Nearly everyone wants to come to the United States. And they seek out various ways in which they can achieve this goal of theirs. So they choose to enter the country with a non-immigrant visa, using which they can stay in the country temporarily; or they come with the immigrant visa - better known as the green card. The green card allows them to stay permanently in the United States. It is also their ticket to work here permanently.
Being a lawful permanent resident guarantees a lot of benefits, and we will look at those benefits in detail later. We will however discuss how being a green card holder benefits your family.
When you talk about coming to the US because it is a land of opportunities, you are looking to secure your future. And definitely for a majority of the people the future includes their family. As a green card holder yourself, you can sponsor a green card for your family. You can sponsor your spouse and your unmarried children who are below the age of 21.
Since you are a permanent resident only, you will be able to sponsor only your spouse and unmarried children below 21 years of age. Though you can sponsor them, they will not get the visas immediately. There is a wait list for the immigrant visa and your family will have to wait until visas are available for them.
If you are really keen on family unity and want your family with you in the United States at the earliest, your best bet yet may be to become a US citizen yourself. The rights of a US citizen are more than that of a lawful permanent resident. As a citizen you can sponsor your family for green cards and there is no wait time associated with the process for immediate members of your family.
Who are these immediate family members? Your spouse, unmarried children below the age of 21, and your parents. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you are a US citizen and want to sponsor a parent, you need to be above the age of 21. Simple isn't it. You don't have to wait for ages to get a visa.
The green card sponsoring process goes like this - you file a form to establish the relationship between you and the family member(s) you want to sponsor. While you are filing that petition you also need to establish that you can support them when they come to the United States and that they will not become dependent on the government for support/benefits.
Once this petition is approved a visa is made available for your family member(s). They will be called for an interview at the US consulate closest to where they reside. They will need to have had a medical examination by then and take the results along with the other requested documents. Once your relatives pass the interview successfully, they will be granted immigration visas and they can immediately come to the United States.
If you have been in the United States for 5 years as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship through the naturalization process. If you are in the US as a permanent resident, have been married to a US citizen for 3 years, you can apply for naturalization.
For permanent residents to sponsor their relatives, they will have to wait for a long time for visas to become available. For US citizens, the wait time is only as long as your initial petition is approved. Analyze your situation and see which route suits you best.
Being a lawful permanent resident guarantees a lot of benefits, and we will look at those benefits in detail later. We will however discuss how being a green card holder benefits your family.
When you talk about coming to the US because it is a land of opportunities, you are looking to secure your future. And definitely for a majority of the people the future includes their family. As a green card holder yourself, you can sponsor a green card for your family. You can sponsor your spouse and your unmarried children who are below the age of 21.
Since you are a permanent resident only, you will be able to sponsor only your spouse and unmarried children below 21 years of age. Though you can sponsor them, they will not get the visas immediately. There is a wait list for the immigrant visa and your family will have to wait until visas are available for them.
If you are really keen on family unity and want your family with you in the United States at the earliest, your best bet yet may be to become a US citizen yourself. The rights of a US citizen are more than that of a lawful permanent resident. As a citizen you can sponsor your family for green cards and there is no wait time associated with the process for immediate members of your family.
Who are these immediate family members? Your spouse, unmarried children below the age of 21, and your parents. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you are a US citizen and want to sponsor a parent, you need to be above the age of 21. Simple isn't it. You don't have to wait for ages to get a visa.
The green card sponsoring process goes like this - you file a form to establish the relationship between you and the family member(s) you want to sponsor. While you are filing that petition you also need to establish that you can support them when they come to the United States and that they will not become dependent on the government for support/benefits.
Once this petition is approved a visa is made available for your family member(s). They will be called for an interview at the US consulate closest to where they reside. They will need to have had a medical examination by then and take the results along with the other requested documents. Once your relatives pass the interview successfully, they will be granted immigration visas and they can immediately come to the United States.
If you have been in the United States for 5 years as a permanent resident, you can apply for citizenship through the naturalization process. If you are in the US as a permanent resident, have been married to a US citizen for 3 years, you can apply for naturalization.
For permanent residents to sponsor their relatives, they will have to wait for a long time for visas to become available. For US citizens, the wait time is only as long as your initial petition is approved. Analyze your situation and see which route suits you best.
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