New Jersey Immigration Lawyer Explains How to Sponsor Your Parents
As a New Jersey Immigration Lawyer, I am often ask by clients about how you can sponsor your parents. One of the most exciting moments in our relationship with our clients is when they finally become a Green Card holder. One of the first questions they often ask me is “Who can I sponsor? Can I sponsor my parents?” This is because people have often been separated from their family members. You are not able to sponsor your parents with just a Green Card. You would have to be a US citizen in order to sponsor your mom, dad or siblings. As a green card holder, you can sponsor various other family members though, you can sponsor a spouse, minor children, adult children but unmarried.
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You would have to check the Visa Bulletin, which is put out by the Department of State, in order to understand the backlog. For a spouse, it’s about a year and a half, likewise for minor children, unmarried. For adult children, unmarried, it’s about seven years. One lesson that I have learned is because you have to wait five years in order to become a citizen, very often it is best if a Green Card holder files for their family members as soon as they become a Green Card holder. That way, the priority date is already set, and later, if someone chooses to become a Green Card holder, the process will accelerate.
Have you had trouble sponsoring your parents because you have just a Green Card holder? Contact our New Jersey Immigration Lawyer for guidance.
This educational blog was brought to you by Susan Scheer, an experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer.