I Am a U.S.

Citizen
How Do I…
Help My Relative Become
a U.S. Permanent Resident?

M-555 (January 2013) N

A1 Customer Guide

As a citizen of the United States, you may help a relative become a with people from the same country category who are also unmarried
lawful permanent resident of the United States by obtaining what is sons or daughters over the age of 21 of U.S. citizens.
often referred to as a “green card.” To do so, you need to sponsor Your relative’s place in line will be based on the date you file your
your relative and be able to prove that you have enough income petition. So there is an advantage to filing as soon as possible.
or assets to support your relative(s) when they come to the United There is no waiting period for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens,
States. which include a U.S. citizen’s spouse, parent, or unmarried child
You begin the process by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien under 21 years of age.
Relative. This form establishes the family relationship that exists
between you and your relative. The form is available on our website
at www.uscis.gov. Sometimes the I-130 can be filed together with What about my relative’s family?
an application for permanent residence (Form I-485, Application to In most cases, when your relative reaches the front of the line, your
Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). This is discussed relative’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age can
below. join him or her by also applying for an immigrant visa. (If the family
member is already in the United States, he or she may be able to
file a Form I-485 application to adjust status based on the relative’s
Which relatives may I petition for? approved visa petition.)
A U.S. citizen can file a petition for the following relatives: For example: You file a petition for your married daughter. You
• Husband or wife; cannot directly petition for her husband and children. However, when
your daughter’s place in line allows her to apply for a green card,
• Children, married or unmarried.1
her husband and children can apply for immigrant visas at the same
A U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years or older may also petition for time with your daughter.
the following relatives:
As a U.S. citizen, you must file a separate petition for each one of
• Parents; your direct relatives, including your own children.
• Brothers or sisters. For example: To sponsor your mother and father, file a separate
When you submit your petition, you are required to provide petition for each. If they have other children—your brothers
evidence to prove your relationship to the person for whom you and sisters—file a separate petition for each of them. Visas are
are filing. immediately available for mothers and fathers of U.S. citizens, but
visas are not immediately available for brothers and sisters of U.S.
citizens; therefore, they will have to wait for visa availability.
What does the petition do for my relative? For example: You marry someone with a child. The child will
Filing a Form I-130 and proving a qualifying relationship gives your usually qualify as your stepchild if he or she was unmarried and
relative a place in line with others waiting to immigrate from the under 18 years of age at the time of your marriage. In this example,
same country or region based on the same type of relationship. you are required to file two petitions: one petition for your wife and
When your relative reaches the front of the line, he or she may be another for the child.
eligible to immigrate after passing the required background checks 1
and meeting requirements for admission. Immigration law provides different immigrant classifications for children
depending on their age and whether they are married. Customer guide A3, I
For example: You file a petition for your unmarried son over 21 Am a U.S. Citizen...How Do I...Immigrate an Adopted or Prospective Adopted
years of age. If we approve it, your petition gives him a place in line Child or Help My Adopted Child Become a Citizen or Permanent Resident
of the United States?, discusses how an adopted child may immigrate or
otherwise become a permanent resident.

A1—I Am a U.S. Citizen…How Do I…Help My Relative Become a U.S. Permanent Resident?

M-555 (January 2013) N 1
After I file, how long will it take before my relative can 1. If your relatives live in another country, you will file
immigrate? an I-130 petition with USCIS. Please follow the instructions
The law gives special consideration to immediate relatives of U.S. for relatives included with the I-130 petition. On page 3
citizens, which includes a U.S. citizen’s spouse, unmarried children of the instructions, you will find the addresses where
under 21 years of age, and parents. your petition should be filed. Please check our website for
any updates on instructions or fees. Make sure your petition
• There is no waiting list to immigrate these relatives. is complete, signed, and submitted with correct fees. You will
• The U.S. Department of State will invite them to apply for an need to submit evidence of your U.S. citizenship, and evidence
immigrant visa as soon as we approve your I-130 petition. proving your relationship to each person for whom you are
filing a petition.
• If your petition has been approved, and your relatives are
currently in the United States after making a legal entry (and 2. If your relatives are already in the United States and
they meet certain other requirements), they may be able to file entered legally, then they may be able to file an I-485
applications with USCIS to adjust to permanent resident status. application to adjust their status to lawful permanent resident
at the same time as you file the I-130 relative petition.
For other relatives, the combination of high demand and the limits
Petitions filed at the same time with permanent residence
set by law on how many people can immigrate each year means
applications (I-485) must be filed at a location that is different
your relative may have to wait several years “in line” while petitions
from where you would file an I-130 petition by itself. Please
that were filed before theirs are processed. When your relative
read the instructions for the two addresses where concurrent
reaches the “front of the line,” the U.S. Department of State contacts
filings can be mailed.
your relative and invites him or her to apply for an immigrant visa.
Current wait times for visa categories are available under “Visa
Bulletins” on the State Department’s website at www.travel.state. What happens after I file?
gov/visa.
We will mail you a receipt confirming that we have received your
petition. If your petition is incomplete, we may have to reject
Please note: Effective February 1, 2013, USCIS will collect an it, or ask you for more evidence or information, which will delay
Immigrant Fee from individuals who have been issued immigrant processing. Please send all required documents the first time
visas by the U.S. Department of State and are applying for to avoid delay.
admission to the United States. The immigrant visa package your We will notify you when we make a decision. Normally, when we
relative receives from the Department of State will contain a approve the petition, we send it to the U.S. Department of State’s
handout with information about how to pay the fee. The fee must National Visa Center (NVC). When your relative’s place in line
be paid before your relative travels to the United States. Information permits issuance of a visa number, the NVC will notify you and your
about the fee can be found on our website at www.uscis.gov/ relative, inviting him or her and qualifying dependents to apply for
immigrantfee. immigrant visas. You can find more information about immigrant visa
processing from the State Department’s website at www.state.
gov.
Can my relative wait in the United States until becoming
a permanent resident?
No. If your relative is outside the United States, filing an I-130 does How long will it take USCIS to process my petition?
not allow your relative to live or work in the United States. An I-130 Since processing time depends on a number of factors, it is difficult
petition only establishes your relationship with your relative. Your to provide a timeframe. We post current processing times on our
relative should wait outside the United States to immigrate legally. website at www.uscis.gov, which is the best way to monitor
If your husband or wife, unmarried child under 21 years, or parent progress of your petition.
is already in the United States after having entered legally, they can
apply to adjust their status to permanent resident at the same time
you file their I-130 petition. What if I filed a petition for a relative when I was
a permanent resident, but I am now a U.S. citizen?

