under 21 of a lawful permanent resident (the Child Status Protection Act can lock in a younger age)
Admissible to the United States, including on public-charge grounds (Form I-864 required)

The petitioner must

Hold lawful permanent resident status when filing Form I-130 and keep it until the beneficiary immigrates (naturalization converts the case to immediate relative)
Be able to sponsor financially, alone or with a joint sponsor

Duration & extensions

Status granted	Lawful permanent residence
Spouse, marriage under 2 years	Two-year conditional residence; remove conditions with Form I-751 (INA 216)
Green card validity	Typically 10 years for non-conditional residents (USCIS M-274)
Path to citizenship	Generally after 5 years as a permanent resident
Final action date — all countries except Mexico and Philippines	September 22, 2026
Dates for filing — all countries except Mexico and Philippines	Current
Final action date — Mexico	March 22, 2026
Final action date — Philippines	September 22, 2026
Dates for filing — Mexico / Philippines	Current / Current

Fees

Fees as published on official schedules on October 1, 2026.

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative	$675 paper / $625 online	Petitioner	Current USCIS fee schedule amount; one petition per beneficiary.
Immigrant visa application processing fee (DS-260)	$325 per person	Each applicant	Family-preference rate on the State Department fee schedule; non-refundable.
Affidavit of Support review	$120	Petitioner / sponsor	Charged by State only when the I-864 is reviewed domestically (at the National Visa Center).
USCIS Immigrant Fee	$235 per person	Each immigrant	Paid online to USCIS after the visa is issued; the green card is not produced until it is paid.
Form I-485 (only if adjusting status inside the U.S.)	$1,440 paper / $1,390 online	Applicant	$950 paper / $900 online for a child under 14 filing with a parent. Replaces the DS-260, $120 review and Immigrant Fee path.

Medical examination and vaccination costs are set by the panel physician or civil surgeon and are not on the government fee schedules. The $250 Visa Integrity Fee in Public Law 119-21 applies to nonimmigrant visas, not to immigrant visas.

Processing time

Final action date (most countries): September 22, 2026; As of the October 2026 Visa Bulletin.
Mexico: March 22, 2026; F2A numbers for Mexico are all per-country exempt.
Dates for filing: Current; All countries; required chart for USCIS family filings in October 2026.

For October, F2A numbers exempt from the per-country limit go to applicants with priority dates before March 22, 2026; per-country-subject numbers go to applicants (except Mexico) with priority dates from March 22, 2026 up to September 22, 2026. I-130 and I-485 times vary; check USCIS processing times.

Application steps

1
Petitioner files Form I-130
The permanent-resident spouse or parent files Form I-130 with USCIS. The filing date becomes the beneficiary’s priority date — the place in line.
2
Wait for the priority date to become current
Each month the Visa Bulletin publishes a final action date and a date for filing for each category and chargeability area. Numbers can be issued only when the priority date is earlier than the final action date.
3
National Visa Center processing
After approval, USCIS sends the case to the National Visa Center. The applicant pays fees, submits Form DS-260, the petitioner submits Form I-864, and civil documents are uploaded. Failure to apply within one year of notice of visa availability can lead to termination of the petition under INA 203(g).
4
Medical exam and consular interview
Since November 1, 2025, NVC schedules interviews in the applicant’s country of residence (or nationality, on request). A medical exam by an embassy-approved panel physician is required.
5
Travel and become a permanent resident
On admission at a U.S. port of entry with the immigrant visa, the beneficiary becomes a lawful permanent resident. The $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee must be paid before the green card is produced.
6
If already in the U.S.: adjustment of status
A beneficiary who is in the U.S. and eligible to adjust may file Form I-485 instead of consular processing. In October 2026 USCIS requires family-sponsored applicants to use the Dates for Filing chart.

Required documents

From the petitioner

Proof of lawful permanent resident status (copy of both sides of the green card)
Proof of the family relationship: for a spouse, the marriage certificate and proof that any prior marriages ended; for a child, the child’s birth certificate naming the petitioner as parent
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, with financial evidence (income must generally meet 125% of the HHS poverty guidelines)

From each applicant

Passport biographic page
Birth certificate; marriage or divorce records where relevant
Police certificates and any court and prison records, as listed in State’s civil documents guidance
Form DS-260 confirmation and medical exam results

Dependents & family

An F2A spouse’s unmarried children under 21 may immigrate as derivatives with the same priority date (INA 203(d)) even if they are not the petitioner’s own children. A child of the petitioner can also be petitioned for directly. A derivative or principal child who would turn 21 may stay under 21 under the CSPA age formula if residence is sought within one year of visa availability.

After you arrive

Family-preference immigrants become lawful permanent residents when admitted on the immigrant visa (or when USCIS approves Form I-485). Most receive a green card with a 10-year expiration date; a spouse whose marriage is less than two years old when residence is granted receives two-year conditional residence (INA 216).

Step 1

Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee

The $235 fee is paid online, ideally before departure; the card is mailed to the U.S. address on file.

Step 2

Keep residence in the U.S.

Long trips abroad can raise abandonment questions; an absence of more than one year generally requires a reentry permit or a returning resident (SB-1) visa.

Step 3

Naturalization

Most permanent residents may apply for citizenship after five years of continuous residence, with physical presence for at least half that time.

IR-1 / CR-1

Spouse of a U.S. citizen

Where an F2A spouse case goes when the petitioner naturalizes.

F2B

Unmarried son or daughter (21+) of a permanent resident

The other half of the second preference.

Spouse or child of a permanent resident (V visa)

Legacy nonimmigrant bridge for long-pending F2A cases.

IR-2

Child of a U.S. citizen

Immediate-relative category for citizens’ children.

Unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen

First family preference.

Common questions

Can an F2A spouse file for adjustment of status now?