Parents typically want to give their children every opportunity that they can for a successful life. Leaving a country with limited economic development could have a major impact on someone’s future.
Parents who have obtained immigration opportunities or who already live in the United States may want to help their foreign national children enter the United States. There are an assortment of different ways in which a parent can potentially achieve that goal.
How can parents assist their children with lawful entry into the United States?
With an employment visa
Some parents are technically foreign nationals themselves. They obtain a visa that allows them to legally enter the country for work or business purposes. Parents can share that good fortune with other members of their immediate family. Spouses can travel with someone who obtains an employment visa. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may also grant a subordinate visa to the children of someone with a work visa. Typically, only unmarried children under the age of 21 can qualify for visas through a parent.
After getting a green card
A parent who has become a permanent resident could share that good fortune with their children. The family preference visa program includes visa opportunities for the children of lawful permanent residents. There are two types of family preference visas available for the children of permanent residents. Unmarried children under the age of 21 receive priority consideration, but unmarried children who are over 21 can also potentially qualify for a green card of their own.
Through United States citizenship
The most expansive immigration opportunities are available to those who are United States citizens themselves. A parent who is a natural-born citizen or a naturalized citizen could help their children secure a green card. Citizen parents are the only ones who can sponsor married children for entry into the United States. There are programs for both minor children and unmarried children over the age of 21 as well. Children seeking visas or green cards are subject to the same background checks and medical requirements as other immigrants.
Parents familiar with the different options for assisting their children may have an easier time navigating the complicated family-based immigration process. Learning more about family immigration options, and seeking legal guidance whenever necessary, may benefit those with loved ones still living abroad.