<div class="vt" data-vt-cat="family-visas" data-vt-code="V-1 / V-2 / V-3"> <div class="vt-crumbs"><nav class="vt-wrap" aria-label="Breadcrumb"><a href="/">Home</a><span>›</span><a href="/family-visas">Family</a><span>›</span><span>V-1 / V-2 / V-3</span></nav></div> <section class="vt-dhead"><div class="vt-wrap"> <div class="vt-badges"><span>Nonimmigrant</span><span>Family-based</span><span>Legacy category</span><span>I-130 filed by Dec. 21, 2000</span><span>Work authorized</span></div> <h1><span>V-1 / V-2 / V-3</span> LIFE Act Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident</h1> <p class="vt-lede">A LIFE Act nonimmigrant status for spouses and children of permanent residents whose I-130 was filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000 and who have waited at least 3 years.</p> <div class="vt-dmeta"><span>Last reviewed <strong>Oct 1, 2026</strong></span><span>Sources: USCIS · eCFR · Department of State</span><a href="/corrections?page=/visa/v">Report an error</a></div> </div></section> <section class="vt-dbody"> <nav class="vt-jump" aria-label="On this page"><a href="#overview">Overview</a><a href="#qualify">Who qualifies</a><a href="#duration">Duration</a><a href="#fees">Fees</a><a href="#processing">Processing</a><a href="#steps">Steps</a><a href="#documents">Documents</a><a href="#dependents">Dependents</a><a href="#greencard">Green card</a><a href="#related">Related</a><a href="#faq">FAQ</a><a href="#sources">Sources</a><a href="#changes">Changes</a></nav> <nav class="vt-toc" aria-label="On this page"><div class="h">On this page</div><ul><li><a href="#overview">Overview</a></li><li><a href="#qualify">Who qualifies</a></li><li><a href="#duration">Duration & extensions</a></li><li><a href="#fees">Fees</a></li><li><a href="#processing">Processing time</a></li><li><a href="#steps">Application steps</a></li><li><a href="#documents">Required documents</a></li><li><a href="#dependents">Dependents & family</a></li><li><a href="#greencard">Path to a green card</a></li><li><a href="#related">Related visas</a></li><li><a href="#faq">Common questions</a></li><li><a href="#sources">Official sources</a></li><li><a href="#changes">Recent changes</a></li></ul></nav> <article class="vt-art"> <div class="vt-glance"><h2>At a glance</h2><dl><div><dt>Petition filing cutoff</dt><dd>On or before Dec. 21, 2000</dd></div><div><dt>Minimum wait</dt><dd>3 years since I-130 filing</dd></div><div><dt>Admission period</dt><dd>Up to 2 years (V-2/V-3: or day before 21st birthday)</dd></div><div><dt>Apply in the U.S.</dt><dd>Form I-539 <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$470 paper / $420 online</a></dd></div><div><dt>Work</dt><dd>EAD under 8 CFR 274a.12(a)(15)</dd></div><div><dt>Status today</dt><dd>Still in the law; open only to 2000-era cases</dd></div></dl></div> <div class="vt-callout"><strong>Still in the law, but closed to new applicants.</strong> The V category has not been repealed: <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/subpart-A/section-214.15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 CFR 214.15</a> remains in force, and the State Department still lists V-1, V-2 and V-3 as visa classifications (<a href="https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040201.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9 FAM 402.1</a>). But eligibility depends on an F2A petition filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000, so no one can newly qualify. A V-2 principal must have been a child beneficiary of such a petition and would now be at least 25 — past the V-2 age limit — so in practice only V-1 spouses and their V-3 children with a still-unresolved 2000-era case could use it.</div> <h2 id="overview" class="s">Overview</h2> <p class="b">The Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act of 2000 created the V classification so that spouses and children of lawful permanent residents stuck in long F2A waits could live and work in the United States while waiting (<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-for-a-v-nonimmigrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS</a>).</p> <p class="b">Eligibility requires a Form I-130 under INA 203(a)(2)(A) filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000 that has either been pending for 3 years or more, or been approved at least 3 years after filing while an immigrant visa is unavailable or the visa or adjustment application remains pending (<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/subpart-A/section-214.15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 CFR 214.15(c)</a>). <strong>V-1</strong> is the spouse, <strong>V-2</strong> the child, and <strong>V-3</strong> the derivative child of a V-1 or V-2.</p> <p class="b">Because every qualifying petition is now more than 25 years old, most of these cases were resolved long ago. The category matters today only for someone whose 2000-era petition, visa application or adjustment application is still unresolved.</p> <h2 id="qualify" class="s">Who qualifies</h2> <h3 class="s">The applicant must</h3> <ul class="b"><li>Be the spouse or child (or derivative child) beneficiary of an F2A Form I-130 filed by a permanent resident on or before Dec. 21, 2000, and properly filed.</li><li>Have waited 3 years or more since filing, with the petition still pending, or approved but with a visa unavailable or the visa/adjustment application still pending.</li><li>Be admissible; for V status in the U.S., INA 212(a)(6)(A), (a)(7) and (a)(9)(B) do not apply.