US Green Card holders can sponsor spouses in Jamaica, lawyer explains

A United States lawful permanent resident can file an immigration petition for a spouse living in Jamaica, immigration attorney Dahlia A. Walker-Huntington has confirmed in a published advice column. The answer matters for Jamaican families waiting on family-based immigrant visas, where processing times can stretch over years.

Key facts

• Spouses and minor children of a US permanent resident fall in the F2A preference category
• The Department of State Visa Bulletin for October 2026 shows visas available for F2A priority dates of 22 September 2026
• Adult sons and daughters over 21 are in the F2B category, with visa availability shown at 22 August 2019
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing times run from years to when the Department of State says visas are available

Who can a permanent resident petition for?

A Green Card holder can file a petition for their spouse, unmarried sons and daughters, and minor children to migrate to the United States. Spouses and minor children are placed in the F2A preference category, while adult sons and daughters over 21 years old fall under F2B.

How long does it take?

Walker-Huntington notes that USCIS lists processing times ranging from years to the point when the Department of State says visas are available, creating confusion and uncertainty for people in these preference categories. The USCIS receipt notice indicates where the file sits — the National Benefits Center, a service center or a field office — and that location dictates how long USCIS will take to process and approve the petition before it goes to the Department of State for visa processing.

What else is being screened?

The current US administration has begun processing immigrant visas again, but with an added layer of screening for public charge admissibility. Anyone intending to migrate must, in addition to a qualified Affidavit of Support from their sponsor and joint sponsor where applicable, demonstrate that the intending immigrant can support themselves in the United States.

Areas examined include, but are not limited to, education, past employment, skills, available funds, assets and business ownership. Walker-Huntington says every case is different and requires deep analysis and secured evidence to ensure the immigrant visa is issued, even where the petition qualified with the Affidavit of Support. Both are necessary, and one does not replace the other.

What this means for travellers

Jamaicans being sponsored by a US permanent resident relative should note their preference category and priority date against the Department of State Visa Bulletin, and be prepared for the additional public charge screening at the immigrant visa stage.

The advice was given by Dahlia A. Walker-Huntington, a Jamaican-American attorney who practises immigration law in the United States and family, criminal and international law in Florida.