As a U.S. citizen, when can I sponsor my parents?
When you turn 21!
While green card holders can get green cards only for their husband or wife and children, U.S. citizens have been granted the privilege to sponsor their parents, husband or wife, children and their brothers and sisters for U.S. green cards. To sponsor your mother or father, you must be of age 21 or older. You cannot file a petition for your parents until you turn 21.
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is the immigrant petition you will have to file to sponsor your father or mother. As you are a U.S. citizen, your parents will be considered to be immediate relatives under the U.S. immigration laws. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens need not spend time waiting for their priority dates to become current. For such relatives, immigrant visa numbers will be made available soon after their immigrant petitions are approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
For more information on supporting documents and applications process, check out our page on Green Card for Parents!
Check out our immigration blog for more immigration facts!