This is true even if your parents have overstayed their status. However, if you parents entered the United States without inspection, they will have to return to their country in order to be interviewed for green cards. In addition, they may need to get IA unlawful presence waivers. If your parents have entered the US lawfully and are currently living in the US then the process takes about 12 months once you submit:. At the same time you submit these documents, each parent should submit an I application in order for adjust their status to lawful permanent resident.
Simultaneously, they should apply for work permits EADs and international travel permits, also called advance paroles. You will need to submit an affidavit of support for each parent.
People who want to become immigrants are classified into categories based on a preference system. The immediate relatives of U. Immediate relatives of US citizens do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available once the visa petition filed for them is approved by USCIS. An immigrant visa number will become immediately available. The relatives in the remaining categories must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available according to the following preferences:.
Generally, U. US citizens can sponsor their parents, spouse, sons and daughters minors and adults, unmarried or married , and siblings. Lawful Permanent Residents can sponsor their spouse, minor children and unmarried adult sons and daughters.
There are a limited number of family-based immigrant visas available each year. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service.
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Meet the Editors. Can relatives come to the U. It depends on how the family member is related. How Long Must Relatives Wait? Spouses or children of permanent residents Second preference F2A and F2B Currently no wait in category 2A for spouses or minor children, but in the past it's typically been in anywhere from two to 22 years, depending on country of origin.
Married children of U. Brothers and sisters of U. Talk to a Lawyer Need a lawyer? Start here. When you submit your parent's Green Card application, they will receive update notices about their application at the mailing address they provided to USCIS. For both permanent resident applications filed as an adjustment of status or under consular processing, your parent will receive a Form IC confirming USCIS has received their application.
If they do this, they will send a Request for Evidence notice to the mailing address on your parents' application. At this appointment, they will have their photo and fingerprints taken. When USCIS has finished processing your parent's application, they will send notice of a date, place, and time for the Green Card interview. The interview notice includes a list of required documents to bring along. If the interview is in the U. The interview is the last step of the Green Card process. The examiner may approve your parent's Green Card application at the interview, or let you know that they need more time to make their decision.
They will contact your parent at the mailing address provided once they have made their decision. We can help you prepare and file all of the required paperwork for your Parent's Green Card application for free with our simple web app. No, a Green Card holder cannot apply for a Green Card for their parents. Only U. The only time when a Green Card holder can apply for a Green Card for an immediate relative or family member is in the case that they are applying for a Green Card for their spouse or for their unmarried children who are minors under the age of Family-based Green Card applications like the Parent Green Card application generally have a much shorter processing time than other Green Card applications.
Typically, the entire process of applying for a Green Card for your parents can take anywhere from 7 to 15 months. The USCIS service center that the petition is filed with can impact the length of the processing time, depending on the amount of backlog the service center has to work through.
You can learn more about the Green Card application timelines in our detailed filing guides. If your parent needs to leave the U.
You can find instructions on how to apply for Advance Parole in Step 6 above. However, if they forget or are unable to apply for Advance Parole, they may still be able to return under a V Non-Immigrant Visa from a consular office abroad. Your parent can work in the U. You can learn all about Work Permits here. Once your parent has received their Green Card, they would need to stay in the U.
Spending 6 months or more outside of the U. If your parent spends a year or more outside of the U. This is called an Abandonment of Residence.
There are multiple ways to check the status of your parent's Green Card application. The easiest way to check the status is online, using the USCIS case status tracker or the State Department's case status tracker , depending on how the Green Card application was filed.
If your parent filed for the Green Card from within the U. Your parent should have received this notice a few weeks after they or you filed Form I If your parent filed for the Green Card from outside the U.
The reasons for denial vary. There may also be mistakes on the Green Card application. You can find free or low-priced legal help at USA. Parent Green Card applications can be complicated, but working with a good immigration attorney can make it easier. If you can't afford the attorney fees and don't want to handle your Parent Green Card case alone, we may be able to help.
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