Last Updated on March 29, 2022 by Visa Journal
If You are looking towards getting a USA green card for parents, stop right here. You will get all the information about the application process, eligibility, and other facets of the process here. If you are a non-U.S. national wanting to move your parents from your home country to the U.S., you can definitely do so. If you are 21 years or old or more, you can apply green card for parents.
The Green card is an immigrant visa that makes the parents of U.S. citizens lawful and permanent residents of the U.S. There are numerous parent Green cards issued in the U.S. every year. The application process takes about a year. This article explains all the facets of green card for parents of us citizen.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
- Any U.S. citizen who is 21 years and above can apply for a green card for their parents. However, you have to show that they or you have sufficient income and can support them in a foreign land.
- Your parents need to be ‘admissible’ to the U.S. They may be inadmissible on various accounts, like having criminal cases lodged in their name or having any mental or physical diseases, which may be detrimental to U.S. society.
How To Apply for Green Card for Parents of Us Citizen?
- You have to fill out Form I-130, also called the Petition for Alien Relative. It is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Through this application, you have to prove that you are a U.S. citizen and that you are applying for your own parents.
- While applying for the green card, you need to include your U.S. passport copy, naturalization certificate, proof of citizenship, as well as your birth certificate. You need to submit two separate I-130 petitions for each one of your parents.
- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will forward the file to the U.S. Consulate to your parent’s residential country on getting approval. The consulate will then communicate with your parents regarding the next course of action.
- You also need to submit an Affidavit of Support, to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, through form I-864. The consulate will call your parents for the interview, after which the visa will be approved. With the said visa, your parents can enter the United States.
- As a part of the process, you also have to file a Form G-325A. It will be used by the authorities to determine your eligibility for the residency consideration.
- A medical examination is also part of the process. Form I-693, apart from being used to file the Adjustment of Status, is also used to report medical test results. The doctor charges are to be borne by you.
What Is the USA Green Card Process If Parents Are Already in The U.S.?
If your parents are in the U.S. for any reason, then you can get their ‘Status adjusted.’ If you have brought your parents to the U.S. illegally; check with an attorney for the next course of action. Under such circumstances, your parents will be considered ‘inadmissible’ to the U.S. If they stay on a temporary visa, you can directly apply for permanent residency through I-485. But tourist visas do not count here and can lead to the green card application getting cancelled.
Sponsoring parents for green card is a hassle-free process if your parents are admissible from all avenues.
What is the processing time?
The green card for parents processing time can range from 7 to 15 months. The parents get a green card within a year, under most circumstances. It falls under the family-based green card category.
What is the Fee for Green Card Processing?
The Green card petition application fee is $420 USD.
What Documents are Required?
When you apply for a Green Card for your parents, you will be required to submit certain documents as well.
Mother:
- The required documents for your mother include Form I-130, a copy of your birth certificate with your mother’s name on it.
- A copy of your Naturalization certificate or the U.S. passport if you were not born in the states.
Father:
- The required documents for your father include Form I-130, a copy of your birth certificate with both the parent’s names on it.
- A copy of your Naturalization certificate or the U.S. passport, if you were not born in the states
- A copy of your parent’s legal marriage certificate.
If you were born out of wedlock, then you have to show necessary proof of your relationship with your father. It may be in the form of witness or circumstantial evidence of a loving bond between you and proof stating that you were legitimated before turning 18 years.
When you are sponsoring parents for green card, these are the most important things to consider.
Related Article: What is Green Card USA?