Petition for Relatives

Petition for Parent/Brother/Sister.

If you are a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old, you are eligible to petition to bring a parent, brother or sister to live and work permanently in the United States. If you are a lawful permanent resident, you are not eligible to apply to bring a parent, brother or sister to live and work permanently in the United States.

To be eligible to sponsor a parent, brother or sister to immigrate to the United States, you must meet the following criteriA:

• You must be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States and be able to provide documentation proving your status.
• You must prove that you can support your relative at 125% above the mandated poverty line.
• If you are a US Citizen you may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the United States; however you must be able to provide proof of the relationships:
  • Unmarried son or daughter under 21 years old;
  • Unmarried son or daughter over 21;
  • Married son or daughter of any age;
• If you are a lawful permanent resident you may petition for the following foreign national relatives to immigrate to the United States; however you must be able to provide proof of the relationships:
  • Unmarried son or daughter of any age.

Preference Categories

The relative you wish to immigrate must obtain an immigrant visa number that is based on the preference category in which they fall. Foreign nationals who want to become immigrants are classified into categories based on a preference system. The immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, which includes parents, spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21, do not have to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available once the visa petition filed for them is approved by the USCIS. An immigrant visa number will be immediately available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. The relatives in the remaining categories must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available according to the following preferences:

• First Preference: Unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Adult means 21 years of age or older.
• Second Preference: Spouses of lawful permanent residents, their unmarried children (under twenty-one), and the unmarried sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents.
• Third Preference: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens.
• Fourth Preference: Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens.