How to Get a Green Card for Your Parents

Want to bring your parents to the U.S.? Start your parent’s green card petition now!

Start

What is a Green Card for Parents?

A green card for parents is a permanent resident card that allows parents of U.S. citizens to live and work permanently in the U.S. Obtaining a green card for your parents comes with a host of benefits including the ability to live permanently in the United States (with no expiration date), the ability to seek employment with work authorization, access to social benefits, travel flexibility, and more.

Requirements to Sponsor Parents’ Green Card

To sponsor a green card for parents, you must meet certain criteria:

• You must have proof of U.S. citizenship
• You must be at least 21 years old
• You must be able to demonstrate a qualifying relationship. In other words, show that you are the child of your parents.
• You must file the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative and then demonstrate that you can support them at 125% over the poverty line. It is important to familiarize yourself with the Poverty Guidelines from USCIS.

This is important to keep in mind because by petitioning for your parents’ green card, you assume financial responsibility for supporting them.

How to Apply to Sponsor Parents for A Green Card

The application process to apply for a green card for parents is as follows:

Step 1: File Form I-130

To obtain a green card for your parents, you must first, as the sponsoring U.S. citizen, file a Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130, with USCIS.

• This form establishes your qualifying relationship with each parent and initiates the immigration process.
• If you are sponsoring both parents, you must file a separate Form I-130 for each parent.
• Along with the form, you’ll need to submit supporting documents such as proof of your U.S. citizenship (birth certificate or passport), your birth certificate to prove the parent-child relationship, and a filing fee.

If you are looking to bring your parents to the U.S., then we can help you make the process easy and fast. Start your family’s green card journey now!

Step 2: Submit the Petition Filing Fee

After you have filed Form I-130 for each parent—one form for the mother and one for the father—you submit the petition filing fee of $625. This fee cannot be waived and it is non-refundable, even if USCIS takes action on the petition. You can pay for the fee by personal check, cashier’s check, and money order. For credit card payments, a separate Form G-1450 must be submitted in your application.

It is crucial to learn about the fees associated with filing a parent’s green card. Also note that according to USCIS, “The filing or approval of this petition does not give your relative any immigration status or benefit.”  Comparatively speaking, the process for getting a green card for siblings of U.S. citizens is 17-73 years (depending on the home country). There are lengthy waits for those from India, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Step 3: File Form I-485 or DS-260

If your parents are inside the U.S. on a valid nonimmigrant status, you will then proceed with filing the I-485, which allows them to adjust their current visa status. This can be filed concurrently with the I-130. When the I-485 finishes processing, even if this occurs before the I-130, your parent will receive their green card.

If your parents are outside the U.S., USCIS will forward your case to the Department of State for NVC Consular Processing. The National Visa Center (NVC) will contact you with instructions before you can submit the DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Application). The DS-260 collects biographic and background information on the parent to determine visa eligibility. Once the form is submitted, the case is forwarded to the U.S. consulate or embassy in your parents’ home country, and then they are scheduled for a visa interview.

For both of these applications, parents must attend a biometrics appointment, attend a medical exam, and have proof of their biographical documents.

**There are no green card annual limits for spouses, parents, and minor children.

Simple and Fast Parent Green Cards

Start

Green Card Benefits

The benefits granted to parents once they receive their visa are:

1) Permanent residency and unlimited stay in the U.S.;

2) Work authorization;

3) Access to social services and benefits;

4) Travel flexibility;

5) Pathway to citizenship (naturalization);

6) Educational opportunities; and

7) Easier access to inheritance and property ownership.

Green Card Processing Times for Parents

The processing time for an IR5 Visa for parents if they are in the U.S. on a legal non-immigrant status ranges between 8-14 months. If the parent is living abroad, then the application has to undergo consular processing, which can range between 14-20 months.

Currently, the processing time for green cards for parents is faster than that of other categories because parents are considered immediate relatives. Many of the interviews for parents are being waived at the moment; however, scheduling biometrics and the backlogs of the parents’ respective countries can affect the processing time of their green card. You can always check the status of your case’s processing time for your specific situation.

The I-130 processing time for an immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen—such as a spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent residing abroad— is 8-14 months. This depends on which service center or field office is processing the application.

Apply Now

What if your parents are already in the United States? If that’s the case, your process would be to file an I-130 and an Adjustment of Status (I-485) at the same time.

Parent Visa Documents Checklist

You will need to provide some documents when submitting the forms for your parents’ green card application:

All documents not written in English or in the official language of the country from which you are applying must be accompanied by certified translations. There are numerous forms and documents to submit when sponsoring a green card for your parents. Mistakes can be very costly as they add additional wait time.

Need experienced help? For no extra fees, your VisaNation Select application is reviewed by an immigration attorney and checked for accuracy. Start your application today!

If the case is approved, your parent will be informed and will need to go to a green card interview at the closest U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions:

Can a green card holder sponsor parents?

Yes, a green card holder can sponsor their parents for a green card. See the requirements in the chart above.

What family members can a green card holder sponsor?

A green card holder can sponsor their spouse and unmarried children under 21 for a green card.

Can green card holder parents sponsor their child over 21?

Green card holder parents can sponsor their unmarried child over 21 for a green card, but the process can take a long time.

Can my parents stay in the US while waiting for a green card?

Generally, parents cannot stay in the U.S. while waiting for a green card unless they have a separate visa that allows them to stay legally.

Along with the interview, your parents need to pass a medical exam. If approved, they will be granted a green card (mailed to U.S. address) and once they arrive to the United States, they will receive a stamp in their passport at the port of entry showing they’ve been allowed to enter as lawful permanent residents. They’ll also have to pass an inspection with a Customs and Border Protection agent who will go through their paperwork. As you can see, the green card for parents timeline has changed pretty significantly and processing times have gone up and likely will continue to go up in the time ahead.

Check out this Ultimate Parent Green Card Guide!