22 CFR § 42.42 - Petitions for immediate relative or preference status.
---identifier: "/us/cfr/t22/s42.42"source: "ecfr"legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"title: "22 CFR § 42.42 - Petitions for immediate relative or preference status."title_number: 22title_name: "Foreign Relations"section_number: "42.42"section_name: "Petitions for immediate relative or preference status."chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF STATE"subchapter_number: "E"subchapter_name: "VISAS"part_number: "42"part_name: "VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED"positive_law: falsecurrency: "2026-04-05"last_updated: "2026-04-05"format_version: "1.1.0"generator: "[email protected]"authority: "8 U.S.C. 1104 and 1182; Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681; Pub. L. 108-449, 118 Stat. 3469; The Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (done at the Hague, May 29, 1993), S. Treaty Doc. 105-51 (1998), 1870 U.N.T.S. 167 (Reg. No. 31922 (1993)); 42 U.S.C. 14901-14954 (Pub. L. 106-279, 114 Stat. 825); 8 U.S.C. 1101 (Pub L. 117-31, 135 Stat. 309); 8 U.S.C. 1154 (Pub. L. 109-162, 119 Stat. 2960); 8 U.S.C. 1201 (Pub. L. 114-70, 129 Stat. 561)."regulatory_source: "52 FR 42613, Nov. 5, 1987, unless otherwise noted."cfr_part: "42"---
Identifier
/us/cfr/t22/s42.42
Currency
2026-04-05
Positive Law
No
Updated
2026-04-05
Chapter
Department of State
Authority
8 U.S.C. 1104 and 1182; Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681; Pub. L. 108-449, 118 Stat. 3469; The Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (done at the Hag... 8 U.S.C. 1104 and 1182; Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681; Pub. L. 108-449, 118 Stat. 3469; The Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (done at the Hague, May 29, 1993), S. Treaty Doc. 105-51 (1998), 1870 U.N.T.S. 167 (Reg. No. 31922 (1993)); 42 U.S.C. 14901-14954 (Pub. L. 106-279, 114 Stat. 825); 8 U.S.C. 1101 (Pub L. 117-31, 135 Stat. 309); 8 U.S.C. 1154 (Pub. L. 109-162, 119 Stat. 2960); 8 U.S.C. 1201 (Pub. L. 114-70, 129 Stat. 561).
# 42.42 Petitions for immediate relative or preference status.*Petition for immediate relative or preference status.* The consular officer may not issue a visa to an alien as an immediate relative entitled to status under 201(b), a family-sponsored immigrant entitled to preference status under 203(a)(1)-(4), or an employment-based preference immigrant entitled to status under INA 203(b)(1)-(5), unless the officer has received a petition filed and approved in accordance with INA 204 or official notification of such filing and approval.[56 FR 49682, Oct. 1, 1991]