Family Dependent Sponsorship (Permanent Residents Versus Citizens)
The rules for sponsoring family members for permanent residency in the USA differ slightly depending on whether the sponsor is a permanent resident (green card holder) or a U.S. citizen. Medliant USRNs are granted permanent residency as an EB3 Visa holder, which is a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Here’s a breakdown of who can be sponsored by each:
Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders)
Green card holders can sponsor the following family members:
Spouse: Lawful permanent residents can sponsor their married spouse for a green card (Medliant will automatically file this).
Unmarried Children: They can also sponsor unmarried children under 21 years of age (Medliant will automatically file this).
U.S. Citizens
U.S. citizens have a broader range of family members they can sponsor:
Spouse: U.S. citizens can sponsor their spouse for a green card.
Children: They can sponsor their unmarried children under 21 years of age.
Married Children: They can sponsor their married children, regardless of age.
Parents: U.S. citizens aged 21 or older can sponsor their parents.
Siblings: They can sponsor their brothers and sisters, but the sponsor must be at least 21 years old.
Comparison:
Spouse Sponsorship:
Green Card Holder: Can sponsor
U.S. Citizen: Can sponsor
Unmarried Children Under 21:
Green Card Holder: Can sponsor
U.S. Citizen: Can sponsor
Married Children:
Green Card Holder: Cannot sponsor
U.S. Citizen: Can sponsor
Parents:
Green Card Holder: Cannot sponsor
U.S. Citizen: Can sponsor
Siblings:
Green Card Holder: Cannot sponsor
U.S. Citizen: Can sponsor
Application Considerations:
Visa Bulletin: The U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin can provide current dates for filing and final action dates, which is important to track for sponsored family members under preference categories.
Processing Times: Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens generally have faster processing times due to the lack of numerical limits on available visas.
Age Requirements: U.S. citizens must be at least 21 years old to sponsor their parents or siblings.
After 5 years of being a lawful permanent resident in the USA you can apply for U.S. citizenship, which allows for a broader range of family members you can sponsor to immigrate to the USA. Becoming a permanent resident in the USA is the perfect way to achieve this!
