A Guide on how to Get a Green Cards for Your Parents

If you are a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old, you can help your parents (or parent) obtain a Green Card. It allows people who are not U.S. citizens to gain permanent residency in the United States. Each year the U.S. government issues thousands of Green Cards, most of them going to family members of U.S. citizens. The Green Card does not make the receiver a U.S. citizen but allows permanent residency in the United States.

Form 1-130

The first step toward permanent residency status is filing Form 1-130 Petition for Alien Relative. It states your relationship with your parents (or parent) and requests a visa to be granted. By acknowledging Form 1-130, the U. S. government acknowledges the family relationship and approves a ticket.

The parents of U.S. citizens are recognized as immediate relatives. According to U.S. immigration law, the favorable classification means few – if any – limits on obtaining a Green Card. Other categories may mean a several years wait to get a visa number, and there are restrictions on the number of people allowed to enter the United States in any given year.

Proof of Relationship

The reason for filing Form 1-139 is to establish the relationship between the petitioner (the U.S. citizen) and the beneficiary (the parent). That is accomplished by showing evidence of a good connection between the two. The requirements vary according to the specific type of relationship. As a U.S. citizen and filer, when you submit Form 1-130, you must also present evidence of your claim with supporting documents, which will differ according to the relationship.

You will need a birth certificate showing your name and your mother’s name if you are trying to obtain a green card for your mother. If you are applying for your father’s residency, you will need a birth certificate showing your name and the names of both parents. If you were born out of wedlock and not legitimized by your father before you were 18, you will need a birth certificate with your name and your father’s name. Copy of your Certificate of Naturalization or U.S. passport if you were not born in the U.S.

After the Green Card

After your parent obtains a Green Card, they now have permanent residency in the United States. However, the permanent residence does not turn the parent into a U.S. citizen. The Green Card is simply a recognition of permanent residence. Before permanent residency is approved, the parent must show that they are not “inadmissible.” That means they must pass a medical exam to show that the applicant does not present a public health risk and that they have some way to support them, such as your income or assets. Also, their immigration history will be reviewed to answer any violations.

After it is approved, permanent residency can be obtained in one of these ways:

* For the parent living outside the United States, they must start the Green Card application process known as Consular Processing.
* For the parent living in the United States, they may fileForm 1-485, known as the Application to Adjust Status.

These rules can give you the documentation necessary to get your parents a green card.