U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to sponsor their family relatives for a U.S. green card. U.S. citizens can sponsor their spouse, unmarried children under 21 years of age, parents and/or siblings; while U.S. green card holders may only sponsor their spouse or their unmarried children under 21 years of age.
To start the process the U.S. citizen or permanent resident looking to sponsor their relative will need to file Form I-130 Petition for Family Relative. The process will be different if the relative is inside or outside of the United States.
Steps for applying for a Family-based Green card if your relative is inside the United States:
- File Form I-130 Petition for Family Relative, providing all supporting documents in order to prove your relationship with your relative
- If the petition is approved, your relative will need to file Form I-485 application to adjust his or her status to permanent resident.
- If the application is approved, your relative will need to attend an interview at the USCIS.
- If all goes well, your relative will become a permanent resident and receive a U.S. green card.
Steps for applying for a Family-based Green card if your relative is outside the United States:
- File Form I-130 Petition for Family Relative, providing all supporting documents in order to prove your relationship with your relative
- If the petition becomes current (or is likely to become current), the National Visa Center (NVC) will start gathering fees and other supporting documentation if needed.
- Once the NVC approves your petition, your relative will continue the application process through consular processing.
- If all goes well, your relative will be able to move to the United States as permanent resident and have a U.S. green card.
You can read more about what happens after the Form I-130 is approved here.
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