F3 F4 Family Sponsorship Wait Time Cut: New Senate Bill Ends Parent & Sibling Green Card Petitions

A newly introduced Senate bill is proposing sweeping changes to the US green card system by eliminating the F3 (married sons and daughters of US citizens) and F4 (siblings of US citizens) family preference categories. If passed, the legislation would end the ability of US citizens to petition for green cards for their parents and siblings — categories that currently account for tens of thousands of immigrant visas annually. Proponents of the bill argue that the move would shift the US immigration system toward a more merit-based and skills-focused framework, aligning it with models used in countries like Canada and Australia. Critics, however, warn that eliminating family-based pathways would separate families and disproportionately impact communities from countries with large immigrant populations. For EB-3 employment-based applicants, the potential reallocation of visa numbers previously reserved for F3 and F4 categories could have a meaningful downstream effect. If family preference visas go unused or are redistributed, employment-based categories including EB-3 could see increased annual visa availability, potentially accelerating priority date movement for backlogs affecting applicants from India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines. The bill remains in early legislative stages, and its passage is far from certain given the politically sensitive nature of family reunification immigration. Stakeholders and immigration attorneys are closely monitoring its progress through committee. EB-3 applicants are advised to track visa bulletin updates and consult with legal counsel regarding how potential legislative changes may affect their cases.