{"data":{"id":"us/22-cfr-42.42","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"22 CFR 42.42","heading":"Petitions for immediate relative or preference status.","body":"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.","path":["Title 22—Foreign Relations","CHAPTER I—DEPARTMENT OF STATE","SUBCHAPTER E—VISAS","PART 42—VISAS: DOCUMENTATION OF IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED","Subpart E—Petitions"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-22.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:24:49Z","sha256":"5bb0b1c5dc9afc054e6fc7303d53e678a61e0e66c431f3a1300f7e47ede3bdf8","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/22-cfr-42.41","next":"us/22-cfr-42.43"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}