U.S. Green Card Through Employment

Receiving a Green Card through sponsorship of a family member is the most common way to obtain permanent residency in the United States.

A U.S. Citizen may petition for the following relatives, provided they can prove the relationships:

• Husband or Wife;
• Unmarried children, under 21 years of age;
• Unmarried son or daughter, over 21 years old;
• Married son or daughter, of any age;
• Siblings (this includes step-siblings), if the applicant is at least 21 years of age;
• Mother or Father, if the applicant is at least 21 years of age;

A Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder), may petition for the following relatives, provided you can prove the relationships:

• Husband or Wife;
• Unmarried child under, 21 years of age;
• Unmarried son or daughter, over 21 years old;

To be able to sponsor a relative for a Family-Based Green Card, all applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident and be able to provide documentation proving your status;
• You must have a qualifying family relationship with the beneficiary (see above);
• You must complete Form I-130;
• You must show that you can support your family member financially, if applicable.

Once you have correctly completed and filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, a visa number will become available based on the Family-based Immigration Preference Category.