Procedure for granting immigrant status

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Title 8—ALIENS AND NATIONALITY > CHAPTER 12—IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY > SUBCHAPTER II—IMMIGRATION > Part I—Selection System

This text was captured on Apr 17, 2026. It is a snapshot, not a live feed, so check the official code before relying on it.

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Except as provided in clause (viii), any citizen of the United States claiming that an alien is entitled to classification by reason of a relationship described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of section 1153(a) of this title or to an immediate relative status under section 1151(b)(2)(A)(i) of this title may file a petition with the Attorney General for such classification.

( June 27, 1952, ch. 477 , title II, ch. 1, § 204, 66 Stat. 179 ; Pub. L. 87–885, § 3 , Oct. 24, 1962 , 76 Stat. 1247 ; Pub. L. 89–236, § 4 , Oct. 3, 1965 , 79 Stat. 915 ; Pub. L. 94–571, § 7(b) , Oct. 20, 1976 , 90 Stat. 2706 ; Pub. L. 95–417 , §§ 2, 3, Oct. 5, 1978 , 92 Stat. 917 ; Pub. L. 96–470, title II, § 207 , Oct. 19, 1980 , 94 Stat. 2245 ; Pub. L. 97–116 , §§ 3, 18(d), Dec. 29, 1981 , 95 Stat. 1611 , 1620; Pub. L. 97–359 , Oct. 22, 1982 , 96 Stat. 1716 ; Pub. L. 99–639 , §§ 2(c), 4(a), 5(b), Nov. 10, 1986 , 100 Stat. 3541 , 3543; Pub. L. 100–525, § 9(g) , Oct. 24, 1988 , 102 Stat. 2620 ; Pub. L. 101–649, title I, § 162(b) , title VII, § 702(b), Nov. 29, 1990 , 104 Stat. 5010 , 5086; Pub. L. 102–232, title III , §§ 302(e)(4), (5), 308(b), 309(b)(5), Dec. 12, 1991 , 105 Stat. 1745 , 1746, 1757, 1758; Pub. L. 103–322, title IV, § 40701(a) , (b)(1), (c), Sept. 13, 1994 , 108 Stat. 1953 , 1954; Pub. L. 103–416, title II, § 219(b)(2) , Oct. 25, 1994 , 108 Stat. 4316 ; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(e)(1)(A) , (f)(2)(A), title VI, § 624(b), Sept. 30, 1996 , 110 Stat. 3009–619 , 3009–621, 3009–699; Pub. L. 106–279, title III, § 302(b) , Oct. 6, 2000 , 114 Stat. 839 ; Pub. L. 106–313, title I, § 106(c)(1) , Oct. 17, 2000 , 114 Stat. 1254 ; Pub. L. 106–386, div. B, title V , §§ 1503(b)–(d), 1507(a)(1), (2), (b), Oct. 28, 2000 , 114 Stat. 1518–1521 , 1529, 1530; Pub. L. 107–208 , §§ 6, 7, Aug. 6, 2002 , 116 Stat. 929 ; Pub. L. 109–162, title VIII , §§ 805(a),(c), 814(b),(e), 816, Jan. 5, 2006 , 119 Stat. 3056 , 3059, 3060; Pub. L. 109–248, title IV, § 402(a) , July 27, 2006 , 120 Stat. 622 ; Pub. L. 109–271, § 6(a) , Aug. 12, 2006 , 120 Stat. 762 ; Pub. L. 111–83, title V, § 568(d)(1) , Oct. 28, 2009 , 123 Stat. 2187 ; Pub. L. 113–4, title VIII, § 803 , Mar. 7, 2013 , 127 Stat. 111 ; Pub. L. 113–6, div. D, title V, § 563 , Mar. 26, 2013 , 127 Stat. 380 ; Pub. L. 117–103, div. BB, § 105(a) , Mar. 15, 2022 , 136 Stat. 1103 .)

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