It is very important to know and respect certain rules before applying for the residency or Green Card. It is not enough to be the father or mother of an American citizen. It is important to fulfill certain requirements on the side of both parents and children. This route is one of the fastest ones to obtain the citizenship, but all norms must be respected.
If you are a citizen and are thinking about requesting the paperwork for your parents, this is what you need to know before initiating the process.
Cases in which a citizen may not file a petition for their parents
Citizens who were adopted as children may not apply for a Visa for their biological parents.
Likewise, those who were granted the Green Card through the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and were later granted the citizenship through the naturalization process may not petition the residency for parents who abandoned or abused them.
Who counts as migrant parents?
First and foremost, the biological mother or father of an American citizen.
This also includes the adoptive mother or father of an American citizen, so long the adoption has taken place before the adoptee is 16 years of age.
Lastly, step-fathers and step-mothers may also be petitioned for by a citizen, so long as the marriage of the step-father or step-mother with the biological mother or father of the citizen has taken place before the adoptee is 18 years of age.
Age to file a petition for the Green Card for your parents
Citizens must be 21 years of age before they may request the paperwork for their parents. There is no exception possible to this rule.
Income requirements for citizens
Citizens must have a good income basis in order to file a petition for a relative.
Who can be included in the same petition for a mother or father?
The answer is no-one. Citizens must file a petition for their mother and another petition for their father.
What can go wrong?
The person for who the Green Card is being applied for (in this case the mother or the father of a citizen), must not have an illegal background in the United States. If this is the case, they will not be able to obtain the residency.