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Here[1]: > A U.S. citizen can file a petition for the following relatives: • Husband or wife; • Children, married or unmarried A U.S. citizen who is at least 2

Here[1]: > A U.S. citizen can file a petition for the following relatives: • Husband or wife; • Children, married or unmarried A U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years or older may also petition for the following relatives: • Parents; • Brothers or sisters. From my understanding (and from everything I can find on the USCIS site and all other immigration sites), a U.S. citizen can sponsor immediate family members. They can not sponsor extended family members (cousins, uncles, in-laws, etc.). [1] https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/A1en.pdf https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/A1...

boomboomsubban 9y ago
The USCIS refers to "immediate family" as parents, spouses and children, as seen on your first link, so "extended family" would involve siblings. One of those situations where a term can have a legal meaning that's different from how it is commonly used. The NPR part also links to another article that explains who can be sponsored right away.
- ozzmotik 9y ago
  good explanation but I can't help but wonder, wouldn't your immediate family's immediate family by extension also be your immediate family? at least within the same generations that your immediate family cover (aka your siblings are the immediate family of your parents and they are the same generation as you so wouldn't it make logical sense to refer to them as immediate?) not trying to cast shade on any arguments made already or anything im just legitimately curious about it from a logical perspective
  - boomboomsubban 9y ago
    These are legal terms, certain people are defined as your immediate family for these forms and you can't extend it without changing law.
    - ozzmotik 9y ago
      oh right I sometimes forget just how arcane and distanced from reality legal terms can be, thanks for the clarification :)

boomboomsubban 9y ago

The USCIS refers to "immediate family" as parents, spouses and children, as seen on your first link, so "extended family" would involve siblings. One of those situations where a term can have a legal meaning that's different from how it is commonly used. The NPR part also links to another article that explains who can be sponsored right away.

ozzmotik 9y ago
good explanation but I can't help but wonder, wouldn't your immediate family's immediate family by extension also be your immediate family? at least within the same generations that your immediate family cover (aka your siblings are the immediate family of your parents and they are the same generation as you so wouldn't it make logical sense to refer to them as immediate?) not trying to cast shade on any arguments made already or anything im just legitimately curious about it from a logical perspective
- boomboomsubban 9y ago
  These are legal terms, certain people are defined as your immediate family for these forms and you can't extend it without changing law.
  - ozzmotik 9y ago
    oh right I sometimes forget just how arcane and distanced from reality legal terms can be, thanks for the clarification :)