If you hope to get a green card, relatives can help you secure permanent residency in the US if you have close relatives who are US citizens. If you have a relative who is a permanent resident or citizen of the US, you may be able to get a green card through family members. When it comes to a green card, family connections may allow you to secure a limited or unlimited green card.
If you have US family, immigration to the US and securing a green card are much simpler. Once you have a green card, you can legally work in the US without further work authorization and you can freely live anywhere in the US. You can even become a sponsor for a green card for relatives. Once you get a green card, family members and yourself are one step closer on the path to US citizenship as well.
If you apply for unlimited family green card immigration, you will not need to wait for a visa to become available. Instead, a visa will be available for you as soon as your petition is approved by the USCIS. You are eligible for unlimited green card family immigration if you are the widow, spouse, or unmarried minor child (under 21 years of age) of a US citizen. You may also be eligible for this type of family immigration if you have a child who is a US citizen and at least 21 years of age. However, if you are the new spouse of a US citizen, you may at first receive a conditional green card. After some time has elapsed, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent green card. This added precaution is intended to help prevent immigration fraud.
If you are not the immediate relative of a US citizen or if your US relative is a green card, you can still apply for family immigration and for a green card through family. However, you may need to wait longer, as you will need to wait until a visa becomes available for you. In some cases, this process can take months or years.
Even if you are the immediate relative of a green card holder, you may need to wait for some time before being reunited with your family. Speaking with a US immigration attorney can help you determine if there is a faster route to entering the US to be reunited with your family. For example, you may wish to enter on a visa and apply for a green card once in the US. However, you will still qualify for a limited family based immigration.