Petition for Alien Relative

Key Points to Know

  • To file a green card for parents (mother/father), you must be a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old.
  • The first step to obtain a green card for your parents is to file Form I-130.
  • There are no green card annual limits for spouses, parents and minor children.
  • The I-130 processing time for an immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen is 13.5 to 15 months. For those within the U.S., the processing duration currently ranges from 13.5 to 20.5 months.

Petition for Alien Relative Articles

  • green card for parents in 2024

    How to Get a Green Card for Your Parents | Processing Time

    Published on March 18, 2024

    The strain of being separated from your parents or other family members in the U.S. can be very difficult. The United States has a family-based green card process that allows U.S. citizens to petition for their parents/other immediate relatives and U.S. permanent residents to sponsor spouses, minor children, and unmarried children over the age of…

  • Green Card Consular Processing Cover photo

    Green Card Consular Processing Benefits & Steps

    Published on November 16, 2022

    Consular processing is a method by which a beneficiary of an approved family-based, employment-based or other immigration petition can apply for a visa through a U.S. Department of State consulate office abroad. There are many benefits when it comes to green card consular processing. However, you must first determine if you fit into an eligible…

  • F4 visa for siblings cover photo

    Navigating the F4 Visa: Sibling Green Card

    Published on September 24, 2022

    You grew up with them, they played with you, they teased you, they protected you, and in your eyes your siblings are immediate relatives. However, in the eyes of USCIS, a sibling green card falls under the family-based category and not the immediate relative category. Also known as the F4 visa, this family-based green card…

  • Marriage-Based Green Card Denial

    Marriage-Based Green Card Denial

    Published on July 16, 2019

    Marriage-based green cards make up one-fourth of the total approved lawful permanent resident cards issued by the USCIS, making it one of the most popular routes to the United States permanent residency. Interestingly, this seemingly simple immigrant visa classification is also the most scrutinized by immigration officers. 

  • MARRIAGE-BASED GREEN CARD DOCUMENTS

    Green Card Through Marriage Document Checklist

    Published on April 30, 2019

    Yearly, about a million foreign nationals gain legal status in the U.S., and up to 25% of those are through marriage to a U.S. permanent resident or an American citizen. Marriage-based green cards help couples achieve their dream of living together as one family in the U.S. as immigrants. At VisaNation, we focus on getting…