Immediate Relative

Immediate Relatives of U.S. citizens — spouses (IR-1/CR-1), unmarried children under 21 (IR-2), and parents (IR-5) — receive preferential treatment in U.S. immigration law: there is no annual numerical cap, so no Visa Bulletin wait. Once the I-130 is approved, they can file I-485 (if in the U.S.) or proceed to consular processing (if abroad) without waiting for a priority date to become current. This is why marriage to a U.S. citizen typically results in a green card in 10–14 months, while marriage to a permanent resident (F2A) takes 2–3 years.