Immigrant Visas

Parents of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen over the age of 21 can sponsor his/her parents for immigration to the United States.

How to apply

The American citizen must file an alien relative petition (Form I-130) with the office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS) in the U.S. having jurisdiction over his/her place of residence. Forms and instructions are available from USCIS. Once USCIS approves the petition, they will send the petitioner a notice of approval, Form I-797. USCIS will also forward the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will contact the intending immigrant with further information.

The "How Do I Bring My Parents to Live in the United States?" page of USCIS provides detailed information on the process.

Applying at the Embassy

• New Regulations for Submitting Certain Immigrant Visa Petitions (as of January 22, 2007)
  
  
• In order to file the Form I-130 at the Consular Section, the American Citizen petitioners must be able to show they have permission to reside in the consular district and that they have been doing so continuously for at least six moths before filing the petition.

Please note: The petition must be filed by the U.S. citizen - in person!

In order to file a petition, the American citizen needs to present the following documents:

• proof of citizenship;
• proof of relationship; and
• proof of name change if other than indicated on the birth certificate of the U.S. citizen

Any document in a foreign language must be accompanied by an official translation into English.

How long the application will take to process

Regarding the processing time in the United States, please contact the appropriate office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Please note: If the petition is filed with the Embassy, the processing time is 4-6 weeks.

Last updated: 11/07/2007