Immigration is frequently an issue of great urgency for a lot of families, particularly when they have had to leave a member of their family behind. However, the good news is that families do not have to abandon hope as there is a method of petitioning for relatives to be able to get a green card.
There are a number of routes for bringing over to the United States a member of your family, depending on what your relationship to them is – parent, sibling or spouse? There are links to the right paperwork needed for every family member on the USCIS website. In order to petition for a spouse you need to fill out Form I-130. When the form is turned in, you also have to provide evidence of US citizenship, evidence regarding your relationship – such as a marriage license – and evidence of a legal name, if applicable. Should the citizen be deceased but a different family member wants to petition for the widower or widow, this form and attending documents can still be used.
Immediate relatives include immigrant relatives that are children, parents and spouses of the US citizen. They can file Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status, and Form I-130, which allows a green card to be awarded simultaneously.
Those relatives who fall outside of the category of immediate relative get broken down by preference. Form 130 needs to be completed in order to petition for the spouse of someone who holds a green card or a child of that person who is over 21 years of age.