Who can file?
•U.S. citizens who want to establish their relationship to specific immediate family members.•U.S. citizens who want to sponsor a foreign spouse.
•U.S. citizens who want to sponsor an unmarried child under the age of 21.
•U.S. citizens who want to sponsor an adopted child under the age of 18.
•U.S. citizens who want to sponsor a stepchild, if the marriage creating the parent-child relationship took place before the child's 18th birthday.
•U.S. citizens over the age of 21 who want to sponsor a parent or stepparent.
•U.S. citizens over the age of 21 who want to sponsor a brother or sister.
•Lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) who want to sponsor a foreign spouse.
•Lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) who want to sponsor an unmarried child or stepchild of any age.
•Spouses, unmarried children and stepchildren, and parents of U.S. citizens.
•Spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders).
About the Green Card Through Family Sponsorship e-Kit
The Green Card by Family Sponsorship e-Kit contains the tools you need to assess your eligibility, understand the filing procedure, complete the necessary application forms, attach and gather the required supporting documents, and file your application with United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS).
We've compiled everything you need in one easy-to-use kit. Thousands of successful applicants have used this kit over the last 10 years.
Start your application today!
Kit highlights
•Step-by-step instructions on filing your application.
•Every application form you need to successfully file.
•Information on sponsor eligibility requirements.
•Information on preference categories, numerical visa limitations, and relatives who do not usually qualify.
•Instructions on preparing supporting documents, including requirements for translated documents.
•Samples of completed applications.
•Tips on traveling while your application is pending.
•And much more!
Forms included
•Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
•Form G-325A Biographic Information (Petitioner)
•Form G-325A Biographic Information (Relative)
•Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
•Form I-765 Application For Employment Authorization
•Form I-693 Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
•Form I-864 Affidavit of Support
•Form I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
•Form I-864P Poverty Guidelines
About obtaining a "green card" through family sponsorship
Foreign nationals who wish to become lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) of the United States based on the fact that they have a relative who is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident complete a multi-step process to gain this status through family sponsorship.
U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) who want to sponsor a family member must be able to prove that they can support the relative at 125 percent of the mandated poverty line by filing out an Affidavit of Support.
USCIS limits the number of family-based immigrants in certain categories each year. Relatives in these "preference categories" (see e-kit for details) must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available once their petition is approved, and the waiting period may sometimes be several years. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens-parents, spouses, and children under the age of 21-do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available once their petition is approved.
Where to file
The U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident ("green card" holder) files a Petition for Alien Relative (I-130) form with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS) office that serves the area where he or she lives. Foreign relatives living inside the U.S. apply for an adjustment of status at the USCIS office that serves the area where they live.
Foreign relatives living outside the U.S. apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest their permanent residence.
Overview of the application process
1.The U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident ("green card" holder) files the Petition for Alien Relative (I-130) form with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS).
2.After USCIS approves the petition, USCIS notifies the person who filed the petition and the National Visa Center, where the petition will remain until an immigrant visa number becomes available. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens-parents, spouses, and children under the age of 21-do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number. A number becomes available once the visa petition is approved by USCIS.
3.The National Visa Center notifies the foreign relative when the petition is received and then again when an immigrant visa number is available. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens-parents, spouses, and children under the age of 21-do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number. A number becomes available once the visa petition is approved by USCIS.
4.Foreign relatives already in the U.S. can adjust nonimmigrant status to permanent resident status once the petition is approved.
5.Foreign relatives outside the U.S. apply for an immigrant visa to the U.S. embassy or consulate nearest their permanent residence once the petition is approved
Green Card Renewal is an important process for Lawful Permanent Residents. Once a Green Card has been issued, Lawful Permanent Residents do not need to do anything else to extend or ensure their status in the U.S. However, the current green cards are valid for a period of 10 years only.
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