Family Petition

A United States citizen or a person with permanent resident status in the United States may apply for the permanent resident status for family members who qualify.

Those who are eligible for a Green Card (permanent residence) include the following:

• Immediate Relatives of Citizens - This includes parents, a spouse, and children (who are younger than twenty-one years old and not yet married) of a citizen of the United States.
• Other Family Member of Citizens - This includes unmarried sons and daughters over the age of twenty-one, children who are married regardless of their age, and the sisters or brothers (twenty-one years and older) of a citizen of the United States.
• Family Member of a Permanent Resident - This includes a spouse and children (who are younger than twenty-one years old and not yet married).
• Special Categories of Individuals - This includes a battered child, spouse, or parent under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) program rules, a category “K” nonimmigrant (fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens), a child of a foreign diplomat that is physically born in America, a category “V” nonimmigrant (those who requested status change before December 21, 2000) or a widow(er) of a citizen of the United States.

Summary

To find out if family members meet the qualifications for a Green Card under the “Green Card Through Family” program, it is best to work with an immigration attorney to make sure the applications are filed correctly.

References

Green Card Through Family Link

Battered Spouse, Children & Parents Link

K Nonimmigrant Link

V Non-immigrant Link