QUESTION
Can I apply for multiple green cards for different people simultaneously?
Asked on Dec 27th, 2013 on Immigration - Texas
More details to this question:
I'm 21 and I'm a full time college student and work part time at a store. I'm planning on applying for a green card for both my parents and my sister (underage). My questions are: can I apply for the three of them simultaneously? And what are the chances of them being approved since my income is not very high since I just work part time? Also, how long does the process usually take? Thanks!
7 ANSWERS
Civil Litigation Attorney serving New York, NY
at
Havens & Lichtenberg PLLC
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Your ability to petition the government for immigrant visas for your family depends on your status: to bring in your parents and sister, you have to be a U.S. citizen. If you are a U.S. citizen, you can file immigrant petitions for your parents and sister simultaneously. If your income is below the federal poverty guideline (in your case - $29437 a year), you will have to find a co-sponsor who is a U.S. citizen or has a green card, and has income that exceeds the federal poverty guideline for his family plus 3 (For example, if the co-sponsor has a wife and a child, his income has to be over $39487 a year). You can expect that the process will take 12 to 18 months, depending on the country where your parents live.
Answered on Jan 02nd, 2014 at 4:58 AM
Immigration and Naturalization Attorney serving San Diego, CA
Partner at
Feldman Feldman & Associates, PC
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Yes you can file for all three but your parents will take about a year and your sister 10-12 years. It may make more sense for your parents to file for your sister once they are in the U.S. or look for another nonimmigrant option for your sister to join you sooner.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 9:19 PM
Generally, an adult U.S. citizen may apply for both his parents simultaneously (through adjustment of status if they are located in the U.S., through consular processing if they are located abroad) in the "Immediate Relative" visa category for which visas are currently available. That same citizen also may apply for his sister, but in the Family-Based Fourth Preference (FB4) visa category, for which there is a many-year backlog for visas. The FB4 application now would be only an Application for Relative Alien Form I-130, and adjustment of status or consular processing for the sister will not be possible until that visa category becomes "current." It is impossible to determine how long the FB4 backlog will last, since a year's worth of backlog is not necessarily cleared each 12-month period, so for planning purposes it may be appropriate to expect a visa to become currently available in the FB4 category 10 - 15 years after a Form I-130 application is filed. As you can see, this rarely is a satisfactory immigration strategy and often it is helpful to explore other potential eligibilities for a sibling of a U.S. citizen. As a part-time worker/full-time student, If your earnings are insufficient to meet the requirements associated with the required Affidavit of Support that must be filed for each parent, then it will be necessary to have a "joint sponsor" with sufficient current income. It would be wise to engage an immigration attorney to represent you and your family in assessing eligibilities, options and strategies, and in assuring that applications are properly prepared and fully documented.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Immigration Attorney serving Arlington, TX
at
Law Office of Pho Ethan Tran, PLLC
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You can petition for parents and sister at the same time. However, whether they will be eligible to receive a green card or not will depend on the particular circumstances of their case and whether they have previously violated any immigration laws that would require them to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 11:49 AM
You may apply for as many relatives as you wish but you will need to show sufficient income to sponsor them or get a joint sponsor.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 10:42 AM
Yes, but you will need a joint sponsor for the affidavit of support requirement at the end of the process. Your petition for your sister will take more than 10 years and this category may be ended in the future.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 10:38 AM
Bruce A. Coane
The I-130 visa petition does not have an income requirement, so there is no issue. For the parents, if they also do adjustment of status or consular processing, there will be an income requirement and if your income is not sufficient, you will need to get a financial co-sponsor.
Answered on Dec 27th, 2013 at 10:28 AM