India family green card categories: F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4

India family green card applicants may fall under F1, F2A, F2B, F3 or F4 depending on their relationship to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Each category has separate annual limits, priority dates and Visa Bulletin cutoffs.

The U.S. family-sponsored green card system divides certain relatives into preference categories known as F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4. For applicants chargeable to India, these categories can have very different Visa Bulletin cut-off dates because demand exceeds the available annual visa numbers.

What do F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4 mean?

F1 covers unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.

F2A covers spouses and children of lawful permanent residents.

F2B covers unmarried sons and daughters age 21 or older of lawful permanent residents.

F3 covers married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.

F4 covers brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.

These are family-preference categories subject to annual numerical limits.

How does the priority date work? Related: Not sure which Visa Bulletin chart matters for your family green card case? Learn the difference between Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing before comparing your priority date.

A priority date establishes an applicant’s place in the family-sponsored immigrant visa queue.

Applicants compare that date with the applicable India cut-off in the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin. A visa number can generally be authorized only when the priority date is earlier than the listed Final Action Date.

October 2026 Final Action Dates for India For the complete monthly immigration update, see our October 2026 Visa Bulletin India report covering both employment-based and family-sponsored date changes.

For October 2026, India’s family-sponsored Final Action Dates are:

F1: January 22, 2020 F2A: September 22, 2026 F2B: August 22, 2019 F3: October 22, 2014 F4: December 15, 2006

Compared with September 2026, F2A and F4 advanced, while F1, F2B and F3 remained unchanged.

Why are family green card waits different?
Readers comparing family-sponsored waiting periods with employment-based queues can also see our EB-2 India green card backlog guide for an explanation of how annual limits and priority dates affect another heavily backlogged category.

Each family preference receives a different share of the annual worldwide family-sponsored visa allocation.

For example, F2A receives 77% of the overall second-preference allocation, while F2B receives 23%. F4 has a separate annual allocation for siblings of adult U.S. citizens.

Demand and per-country limits can therefore cause one category to move faster than another.

Dates for Filing are different
Applicants can also use our Visa Bulletin Final Action Date vs Dates for Filing guide for a detailed explanation of how the two charts work.

The Visa Bulletin also publishes Dates for Filing, which can allow eligible applicants to begin parts of the application process before their Final Action Date becomes current.

For October 2026, the India Dates for Filing include F1 at February 1, 2020, F2A as current, F2B at September 1, 2019, F3 at November 1, 2014 and F4 at February 1, 2007.

Applicants in the United States should also check USCIS each month to determine which chart may be used for adjustment-of-status filing.

What Indian families should monitor

Applicants should continue tracking their priority date, preference category and the monthly Visa Bulletin. Movement can vary substantially between categories, and a filing date becoming available does not necessarily mean a green card can receive final approval.

Understanding the correct family category is therefore the first step before interpreting any Visa Bulletin date.

See more: https://www.nripage.com/articles/visa-immigration/2026/10/01/india-family-green-card-categories-f1-f2a-f2b-f3-and-f4