For whom is a visa always immediately available when an approved Form I-130 is filed?

A visa is always immediately available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens upon filing an approved Form I-130. Immediate relatives include spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of U.S. citizens. The key factor here is that there are no numerical limits or annual quotas imposed on visas for immediate relatives, which distinguishes them from other categories of family members and applicants.

For example, while spouses of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) may be eligible for a visa, they are subject to annual limits and must wait for a visa number to become available based on their priority date. Similarly, extended family members do not fall into immediate relative status and also face numerical limits and longer wait times for visa availability. Employment-based applicants may have their own set of requirements and quotas as well, which can lead to delays depending on the category they fall into.

Hence, the classification as "immediate relatives" is crucial in understanding why visas in this category are instantly available without the constraints that affect other immigrant categories.