Sponsoring a Family Member for a Green Card
by
Ilona Bray, J.D.
Can relatives come to the U.S.? It depends on how the family member is related.
Many people in the United States have family members living in other countries, and wonder whether they can bring them here. It's a myth that if one immigrant settles in the United States, that one can bring in the whole extended family, and so on. The truth is both more limited and more complex.
Who You Can Help Immigrate
You can petition to bring family members to the United States only if you are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident (green card holder). Even then, you can bring in only those family members listed on the chart below. Before reading the chart, click the links explaining the meanings of "immediate relative" and "preference relative."
| Who Can Sponsor Who |
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Who You Are
|
Immigrants You Can Petition
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The Immigrant's Category
|
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U.S. citizen
|
Parents
|
Immediate relative
|
|
U.S. citizen
|
Spouse
|
Immediate relative
|
|
U.S. citizen
|
Minor, unmarried children
|
Immediate relative
|
|
U.S. citizen
|
Married children or adult children
|
Preference relative
|
|
U.S. citizen
|
Brothers and sisters
|
Preference relative
|
|
U.S. permanent resident
|
Unmarried children
|
Preference relative
|
|
U.S. permanent resident
|
Spouse
|
Preference relative
|
|
|
Notice who is not on this list: grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents-in-law, and other extended family members.
 | How long will it be before my parents and brothers can immigrate here? |  |
However, if allowed to immigrate to the United States, most of the people on the above list will be permitted to bring their own spouses and children with them. And it is true that once someone has a green card, they can sponsor other people on the list.
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