You may wish that your loved ones lived in the United States alongside you. Luckily, as a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, you may have the opportunity to make this wish a reality. Follow along to find out how to sponsor a family member for immigration and how a proficient green card lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help make this possible.
What categories of family members am I allowed to sponsor?
Essentially, your status in the United States may influence whether your family members may receive a status themselves via sponsorship. More specific examples are as follows:
- If you are a United States citizen at least 18 years of age or older:
- You may petition for your spouse as an immediate relative.
- You may petition for your minor, unmarried children as immediate relatives.
- You may petition for your adult, married children as preference relatives.
- If you are a United States citizen at least 21 years of age or older:
- You may petition for your parents as immediate relatives.
- You may petition for your siblings as preference relatives.
- If you are a United States permanent resident:
- You may petition for your unmarried children as preference relatives.
- You may petition for your spouse as a preference relative.
It is worth mentioning that there is an unlimited number of visas available in the “immediate relative” category. Contrastingly, there is a limited number of visas in the “preference relative” category offered each year.
How can I sponsor a family member for a green card?
Once you confirm that you qualify to be a sponsor, and that your family member is eligible for sponsorship, you may proceed forward with the application. To formally sponsor a family member, you must first fill out and submit Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Your application must be supplemented with evidence of your citizenship or permanent resident status (i.e., birth certificate, passport, etc). This should be alongside proof of the type of relationship you share with the family member (i.e., a marriage certificate, your family member’s birth certificate, etc). This is not to mention the filing fee of $535.
Importantly, you must fill out a separate form for each family member. However, you must ensure that your financial status allows you to sponsor multiple family members. This is because you must prove to the USCIS that you can support your family member(s) enough to ensure that they will not become a public charge (i.e., require means-based public assistance). This is squared away visa Form I-864, Affidavit of Support.
Overall, you must be proactive in pursuing this application. This all starts with retaining the services of a talented Milwaukee, WI family immigration lawyer. Contact Sesini Law Group, S.C. today.