If you are an immediate relative of a US Citizen, you are eligible to obtain a Green Card fairly quickly. An immediate relative of a US citizen can be any of the following:
- Unmarried child under the age of 21
- Parent (if US citizen is over 21)
- Spouse
If you are not an immediate relative, family members of a US citizen can still be sponsored via a “family preference category”. While this option involves a longer waiting period for an immigrant visa number, eligible family members may still receive sponsorship. This would include:
- Unmarried sons/daughters over the age of 21
- Brothers and sisters (only if the US citizen petitioning on their behalf is over the age of 21)
- Married child(ren) of any age
If you are a relative of a family member who is a permanent resident in the US, he/she can sponsor you for a green card so long as your relation to the resident is any of the following:
- Unmarried child under the age of 21
- Parent (if US citizen is over 21)
- Spouse
This option would also be classified as a “family preference category”, therefore a longer waiting period before an immigrant visa number becomes available.
Norma Lorenzo, Esq., is the managing partner at Hermanni & Lorenzo Law Group, an Immigration law firm established in Miami since 2008. Ms. Lorenzo has helped hundreds of immigrants with a variety of cases obtain legal status in the United States. She also teaches at Florida International University School of Law.