Does filing a relative petition commit me to anything? If you become a U.S. citizen while your relative is waiting for a
visa, you can upgrade your relative’s visa classification and advance
Yes. Under the law, each person who immigrates based on a the processing of that petition by notifying the appropriate agency
relative’s petition must have a financial sponsor. If you choose of your naturalization. When you are a U.S. citizen, your husband
to sponsor your relative’s immigration by filing a relative petition or wife and any unmarried children under age 21 will have visas
(I-130), when the time comes for your relative to immigrate, you immediately available to them.
must agree to be his or her financial sponsor by filing Form I-864,
Affidavit of Support. If you do not meet the financial qualifications, • If you become a U.S. citizen after your Form I-130 petition
other individuals will then need to make this commitment. For more is already approved and it has been forwarded to the State
information, please see customer guide F3, General Information... Department’s National Visa Center (NVC), you should notify the
How Do I...Financially Sponsor Someone Who Wants to Immigrate?. NVC that you have become a U.S. citizen. Requests to upgrade
petitions due to the naturalization of the petitioner should be
sent to:
How do I file? National Visa Center
There are two basic ways to legally assist your relatives to immigrate 32 Rochester Avenue
into the United States: Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909

A1—I Am a U.S. Citizen…How Do I…Help My Relative Become a U.S. Permanent Resident?

M-555 (January 2013) N 2
 Please include a letter with information regarding your relative, a
Key Information
copy of your Naturalization Certificate, and a copy of the petition Key USCIS forms referenced in this guide Form #
approval notice. Once the NVC is notified that the petitioner
has been naturalized, the NVC will immediately send the visa Petition for Alien Relative I-130
information on your relative to the designated U.S. Embassy Application to Register Permanent Residence I-485
or consulate abroad. To confirm that your approved petition or Adjust Status
has been forwarded to the NVC, you can contact the NVC’s Affidavit of Support I-864
automated recorded message system at 1-603-334-0700 and,
with a touchtone telephone, enter your USCIS receipt number. USCIS
• If you become a U.S. citizen and your relative’s petition has • On the Internet at: www.uscis.gov/howdoi
not yet been approved by USCIS, you will need to notify the
Service Center where you filed your relative’s visa petition that For more copies of this guide, or information about other
you are now a U.S. citizen. You should send the notification to citizenship and immigration services, please visit our website.
the Service Center address located on the receipt notice you You can also download forms, e-file some applications, check the
received when you filed your Form I-130 petition. Please include status of an application, and more. It’s a great place to start!
If you don’t have Internet access at home or work, try your local
library. If you cannot find what you need, please call Customer
Service.
• Customer Service: 1-800-375-5283
• Hearing Impaired TDD Customer Service: 1-800-767-1833

Other U.S. Government Services–Click or Call

General Information www.usa.gov 1-800-333-4636
New Immigrants www.welcometoUSA.gov
www.state.gov
U.S. Dept. of State 1-202-647-6575
www.travel.state.gov/visa

Disclaimer: This guide provides basic information to help you become

generally familiar with our rules and procedures. For more information, or
the law and regulations, please visit our website. Immigration law can be
complex, and it is impossible to describe every aspect of every process.
You may wish to be represented by a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit
agency accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.

A1—I Am a U.S. Citizen…How Do I…Help My Relative Become a U.S. Permanent Resident?

M-555 (January 2013) N 3