The Immediate Relatives of a U.S. Citizen and Green Card Application
for U.S. Citizen's Parents

1. The Immediate Relatives of a U.S. Citizen

Parents of U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for permanent resident status as immediate relatives, but only if the citizen is 21 years older. One thing to point out is that the father-in-law and mother-in-law of a U.S. citizen are not "parents" of the U.S. citizen for immigration purposes. 

Immediate relatives may immigrate to the United States on a family based petition. This is the most attractive category, since there is no limitation to the number of immigrants who may qualify under this category and, in most cases, visa numbers are immediately available for these individuals to apply for lawful permanent residence. Immediate relatives include spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens. 

Immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen can immigrate to the United States without being subject to any numerical restrictions. This means there is no visa quota allowed under the immediate relative category, unlike other close family members of U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen can apply for U.S. permanent resident status without any waiting time. 

2. The Eligibility to Sponsor a Relative to Immigrate to the United States

To be eligible to sponsor a relative to immigrate to the United States, you must meet the following criteria:

3. Bring Parent to Live in the United States

A United States citizen who is at least 21 years old can petition for or “sponsor” his or her parent to live permanently in the U.S., and there is no annual visa number limit for a U.S. citizen's parent immigration. As a U.S. Citizen, you can petition for:

 

 

 

 


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