Introduction
The lives of families from many backgrounds and cultures are very complicated and often frustrating due to the strict U.S. immigration laws. These families include parents, children, brothers and sisters who are striving to reach their potential and build a better life for themselves. At the core of these families is the principal immigrant. He or she is the anchor immigrant who is able to use his or her immigration status to bring other family members to live in the United States. The term and the role and challenges of the principal immigrant are explored below in order to create a better understanding of how this individual is able to build a future for himself or herself and his or her family.
Define Principal Immigrant: A Clear Explanation
U.S. immigration law is often confusing and intimidating to individuals from all over the world trying to make their way to the United States to seek better opportunities for themselves and their families. There is typically a main applicant referred to as the primary immigrant. The primary immigrant and their immediate family could also have other relatives that would be able to move to the U.S. with the primary immigrant should they choose to do so and meet requirements for moving to the U.S.
Recently, the USCIS issued a policy memorandum dated May 21, 2026, outlining how USCIS will go about determining admissibility under current immigration laws. The immigration lawyers at our office have extensive knowledge regarding all types of US residency. Our experience can help open many doors of opportunity for you and your loved ones.
Our staff can assist you in preparing the petition for a visa as well as in filling out the application for a green card or in removal proceedings defending your deportation. As a way of giving back to the community, the lawyers at Morley Law Firm host free legal clinics as well as attend various events within the community to empower families with information regarding their rights.
The lawyers at Morley Law Firm are a bilingual staff that is proficient in both English and Spanish and are able to assist clients with any US residency or immigration needs. We offer free initial consultations. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to go over your case.
Understand the Importance of the Principal Immigrant Role
As the principal immigrant for your family-based visa case, you are the main applicant for your household’s residency and reunification in the United States and will be required to complete the requirements for approval for a Green Card. Principal immigrants include:
- Parents of Adult U.S. Citizens
- Spouses and children of U.S. citizens and permanent residents
- Siblings of U.S. citizens
As the main applicant, you are the linchpin that holds your entire family together. Once you have been approved and have completed the requirements for approval, your spouse, children, and other qualifying relatives can join you in the U.S. as lawful permanent residents.
This person is important to more than one family. As their family member joins the principal immigrant, the principal immigrant’s household grows in size. The success of the principal immigrant in bringing their household members to join them in the U.S. will also contribute to the strengthening of the community and the integration of the culture to society as a whole. The success of the principal immigrant in bringing their household members to join them in the U.S. will also serve as an example to other relatives of the principal immigrant who are waiting to join the principal immigrant in the U.S. to immigrate to the U.S.
This family member has also the responsibility to financially support his/her relatives by signing the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). As of FY 2024, 49% of the total green cards issued were to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. These individuals are considered the principal immigrant in the U.S. immigration process of household member’s residency.
Many countries have a high demand for immigrant visas, particularly from high-population countries such as Mexico and China. Because of the per-country limits on preference-based immigrants, these applicants face extreme backlogs. Here at Vasquez Law Firm, we are effective advocates for families in such situations and have processed cases with a 97% success rate over the last 30+ years. Our large staff of bilingual attorneys and staff are able to serve the Hispanic community and help your family through the residency process of your principal immigrant. We have free initial consultations and work with our clients to establish a payment plan that fits within their budget.
In addition to the 30 years of experience and a 97% success rate that Vasquez Law Firm brings to the processing of its immigration cases, the commitment of the staff to the Hispanic community is provided in three languages: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. There is no charge for the initial consultation, which can be scheduled at the client’s earliest convenience. We strive to keep our clients informed of all steps in the process and it is our intent to work with the client to develop a payment plan that best fits within the client’s budget. There is new life awaiting you and your family in the U.S. and with the correct immigration help for your situation, we can help you overcome the obstacles and enjoy the life you so rightfully deserve. The quote above from Senator Mazie Hirono of yesterday is also very relevant. Enacting the Reuniting Families Act would represent an “overdue and essential step to address the backlogs and inefficiencies within our current family-based system that keeps families apart.”
Identify Key Characteristics of a Principal Immigrant
Just because you are aware of the different visa categories and actually qualify for one, doesn’t mean you’ll be 100% aware of the requirements and steps of your application and of gathering the documents in order to prove the identity of the applicant as well as of the financial support for such applicant in order to pass the background checks required.
In cases in which the Principal Immigrant is a close family member of a U.S. citizen, such family members constitute the major share of new lawful permanent residents of the U.S., accounting for more than 40% of new residents in any given year.
In FY2016 that number was 804,793 new family-based immigrants with the Principal Immigrant being a significant percentage of them.
Children of principal immigrants are worried that their “derivative” status will cause them to “age out” before their parent’s petition can clear processing and render them and their parent ineligible for residency while the child is still young. That concern was eased somewhat when Congress passed the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA).
Nonetheless for individuals with U.S. citizen family members and for others eligible for many different types of visas, nothing is more important than being able to bring their families with them when they move to the U.S. and we’re here to help you do just that.
Explore Examples of Principal Immigrants in Practice
Reuniting with family and loved ones from other countries can be a long and difficult journey for Newcomers. Not only do they hope to provide support to their families back home, Newcomers are also valuable contributors to the community here in the U.S.
A U.S. citizen’s foreign spouse will generally be the primary beneficiary and receive the greatest benefit from the family-based migration process. An employee who is relocated to work in the U.S. by his or her employer will generally be the primary foreign national and enter the U.S. for work under the employment-based immigration laws. Similarly, a parent seeking to bring his or her children to live in the U.S. with him or her will be the primary foreign national seeking family-based migration for his or her children.
