When someone has lawful permanent resident status in the United States or is a citizen, some of their family members may be able to join them. In other words, certain family members living overseas can join their families in the United States.
There are five different classes of family members who can apply for a family-based Green Card:
- Spouses
- Parents
- Unmarried children under the age of 21
- Children who were adopted abroad
- Children adopted within the United States by a U.S. citizen
There are no caps on these classes of visas. So long as your relative meets the requirements, they can come to the United States. They would have the right to work and get a driver’s license, and they could live anywhere they wanted. They may eventually become citizens themselves in the future.
There are other categories of family-based Green Cards that are subject to an annual cap. If you are not a citizen but you have Lawful Permanent Resident status, some family members may be able to join you. However, there are many people who are applying for these visas, and there is a limited number. Most commonly, spouses, minor children, and adult children try to obtain these visas. There is a cap of 114,200 visas for this particular class. Once the cap is reached, a visa application is processed in the following year. Given the number of people applying, it is essential that your application is complete and correct. You should speak with an experienced immigration attorney to learn more about the process and requirements for a family-based Green Card.
Contact a Lynnwood Immigration Attorney Today
The attorneys at Bountiful Law can work with you or your family to assemble the strongest possible application for residency in the United States. To schedule a consultation, you can reach us online or call us today at 425.584.2162.
