Family-based visas are a type of visa for which immediate family relatives of US citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) can apply.

Immediate family members include spouses, parents, and children under 21. Other relatives such as unmarried children of U.S. citizens who are 21 years old or siblings of U.S. citizens are subject to the limits of visas available for this category.

You can apply for an employment-based, first-preference visa (EB-1) if you are an individual with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, which has been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim and whose achievements have been recognized in the field. You can also apply for this visa if you are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager.

You can apply for an employment-based, third-preference visa if you are a skilled worker, professional, or any other worker “Skilled Workers” being defined as people with a minimum of 2 years of training, experience, or job education, “Professionals” being referred to as individuals with a baccalaureate degree or foreign equivalent, and “Other Workers” described as someone with less than two years of training or experience.

The EB-5 visa is an employment-based fifth preference visa that investors (and their spouses and unmarried children under 21) are eligible to apply for as long as they make the required investment in a commercial enterprise in the U.S. and through their entrepreneurship create 10 full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.

A non-immigrant employee can become a lawful permanent resident through the labor certification (PERM) process, through which an employer can petition for the employee. This process requires the approval of a labor certification from the Department of labor, before the immigrant visa petition can be filed.