The immigrant described in the story of Ana, a young Guatemalan woman fleeing violence in her home country and enduring much in her journey to the U.S. as well as much in her grueling efforts to achieve her immigration goals in the U.S., will serve as a principal immigrant in order to help join her family here in the U.S. as well as to bring value to the U.S. economy.
At Vasquez Law Firm, we have been assisting individuals from all over the world in reaching their U.S. immigration goals for over 30 years with a 98% success rate in both the immigration law and personal injury law that we practice. Our affordable immigration law services are available to pay as you go, or on a flat fee basis that will fit within your budget.
We have experience handling each type of immigration case, and our bilingual staff at the Vasquez Law Firm is here to service all of your immigration law needs in both English and Spanish so that you don’t have to suffer through the grueling process of the U.S. immigration system. Our team at Vasquez Law Firm would be happy to assist you as well in reaching your goals and returning to be reunited with your loved ones here in the U.S.
Conclusion
Understanding the nuances and complexities of the US Immigration Laws can be very challenging and frustrating. Most of the challenges that exist around trying to reunite with loved ones pertain to the primary immigrant and the processes that must exist so that family members of the primary immigrant can immigrate to the United States to help strengthen our communities, bring their cultures and contributions to the US economy while being with their loved ones.
Vasquez Law Firm is well qualified to handle the issues that families of principal immigrants encounter. With years of experience, skill, and compassion, our immigration lawyers are well equipped to help the families of principal immigrants through the often difficult process of seeking immigration to the US. Our small firm provides each client the special attention that their case requires. We are able to assist clients with matters concerning US immigration in English and in Spanish. We have several different payment options available for our immigration services including a payment plan and can work with potential clients on special terms and circumstances in order to assist them in paying for their needed services.
Many principal immigrants and their immediate family members face several challenges in the process of seeking family members’ admission to the US to join their family here in the US to strengthen our communities by bringing their cultures, skills, experience and contributions to the US economy and to the US work force to boost our economy as well. At Vasquez Law Firm, we are well equipped to handle and assist all families of principal immigrants through highly experienced, aggressively and professionally and compassionately practicing US Immigration Attorneys. Our Firm is a small Firm, thus, we are able to give each case the individualized attention that each case requires. Our bilingual staff will be able to service all clients’ needs in regards to seeking and obtaining immigration to the US in the two languages we speak, English and Spanish. We are also able to set up a payment plan, thus, we are able to assist all those clients who are not able to pay the entire fee at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a principal immigrant?
A principal immigrant is the main applicant in a U.S. immigration process, typically seeking better opportunities for themselves and their family.
Can family members move to the U.S. with the principal immigrant?
Yes, the principal immigrant's immediate family members may also be eligible to move to the U.S. if they meet the necessary requirements.
What recent policy change affects principal immigrants?
The USCIS issued a policy memorandum on May 21, 2026, outlining how it will determine admissibility under current immigration laws.
How can immigration lawyers assist principal immigrants?
Immigration lawyers can help prepare visa petitions, fill out green card applications, and defend against deportation in removal proceedings.
Does the Morley Law Firm offer community support?
Yes, the lawyers at Morley Law Firm host free legal clinics and participate in community events to empower families with information about their rights.
Are the lawyers at Morley Law Firm bilingual?
Yes, the staff at Morley Law Firm is proficient in both English and Spanish, allowing them to assist clients with various U.S. residency and immigration needs.
Is there a cost for initial consultations at Morley Law Firm?
Yes, Morley Law Firm offers free initial consultations for clients seeking assistance with immigration matters.
List of Sources
- Define Principal Immigrant: A Clear Explanation
- New USCIS Memo May Force More Green Card Applicants to Apply from Abroad, Causing Chaos and Confusion - American Immigration Council (https://americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/green-card-news-uscis-memo)
- Principal Applicant and Derivative Applicant Defined (https://hackinglawpractice.com/who-is-principal-applicant-and-derivative-applicant)
- Principal Immigrant - Definition & Examples (https://bwea.com/principal-immigrant)
- Understand the Importance of the Principal Immigrant Role
- Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States (https://migrationpolicy.org/journal/spotlight/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states)
- U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy (https://congress.gov/crs-product/R43145)
- Family Reunification Is the Bedrock of U.S. Immigration Policy (https://americanprogress.org/article/family-reunification-bedrock-u-s-immigration-policy)
- Reuniting Families Act of 2024: Bill Summary - National Immigration Forum (https://forumtogether.org/article/reuniting-families-act-of-2024)
- Read (https://nationalacademies.org/read/4942/chapter/7)
- Identify Key Characteristics of a Principal Immigrant
- Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States (https://migrationpolicy.org/journal/spotlight/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states)
- Lawful Permanent Residents Annual Flow Reports (https://ohss.dhs.gov/topics/immigration/lawful-permanent-residents/annual-flow-report)
- U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy (https://congress.gov/crs-product/R43145)
- Principal Applicant and Derivative Applicant Defined (https://hackinglawpractice.com/who-is-principal-applicant-and-derivative-applicant)
- Principal Immigrant - Definition & Examples (https://bwea.com/principal-immigrant/amp)
- Explore Examples of Principal Immigrants in Practice
- 10 Stories from Immigrants Seeking Safety in the United States (https://vera.org/news/10-stories-from-immigrants-seeking-safety-in-the-united-states)
- Family-Based Immigration Backlogs: 5 Things to Know - Fwd.us (https://fwd.us/news/family-based-immigration-backlogs)
- U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy (https://congress.gov/crs-product/R43145)
- Fact Sheet: Family-Based Immigration - National Immigration Forum (https://forumtogether.org/article/fact-sheet-family-based-immigration)
