How to get a Green Card for your Parents

Congratulation on obtaining your Green Card and achieving Legal Permanent Residence status. Maybe you also were able to bring your spouse and children with you when you obtained your initial visa. And maybe they too also have Legal Permanent Residence status. That's great news because you have your immediate family with you. But what if you miss seeing your mother and father and want them in the United States with you. Well, the good news is you can. But what do you need to know to get started?

For starters, it is always a good idea to hire a knowledgeable and competent Immigration attorney to help you with any immigration question you have. Next, you must be a minimum of 21 years old and as stated earlier, a Legal Permanent Resident.

Ok so you are at least 21 years old and a Legal Permanent Resident, what now? Well if the United States government does decide to grant your parents a visa to come to the United States and live with you, you must be able to show that you will be able to support your parents. Even if your parents are wealthy and are able to support themselves, you are the one that is responsible for supporting them and will have to show the financial means to do so for a certain time period. This is so that immigrants coming to the United States don't immediately apply for government assistant programs.

Another important thing you must keep in mind is that if your parents are held inadmissible, they may not be granted a Green Card. There are a lot of reasons why someone may be held inadmissible, but a few reasons are: having a criminal record or lying on previous applications, to list a couple.

If you are still good, then the real work begins. Now you have to complete the proper forms to sponsor your parents. You will also need to gather the appropriate documents and others that may be requested by the US government. After everything is submitted and your petition is approved, your parents will have to attend an interview at a US embassy. During the interview, the officer will have the complete file you submitted and will ask your parents questions regarding the file, their relationship to you, and any other question the officer may have.

One of the good things about sponsoring your parents is that if you and they meet the requirements and are granted a green card, then it should only be a matter of time before they receive their green card. Unlike other paths taken to receive a Green Card, sponsoring your parents is a category where there is no limit to the amount that are given by the US government each year. This also makes this route one of the quickest way for your parents to receive a Green Card.

If your parents are in the US legally, they can apply for an Adjustment of Status to obtain their Green Card. They cannot, however, gain a temporary visa with the sole purpose of applying for a Green Card once they enter the US. That is because they will run into the issue of misuse of the visa, which will lead to bad consequences.

The last thing you should know is that applying for Legal Permanent Residence status (Green Card) is for the purpose of living in the United States. You are allowed to travel outside the country, however, know that if you spend too much time outside the US, the government may say that you have abandoned your residence in the US, which is the main reason for applying for a Green Card. So, if your parent's do not wish to live in the United States, then a Green Card may not be in their best interest.

It is advisable to seek legal guidance from our office today as we strive to help guide you with your specific case. 

Attorney Ramona Kennedy cares about your case and will fight for you.

You can contact attorney Ramona Kennedy Law Offices (Kennedy Law LC) for an initial consultation and case evaluation. The first consultation is free of charge. 

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