HELPING YOUR RELATIVE GET A GREEN CARD

Being a citizen or permanent resident of the United States has many advantages. One of the most important ones for those who wish to bring their families into the U.S. is to help a foreign relative obtain a Green Card. To sponsor your family member, you must prove that your income or assets are enough to support them when they come to the United States. To establish your relationship with the relative you wish to sponsor, you must fill out Form I-130.

If your foreign relative lives abroad, Form I-130 must be filed. Evidence of your U.S. citizenship or permanent residence and evidence proving your relationship to the person you wish to sponsor must also be submitted. While immediate relatives do not have to wait for their petitions to be processed, extended family members sometimes wait several years. When a visa number is issued for your family member, the U.S. Department of State will contact your relative and invite them to apply for an immigrant visa. Your relative should not enter the U.S. before this process is complete.

If your relative is legally in the United States, they may file Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, as well as Form I-130, which should speed up the process.

WHO CAN BE SPONSORED USING FORM I-130?

Evidence of your relationship with the relative must be provided, and each individual should file their own form.

You mut file a separate Form I-130 for each eligible relative, unless they can be considered a derivative beneficiary.

If you submit a petition for you spouse, you must submit form I-130, Supplemental information for Spouse Beneficiary.

You must prove you can support your relatives financially when they come into the U.S. Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, must also be filed when the time comes for your relative to immigrate. The form confirms that you can financially maintain your family member when they arrive in the U.S. If you cannot meet financial criteria, you must find other individuals to do so.