—
This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.
Immigration to the United States is a dream for many and one way to help a family member make this dream come true, is through family sponsorship. This procedure may be thought to be difficult, but if you get the right advice, it will become easy. Here are the steps to sponsoring your family member’s immigration to the US, showing each phase clearly so you can go through the process of immigration successfully.
Determine Eligibility
The first thing to do in sponsoring a family member is to establish eligibility. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recognizes different categories of eligible relatives. The immediate relatives of a US citizen are spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents and there is no limit on the number of visas available. The other family preference categories have limited number of available visas each year and include adult children, both married and unmarried, brothers and sisters of US citizens as well as their spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents.
File I-130 Form
After the eligibility is established, now you must file Form I-130 that is Petition for Alien Relative. This form is a kind of contract which defines the relationship between the sponsor who can be either US citizen or permanent resident and the beneficiary who seeks to immigrate. This form should be completed along with the required evidence of the relationship, like birth certificates, marriage certificates or other more.
Await USCIS Approval
Having sent the Form, I-130, the USCIS starts to review it. Such a process may even last for several months, or even longer, in case the relationship is not that good and also if the beneficiary comes from another country. If the petition is granted, it will be forwarded by USCIS to NVC for more processing. It is very important to be up to date for the petition status through the USCIS online system.
Pay Fees and Submit Visa Application
The NVC will call the sponsor and tell him/her how to pay the fees and submit the application. The sponsor and the beneficiary must produce more papers which include police certificates, medical examinations, and financial affidavits. These records are solid proof that the beneficiary will not be a public charge in America.
Attend the Visa Interview
When all the documents and fees are sent to the NVC, it schedules a visa interview at the US embassy or consulate in the beneficiary’s home country. The beneficiary must attend this interview, in which a consular officer will ask questions to check the information that was given in the petition and application. Besides, the officer will also check if the relationship is real and if the applicant deserves to be a part of it.
Get your Visa Approval and Go to the US
Once your beneficiary’s interview is approved, they will get their immigrant visa in a few weeks at most. They need to come to the US before their visa expires which usually happens in six months. The beneficiary will be given a sealed packet on arrival to which he/she must present to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the port of entry. This packet is the one that has all the required papers for entry.
Get Green Card
Upon the entrance into the US, the beneficiary will be sent their Green Card by mail which usually takes a few months. This card should be treasured because it will be a must in many official cases like employment and travel.
Ways to Minimize Problems
- Stay Organized: Preserve all the documents and letters connected to the immigration process. It will be a great help if any data must be looked up later.
- Seek Legal Advice: If the procedure is too complicated or there are some special issues, it would be better to ask an immigration lawyer for help because he/she will provide you with good advice and assistance.
- Be Patient: The immigration procedures are often lengthy and their stages are quite a number. The two main reasons are patience and persistence.
Conclusion
The sponsor of the family member’s immigration to the US is a great responsibility that needs thorough planning and concentration. Hence, you must be very attentive and adhere strictly to these steps in order to assist your dear one on the way of getting a green card. Do not ever forget, the way can be hard but the prize of being with your family in a new country is so worth it.
—
