QUESTION
How do I petition my mom who used to have green card?
Asked on Feb 02nd, 2017 on Immigration - Georgia
More details to this question:
She was able to get a green card by marrying my stepdad who was a US citizen. They moved to the Philippines and stayed for over 10 years. During that time, they got divorced and he is now deceased. I'm assuming I can petition her because I am a US citizen over the age of 21. Are there other ways to go about this due to her circumstances?
1 ANSWER
Generally, if a person becomes a Lawful Permanent Resident (gets a "Green Card") and then moves overseas for 10 years, she will be deemed to have abandoned her residence in the U.S. and to have abandoned her Permanent Resident status. At that point she would need to start all over with immigration-related applications. A U.S. citizen over the age of 21 may sponsor a parent for "consular processing" in the immediate relative visa category, and it would be wise for you and your mother to consult with an immigration attorney who, after learning all of the relevant information, could advise about eligibilities, options and strategies, and who then could offer legal representation in the often quite complex application process.
Answered on Apr 10th, 2017 at 9:02 AM