If you have a close family member who is a US citizen, you may be qualified to apply for green card through family sponsorship. There are in fact many green card options for green card family sponsorship. For example, US citizens can sponsor immediate relatives, including children, spouses, and their dependents. US citizens can also sponsor their siblings as well as other family members. Lawful permanent residents, on the other hand, can sponsor immediate relatives only.
When considering your options for applying for a green card through family sponsorship, carefully consider your options. If you have more than one family member who is a US citizen, for example, carefully consider which person would make the best sponsor. The waiting times for family sponsored green cards very widely. In general, the closer your relationship to a family member, the less time you need to wait in order to get your permanent residence. However, the country where you are applying from can also make a difference to the amount of time you will need to wait to get your green card. In addition to considering your family relationship, you will need to also consider the financial situation of potential sponsors. Family members who sponsor you for a green card will need to sign an affidavit of support, promising to financially support you while you are in the US. Your sponsors will also need to show that they have the financial means to support you in the US.
You may wish to check the USCIS website in order to view the current waiting times for different family sponsorship categories. You may find that in some cases you may need to wait years in order for a green card to become available for you, even if you have a close family relationship with a US citizen. This is the case especially if you are emigrating from a country that already accepts many immigrants into the US every year. In some cases, you may wish to consider all your options for immigrating to the US. For example, you may find that applying through employment sponsorship rather than family sponsorship can get you to the US sooner so that you can be reunited with your family more quickly. When applying for a green card, it pays to consider all your options – including family sponsorship – and to choose the option that makes the most sense.
