You may now live in the United States and you are a green card holder now and then you have a plan to bring your family who live outside the United States to be able to live together with you. You also want them to be permanent residents. Is it possible for you as a green card holder to sponsor a family member?
Sponsoring a Family Member by a Green Card Holder
As a green card holder, you are able to petition for certain family members so that they are able to immigrate to the United States as permanent residents. However, they are only limited to some family members including spouse (wife or husband), unmarried son or daughter of any age, and unmarried children under 21 years old.
Who Can Sponsor Who
In the list below, you are able to see who can sponsor who.
- If you are a U.S. citizen who is 21 years old or older, you are able to petition your parents. The category of immigrant is immediate relative.
- If you are a U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old, you are able to petition your spouse where the category of immigrant is immediate relative.
- If you are a U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old, you are permitted to petition for minor, unmarried children where the immigrant’s category is immediate relative.
- If you are a U.S. citizen, you are allowed to petition married children or adult children. The immigrant’s category is preference relative where it can be 1st or 3rd preference.
- If you are a U.S. citizen who is 21 years old, you are allowed to petition your brothers and sisters. The immigrant’s category is preference relative where it is 4th preference.
- If you are a U.S. permanent resident, you are permitted to petition unmarried children where the immigrant’s category is preference relative (2nd preference – 2A or 2B).
- If you are a U.S. permanent resident, you can petition your spouse where the immigrant’s category is preference relative (2nd preference).
The Guide of Preference Categories
If you want to petition your relative, here are the preference categories that apply that you need to know.
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First preference
They are unmarried, adult daughters and sons of U.S. citizens where they are 21 years old or older.
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Second preference (2A)
They are unmarried children who are under 21 years old of permanent residents and spouses of green card holders.
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Second preference (2B)
They are unmarried adult daughters and sons of permanent residents.
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Third preference
They are married daughters and sons of any age of U.S. citizens.
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Fourth preference
They are brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.
Obtaining a Green Card for Your Family Member
The thing that you have to do to obtain a green card for your family member is to file Form I-130 where it is a petition for alien relatives. You also have to provide proof of your status where it is done to show that you are a permanent resident. And then, you need to submit evidence of the qualifying relationship such as marriage certificate, a birth certificate, divorce decree, etc. And also, you need to submit proof of any legal name change for you or the member of your family.
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