How to Get a Green Card for Your Parents as a U.S. Citizen
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Parents of U.S. citizens who are noncitizens qualify to migrate to the U.S. under the sponsorship of their children who are over the age of 21. If the parents are already in the U.S. in some other visa status or even without any status, it is possible for them to apply and obtain a green card without being required to leave the U.S. to process for the green card outside the country. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, we have family immigration lawyers who routinely help U.S. citizens obtain green cards for their parents. We are based in Chicago but also handle cases in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Obtaining Green Cards for Parents of U.S. Citizens
The process of obtaining a green card for one or both parents start with the U.S. citizen filing an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (I-130) with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It will take approximately 10.5 to 16 months to have the green card processed and have the parent or both parents receive their green cards. The I-130 petition must be accompanied by evidence to establish the existence of the relationship between parent and child, in this case, between the U.S. citizen child and his or her parent or parents.
Additional requirements that must be met are as follows:
- You must show proof that you are a U.S. citizen, and this is typically done by providing a copy of your U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate.
- The birth certificate will also show that these are your parent or parents you are sponsoring with the I-130 petition.
- You must show that you can support the parent or parents at 125% over the poverty line. To figure out what that income is, you can check with the 2023 Poverty Guidelines.
If your parents are already in the U.S., you can file both your petition for them and their individual I-485 Application to Register as Permanent Resident or Adjust Status. Each parent will require a separate application, so if both of your parents are applying for a green card, both must file separate applications, and each must pay the applicable fees.
If your parents are outside the U.S., then the I-130 will first have to be processed and approved before they can apply for their green cards. They will apply for the green card under what is known as “consular processing,” meaning they will apply for their green cards at the U.S. embassy in the country they live in or at the nearest U.S. consulate. The consular processing begins when USCIS approves the I-130 petition and notifies the National Visa Center (NVC), which in turn notifies the parent or parents to start processing their green card applications.
If you are a U.S. citizen and wish to sponsor your parents for a green card, contact us today and schedule an appointment to discuss with one of our immigration attorneys how we can help you. Do not risk doing it alone, as things can quickly get complicated and cause you more delays and costs.
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We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
Brittni Rivera and her team (Carina Lopez) are fantastic! They are responsive, efficient and beyond compassionate. Brittni Rivera and her team treated me with dignity and respect as they patiently answered all of my questions. They didn't move on without making sure I understood each step. Their work ethic was impressive. It felt like they were an extension of my personal team. I can't say enough to convey my gratitude…
Kevin Raica and his team handled my immigration application and i can other recommend them enough. They made a stressful process very easy. They are very knowledgeable in this area and helped us at every stage from beginning to end.
Brittni Rivera She is my Attorney from 2017 Thank you so, so much. This truly wouldn’t have been possible without you, Brittni. Can’t wait to file for the green cards.
We hoped and prayed for this day, not knowing if it would ever come. Deportations are incredibly scary and overwhelming. We wanted to give a very special thank you to Jennifer Peyton of Chicago for securing this victory for us! With Jennifer on our side we were able to get our loved one back. On behalf of our family, thank you. When we started this journey, we had hoped and…
Matthew Kriezelman, first of all, thank you very much; you and your team are the best immigration lawyers in Chicago. I had a great experience—your professionalism was outstanding, and you were always there whenever needed. I give you five stars for the wonderful work you and your team did. Thanks again.
Hay momentos en la vida en los que una familia siente que el mundo se detiene. Nosotros vivimos uno de esos momentos y, en medio de la incertidumbre y el miedo, tuvimos la fortuna de encontrar a la abogada Sheila McNulty y al paralegal Rafael Rodríguez . Nos escucharon con empatía, nos guiaron con paciencia y defendieron nuestro caso con un profesionalismo, una dedicación y una calidad humana realmente excepcionales.…
We would like to take a moment to sincerely thank Khiabett for her exceptional work and dedication in handling my husband’s removal proceedings case. We also want to thank Agata for her great communication during the gathering of all documents. Khiabett we are incredibly grateful for your expertise, guidance, and persistence throughout the entire process. I can't thank you enough for your empathy and standing by me during such a…
Justin Burton is extremely professional knowledgeable and helpful. I’m extremely thankful for his help and patience with my case. I strongly advise to use his services and refer him to anybody in need of legal help. Thank you.
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