Most children who are foreigners who now reside in the US usually love to bring their parents to the US later on, when they become US citizens. They tend to want their parents to be with them in the US.
However, only immigrants who become US citizens are allowed to bring their parents. This is for those who are eligible to bring their parents to the US.
Moreover, if you’re a US citizen and you’re 21 years or above, you’re very eligible to petition your parents to the US. Permanent Residents on the other hand can only petition for their spouses of children who are under 21 and unmarried, to come live with them in the US.
It is however a common procedure to always petition for the family to visit the US, but this has to be done with care to avoid errors and unnecessary delays along the line.
Requirements to bring my parents to the US
Therefore, we’ll outline the various requirements one would need to petition to bring their parents to the US as United States citizens. This will help in curbing mistakes and thus avoid unnecessary delays a mistake may cause.
So if the parent(s) live outside the US and the child wants to petition the parent, the child must present
- Form 1-130 petition for alien resident
- Copy of certificate of citizenship, Naturalization or US passport, that is if not born in the US.
- A copy of parent’s marriage certificate, more especially, court marriage.
- Copy of birth certificate with your name and parent’s name on it, which shows an evidence of parent-child relationship.
However, there are situations where a child was born out of wedlock and is recognized by the father. If this applies to the said child, he or she should submit.
- Form 1-130 to petition for an alien parent.
- Evidence of being recognised by the father before 18 years of age. This can be gotten either through the marriage of any of the parents, the laws of the country of residence or country of origin.
- Copy of birth certificate indicating the name of the petitioner and the name of the parent being petitioned.
- Copy of certificate of citizenship or Naturalization or US passport, that’s if not born in the US.
In a situation where the child was born out of wedlock and was not recognized by the father. This means a child to a single mom who was not recognized by the father before turning 18, then the child can present the following:
- Form 1-130 petition for an alien relative.
- If not born in the US, present a copy of certificate of citizenship, Naturalization or US passport .
- Copy of birth certificate indicating the name of the child who’s the petitioner and the mother’s name.
- Proof of a link or relationship existing between the petitioner and the mother or father, before getting married or before getting to the age 21.
Stepfather/stepmother petition
If a child wants to petition the stepfather or stepmother, he or she must present
• Copy of birth certificate showing the names of both parents.
• The Form 1-130 petition form for a foreigner or an alien relative.
• A copy of the court marriage certificate of the biological mother or father with the stepmother or father. However, the document must show that both parents got married before the petitioner got 18 years old.
In some cases where a spouse and the stepfather or stepmother are no longer together, either because of divorce or death of the spouse, there should be a document showing proof of annulment of the previous marriage.
Can I bring my adoptive parents to the US permanently?
An adoptive parent, irrespective of what the name is called, is also a parent as long as they have assumed the full responsibility of taking care of the child.
Yes, one can bring an adoptive parent to the US and the following documents should be submitted:
- Form 1-130 to petition for an alien relative.
- If born outside the US, the petitioner should present a copy of the certificate of citizenship, Naturalization or US passport.
- Proof of birth certificate of the petitioner
- Proof of the adoption certificate, with a copy presented to the US embassy. This shows evidence of adoption which should be before the 16th birthday of the petitioner.
- Court Affidavit showing location and dates of where the petitioner lived with the adoptive parents before coming into the United States.
In case there has been a change of names either from the part of the petitioner or adoptive parents, there should be a document showing proof to certify such claims. The documents may be a marriage certificate, court Affidavit, or order that authorizes a change of name, or divorce documents.