</li></ul> <h2 id="duration" class="s">Duration & extensions</h2> <table class="vt-kv"><tbody><tr><th scope="row">V-1</th><td>Admission up to 2 years</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">V-2 / V-3</th><td>Up to 2 years or the day before the 21st birthday, whichever comes first</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Extensions</th><td>Form I-539, filed “on or before 120 days before” status expires per 8 CFR 214.15(g)(3), for periods of up to 2 years while still eligible</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Current priority date, nothing filed</th><td>Admission or extension limited to 6 months; status cannot continue unless an immigrant visa or adjustment application is filed in that time</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="fees" class="s">Fees</h2> <p class="vt-feesintro">USCIS fees are from the 10/01/26 fee schedule.</p> <div class="vt-scroll"><table class="vt-fees"><thead><tr><th>Fee</th><th class="amt">Amount</th><th>Who pays</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td>Form I-539 (V status in the U.S.)</td><td class="amt"><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$470 paper / $420 online</a></td><td>Applicant</td><td>Filed with Supplement A and Form I-693 (without the vaccination supplement).</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-765 (EAD)</td><td class="amt"><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$520 paper / $470 online</a></td><td>Applicant</td><td>General filing fee for an initial EAD.</td></tr> <tr><td>Form I-485 (Green Card)</td><td class="amt"><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1,440 paper / $1,390 online</a></td><td>Applicant</td><td>When a visa is immediately available. Only the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-485" target="_blank" rel="noopener">09/18/26 edition</a> is accepted for filings on or after Sept. 18, 2026.</td></tr> <tr><td>V visa abroad</td><td class="amt">State Department fee</td><td>Applicant</td><td>Nonimmigrant visa application fee set by the State Department; neither 22 CFR 22.1 nor the State Department fee page lists the V category by name, so no amount is given.</td></tr> </tbody></table></div> <h2 id="processing" class="s">Processing time</h2> <dl class="vt-cards"><div><dt>Extension window</dt><dd>120 days</dd><dd class="n">8 CFR 214.15(g)(3) provides for filing Form I-539 “on or before 120 days before the expiration” of V status.</dd></div></dl> <p class="b">No fixed processing times; see <a href="https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">egov.uscis.gov/processing-times</a> for Form I-539 and I-485.</p> <h2 id="steps" class="s">Application steps</h2> <ol class="vt-steps"><li><span class="num">1</span><div><div class="tt">Confirm eligibility</div><div class="tx">Locate proof the F2A I-130 was filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000 (Form I-797 receipt or approval).</div></div></li><li><span class="num">2</span><div><div class="tt">Apply in the U.S. or abroad</div><div class="tx">In the U.S.: Form I-539 with Supplement A and Form I-693. Abroad: apply for a V visa at a consulate under 22 CFR 41.86.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">3</span><div><div class="tt">Request work authorization</div><div class="tx">File Form I-765; the EAD runs for the authorized V admission period.</div></div></li><li><span class="num">4</span><div><div class="tt">Travel carefully</div><div class="tx">A Form I-797 approval of V status is not a travel document; return requires a V visa from a consulate (except limited automatic revalidation).</div></div></li><li><span class="num">5</span><div><div class="tt">Adjust status</div><div class="tx">When a visa is immediately available, file Form I-485 with Form I-864 and proof of V status.</div></div></li></ol> <h2 id="documents" class="s">Required documents</h2> <div class="vt-docs"><div><h3>For V status</h3><ul><li><span>Form I-797 receipt or approval of the pre-Dec. 21, 2000 Form I-130 (or other evidence of filing, such as correspondence).</span></li><li><span>If no proof exists: where and when the petition was filed, the petitioner’s name and A-number, and the beneficiaries’ names.</span></li><li><span>Form I-693 medical exam (without the vaccination supplement).</span></li></ul></div><div><h3>For the Green Card</h3><ul><li><span>Form I-485, Form I-864, Form I-797 showing the V grant, the I-130 receipt or approval, birth certificate and photos (<a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-for-a-v-nonimmigrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USCIS</a>).</span></li></ul></div></div> <h2 id="dependents" class="s">Dependents & family</h2> <p class="b"><strong>V-3</strong> covers the derivative child of a V-1 or V-2 who is accompanying or following to join the principal. Because a derivative child can be born after the petition was filed, a V-3 child of a V-1 spouse could in principle still be under 21 today. V-2 and V-3 status ends the day before the 21st birthday.</p> <h2 id="greencard" class="s">Path to a green card</h2> <p class="b">V holders adjust status as the spouse or child of the permanent resident (or of a U.S. citizen, if the petitioner has naturalized).</p> <div class="vt-gsteps"><div><div class="k">Step 1</div><div class="tt">Eligibility</div><div class="tx">Maintain V status continuously, remain eligible as spouse or child, have an immigrant visa immediately available, and be admissible.</div></div><div><div class="k">Step 2</div><div class="tt">Medical exam</div><div class="tx">A full exam done for the V visa or status within one year of filing Form I-485 can be reused; only the vaccination portion of Form I-693 is then needed.