Have you ever wondered who you can petition to bring your loved ones to live with you in the United States? Don't worry, we're here to answer those questions and guide you through the different family petition options!
First you need to understand this:
| American Citizens | Permanent Residents |
| American citizens have visas UNLIMITED for their immediate family members. | Permanent Residents have visas LIMITED for their immediate family members.* |
| Immediate family members: - Spouse. – Civil or biological parents, – Stepfather for those who married the biological father of the citizen before the American citizen turned 18. (Only applies to stepfathers or until the child turns 18 years old). – Unmarried biological or civil children under 21 years of age. | Immediate family members. – Single children under 21 years of age. - Spouse. NOTE: Having accumulated irregular presence makes you inadmissible for applying for Permanent Resident status. |
| Non-immediate relatives: (Only applies to citizens) - Siblings. – Married children. | *If the visa is not listed in the visa bulletin, it cannot be requested. Adjustment of Status, which is done within the United States, cannot be requested if there is a backlog in the visa bulletin. |
Now that we have that information clear, I'm going to tell you about the different family requests:
Request for Parents:
If you are a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old, you can apply for permanent residence (Green Card) for your parents (mother or father).
Please note that permanent residents cannot make this request.
Marriage Proposal:
Both citizens and residents can apply to marry their partner.
In the case of citizens, couples will be able to adjust their status (within the USA) or go through consular processing (outside the USA) without any problem.
Meanwhile, resident couples will have to choose whether to adjust their status or go through consular processing, depending on the waiting list.
Petition for Children:
Both U.S. citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their children to live and work in the United States as permanent residents.
Remember that children of residents must be under 21 years of age.
Children's Request:
To bring your sibling to live in the USA and become a permanent resident, you must be a US citizen and over 21 years of age.
Note: Permanent Residents cannot petition for siblings to be beneficiaries of the Green Card.
Parents' Request:
If you are a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old, you can apply for permanent residency (Green Card) for your parents.
Please note that permanent residents cannot make this request.
This is the perfect opportunity to get the family together. Ready to get started?