So, how do you immigrate your parents to the United States? There are so many ways to do
this. It depends whether you're in the United States or outside of the United States. In
this video, we'll talk about this and more. So I'll see you on the other side. In this
video, we'll talk about the process of what it takes to immigrate a parent to the United
States. But before that, I would like to ask you to subscribe to our channel, if you're
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over there, and we can continue our discussion. Let's dive into how to immigrate a parent
to the United States. So, the first thing is that you have to be a US citizen first,
to be able to immigrate your parent and get them over here as soon as possible. So, I
would like to break down the process into two parts. So, the first part, let's assume
that your parents are currently in the United States, physically, on a non-immigrant visa.
So, the typical scenario that we have is that we have a US citizen child, over 21, that
is petitioning for their parents, and they're here visiting on a tourist visa. So, they're
visiting because there's an event or they're staying here long term. There's a lot of parents
who come here and say 2, 3, 4 months with their kids, just to help the grandkids or
whatever the reason. And during that time that they're here on a non-immigrant visa,
the decision is made to change their status to the green card. So again, the first step
is that the child has to be over 21 to be able to petition for their parents, and must
be a US citizen. And if the parents are here, on a tourist visa or any other non-immigrant
visa, the process that we're going to be using is called Adjustment of Status. So, the requirements
are filing a petition called I-130. And we have quite a few videos that explain how to
complete an I-130. And for that video, we can link it below, will also apply to a parent
petition. So, an I-130 form and on that form, there'll be a section that you will check
for your parents. If they're in the United States, an additional form called I-45, which
is an adjustment of status form, will also be added to that package. In addition to that,
they can also file a form called I-765, which is a work permit, and a form called I-1 31,
which is a petition for travel because once they’re here, and once the Adjustment of
Status package is filed, they're not really able to leave the United States and travel.
So, it is really important to understand that when you file for an Adjustment of Status
for your parents if they're here as visitors plan for them to be here, at least for 4 to
6 months after filing, because once you file the Adjustment of Status form, they're not
allowed to leave the United States. And in fact, if they do leave without the permission,
the entire petition will be canceled. In addition to the regular forms, the I-130, which is
the immigrant petition, the 45, which is the Adjustment of Status, and the 765, and I-131,
which is the work and travel forms, you also need to file an I-864 petition form, which
is the Affidavit of Support. Now, it is really important that in addition to being a US citizen,
the child must prove that they're able to afford, financially, to keep their parents
in the United States throughout the process until they become US citizens. And we had
all these discussions about public charge, and the health insurance rules and all these
things that the government is about to impose. Most of these things currently are now on
hold. But the reason why they brought those things up is because they're really concerned
that people are coming to the United States, and they're going to be taking funds and benefits
from our public system, from our public resources. So, it is really important, especially for
a parent position because sometimes, parents can be older and they may need resources that
otherwise may not available for people that are not currently a green card holder. So,
it's really important to understand what benefits are available for them while they're going
through the process before they get a green card, and make sure that they don't take any
public benefits until they obtain their green card otherwise, it may impact their application.
So, the idea of the I-864 is to show that the child is able to afford, financially,
to bring their parents to the United States. If there is an issue with the financial support,
that child can also request somebody to be a co-sponsor and they can also join the petition
and help with that application. So, once you have all these forms assembled with the supporting
documents, which are birth certificates, to show that these are actually your parents.
Those things are filed with the USCIS immigration office in the US, and then the process starts.
So, the parents will be waiting in the United States. If they're here as tourists, they're
going to get a receipt showing that their status is now Pending, Adjustment of Status.
Typically, within a month or so they'll get a request to come for fingerprints appointment,
they'll get their biometrics. And then maybe after four months, they'll get their travel
and work permit, which will allow them to go back to their home country if they need
to take care of some things. And then finally, after six months or so, they'll be called
for their interview, where the son or daughter will go with their parents to the interview
just to verify all these documents, the information. And if the Immigration Service is happy with
the information provided, they will grant an approval, and the parents will get a green
card. They'll be mailed to them within two weeks after the interview, and they'll be
able to get a social security and live in the US as a permanent resident. Typically,
that green card is a 10-year green card, it’s a permanent green card. And that's the process
while they're in the US. But most of our clients and their parents are abroad waiting. Their
intention is to move to the US later on. So, what typically happens under the second process,
we call this a consular processing, the child will file a petition, the I-130 first, in
the US. That petition will be approved probably up to five, six months. That case then will
be sent to the National Visa Center. And that's the State Department Agency, that will processing
the paperwork. And at that point, unlike the Adjustment of Status process, only at that
point, they'll be asking for the Affidavit of Support and for all the other financial
documents. And once the child provides those documents, completes forms DS- 260, and the
supporting documents, and that application is complete, then that case will be sent to
the US Embassy in the home country. And bear in mind, keep in mind that this may take from
the first step of filing until the interview, almost a year, as opposed to the process that
happens in the US, which may take six to eight months, which definitely is faster the US.
So, once the parent attends the US Embassy interview, they'll be issued and an immigrant
visa, which is a six-month visa, allowing them to enter the US. Once they enter the
US, they're going to get a package to present at the port of entry. Once they present that
package, sign it, and they enter the US, the green card will be mailed to them within two
weeks. So, as you can see, the process from inside the US and the process from overseas,
consular processing, is slightly different, it may be a little bit longer. We suggest
the decision to choose which process will really depend on the circumstances of your
parents. Some parents may able to travel more frequently, and they have no issue with traveling
while the process overseas takes place. And some parents are more elderly and they're
not really able to travel and the decision to change status happens in the US. Remember
that if the decision to do this in the US, you have to wait at least 90 days. Before
you file the petition to avoid any presumption of fraud, or immigrant intent because most
of these people are coming here as visitors. So, hopefully, this information was helpful.
We get a lot of questions about how to immigrate your parents. So now, there are two ways to
do it, Adjustment of Status or consular processing from the embassy abroad. So, any questions,
make sure you post them in the comments below. If you see this video for the first time,
subscribe. I will be very grateful. And share this with somebody who may need this. You
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Thank you for watching.