</div></div></div> <p class="b">V holders with a pending Form I-485 do not need advance parole but must obtain a V visa abroad to return.</p> <h2 id="related" class="s">Related visas</h2> <div class="vt-rel"><a href="/visa/f2a"><div class="c">F2A</div><div class="n">Spouse or child of a permanent resident</div><div class="tx">The current route for LPR families.</div></a><a href="/visa/k-3"><div class="c">K-3 / K-4</div><div class="n">Spouse of a U.S. citizen (nonimmigrant)</div><div class="tx">The LIFE Act’s parallel category for citizens’ spouses.</div></a><a href="/visa/ir-1"><div class="c">IR-1</div><div class="n">Spouse of a U.S. citizen</div><div class="tx">If the LPR petitioner has naturalized.</div></a></div> <h2 id="faq" class="s">Common questions</h2> <div class="vt-faq"><details><summary>Can anyone apply for a V visa today?</summary><p>Only beneficiaries of an F2A I-130 filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000 whose case is still unresolved. The cutoff is fixed in the law, so no new applicants can qualify.</p></details><details><summary>Is a V-2 still possible?</summary><p>Practically no. A V-2 principal must have been a child beneficiary of a petition filed by Dec. 21, 2000, so would now be at least 25, and V-2 status ends the day before the 21st birthday.</p></details><details><summary>Can V holders work?</summary><p>Yes. They may apply for an EAD, which USCIS grants for the authorized period of V admission.</p></details></div> <h2 id="sources" class="s">Official sources</h2> <ul class="vt-src"><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-green-card-holders-permanent-residents/v-nonimmigrant-visas" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · V Nonimmigrant Visas</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-for-a-v-nonimmigrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Green Card for a V Nonimmigrant</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/subpart-A/section-214.15" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>eCFR</strong> · 8 CFR 214.15 — Certain spouses and children of lawful permanent residents</span><span>ecfr.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM040201.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>Department of State</strong> · 9 FAM 402.1 — Overview of NIV Classifications</span><span>fam.state.gov ↗</span></a></li><li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span><strong>USCIS</strong> · Form G-1055, Fee Schedule (edition 10/01/26)</span><span>uscis.gov ↗</span></a></li></ul> <h2 id="changes" class="s">Recent changes</h2> <ul class="vt-chg"><li><span class="d">Aug 24, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Court enjoins USCIS adjudication holds for nationals of 39 countries.</strong> In Red Eagle Law v. Edlow (N.D. Cal.), the court enjoined PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194 and certified a class; USCIS says it will adjudicate covered applications in the normal course while litigation continues. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recent-court-order-on-hold-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Jun 5, 2026</span><div class="x"><strong>Court vacates USCIS hold policies on pending applications.</strong> In Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS (D.R.I.), the court vacated PM-602-0192, PM-602-0194 and PA-2025-26 (final judgment June 11, 2026). USCIS says it will follow the order pending possible further review. <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/court-order-on-hold-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Dec 16, 2025</span><div class="x"><strong>Proclamation 10998 expands entry restrictions to 39 countries (effective Jan. 1, 2026).</strong> Suspends immigrant entry for nationals of every listed country and removes the broad family-based immigrant visa exception that Proclamation 10949 had contained; remaining exceptions are narrow, plus case-by-case national-interest exceptions. <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/restricting-and-limiting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li><li><span class="d">Apr 1, 2024</span><div class="x"><strong>USCIS fee rule takes effect.</strong> The fee schedule final rule (89 FR 6194, published Jan. 31, 2024) set current family-based fees, including separate online and paper fees for Form I-130 and folding biometrics into the filing fees. <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/31/2024-01427/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-fee-schedule-and-changes-to-certain-other-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Source ↗</a></div></li></ul> <div class="vt-disc">This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? <a href="/corrections?page=/visa/v">Tell us</a>.</div> </article></section></div> <script type="application/ld+json">[{"\u0040context": "https://schema.org", "\u0040type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [{"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://visatypes.com/"}, {"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Family", "item": "https://visatypes.com/family-visas"}, {"\u0040type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "V-1 / V-2 / V-3", "item": "https://visatypes.com/visa/v"}]}, {"\u0040context": "https://schema.org", "\u0040type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [{"\u0040type": "Question", "name": "Can anyone apply for a V visa today?", "acceptedAnswer": {"\u0040type": "Answer", "text": "Only beneficiaries of an F2A I-130 filed on or before Dec. 21, 2000 whose case is still unresolved. 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