Child Green Card, Child Visa - Do It Yourself Kit Child

Q: As a U.S. citizen, what kind of family members can I sponsor for U.S. Green Card?

A: You may submit an application for a Green Card if you have a close family relation. You can sponsor the following family members:

Q: Who can be a beneficiary for U.S. immigration? and what are the immigration "preferences"?

A. The "immediate relatives" of a U.S. citizen, including parents, spouses, widows, and children of a U.S. Citizen (children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age), can immigrate to the United States without being subject to any visa numerical restrictions.

They can apply for the permanent resident status without any waiting time. The rest of the beneficiaries are divided into several groups called "preferences." Each preference is given a numerical quota per year to limit the number of immigrants admitted into the United States. The four preferences are as follows:

Q. How do I know if I qualify as a beneficiary or not?

A. Beneficiaries are strictly defined, and one has to meet the definition of its category at the time that the application of adjustment of status is approved. Those who do not meet the definitions cannot immigrate to the United States through family based immigration.

An "immediate relative" of a U.S. citizen is the spouse, parent, widow, or child of the U.S. citizen. Specifically, a "child" is the son or daughter of a U.S. citizen, who is unmarried and under the age of 21. An adopted child qualifies as long as the adoption was finalized before the child's 16th birthday. A stepchild qualifies as long as the marriage had occurred before the stepchild's 18th birthday. A "parent" must meet the same test as for the "child". One thing to point out is that a father-in-law or mother-in-law of a U.S. citizen are not "parents" of the U.S. citizen for immigration purposes.

Q: What are the definitions of "child" in the immigration law?

A: Immigration law defines a “child” as an unmarried person under the age of 21 (a minor) who is:

Q: What is the definition of "immediate relative" for U.S. Citizen's children?

A: U.S. citizens with unmarried children under the age of 21 may sponsor them as "Immediate Relatives." Immediate Relatives are eligible to apply for a Green Card immediately, without waiting for a "Priority Date" to become current.

U.S. citizens may also sponsor children who are married or over the age of 21, however these children will not qualify as "Immediate Relatives." Applicants in this category will need to wait for their "Priority Date" to be current before they are eligible to apply for a Green Card.

Q: What is the distinction in eligibility for "First Preference of unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens" and a child of an "immediate relative of a U.S. citizen"?

A: The only distinction in eligibility between a child in this category ("First Preference of unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens") and a child of an "immediate relative of a U.S. citizen" is that the child in this category is over 21 years old. That means to qualify as a "child" in this category, the person must be the son or daughter of a U.S. citizen, who is unmarried and over the age of 21.

An adopted child qualifies as long as the adoption was finalized before the child's 16th birthday, the adoptive parents have legal custody of the child for two years (before or after the adoption), and the child resides with the adoptive parents for two years (before or after the adoption). A stepchild qualifies as long as the marriage had occurred before the stepchild's 18th birthday.

Immediate family members of the married alien child may also apply for a Green Card with the child. The annual visa allotment available for this preference is 23,400, plus any visas not used by the fourth preference. Please see "Visa Bulletin" for the latest information on usage of the visa quota.

Q: What are the two scenarios for First Preference - unmarried children of U.S. citizens to apply for immigration petition?

A: The first scenario is that the child is already in the United States in a nonimmigrant status. In this case, the U.S. citizen may only file an immigration petition (I-130) for the alien child. The child has to wait for the immigrant visa number to become current before he or she may apply to adjust to permanent resident (Form I-485). During this waiting period, the child needs to independently maintain a valid nonimmigrant status.

The second scenario is that the child is outside the United States. In this case, the U.S. citizen needs to file an immigration petition and request that the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services notify a U.S. Consulate in the country where the child lives. Once the immigration petition is approved and an immigrant visa is available, the National Visa Center of the U.S. State Department sends a forms and information package, "Packet 3", to the U.S. citizen. After the necessary forms are completed, the child goes to the U.S. Consulate overseas to apply for an immigrant visa. On the day that the child enters the United States on an immigrant visa, he or she becomes a U.S. permanent resident.

Q: I become U.S. citizen recently. What is the immigration process for my children who are over 21 years old to get their Green Cards?

A: An immigrant (also called a Green Card holder and "lawful permanent resident") is a foreign national who has gone through the U.S. immigration process and been granted the privilege of living and working permanently in the United States. Your child or children must go through a multi-step immigration process to become an immigrant and obtain a Green Card.

First, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must approve an immigrant petition that you file for your children. Second, the State Department must give your children an immigrant visa number, even if your children are already in the United States. Third, if your children are already in the United States, your children may apply to adjust to permanent resident status when a visa number becomes available. If your children are outside the United States when an immigrant visa number becomes available, your children will be notified to go to the local U.S. Consulate to complete the immigration processing for an immigrant visa

Q: How to get an immigrant visa number for my child?

A: If you are a U.S. Citizen and the immigrant visa petition is approved for your unmarried child under the age of 21, an immigrant visa number will be immediately available to them, no waiting time needed.

If the immigrant visa petition is approved for your unmarried child 21 years of age or older, or for your married child, they must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available according to the preference system.

If you are a legal permanent resident (Green Card holder) and the immigrant visa petition is approved for your unmarried child of any age, they must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available according to the preference system.

Q: An immediate immigrant visa number is not available for my child. What should I do after I-130 form submitting?

A: You will be notified by the USCIS when your I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is approved or denied. If it is approved, your child will be notified when a visa number is available.

If your child is outside the country, your child must then go to the local U.S. Consulate for processing. If your child is legally inside the United States when a visa number becomes available, your child should apply to adjust to permanent resident status.

Q: I am a U.S. Citizen, and my son is unmarried child 24 years older. How long must he wait for an immigrant visa number?

A: Those that must wait according to the preference system may not get an immigrant visa number immediately after the immigrant visa petition is approved for them, because the number of immigrant visa numbers that are available each year is limited.

In some cases, several years could pass between the time USCIS approves the immigrant visa petition and the U.S. State Department provides an immigrant visa number. Because U.S. law also limits the number of immigrant visas available by country, they may have to wait longer if they come from a country with a high demand for U.S. immigrant visas.

Q: As a U.S. permanent resident, can I sponsor my married child for Green Card application?

A: A U.S. citizen may petition for a Green Card to bring a child to live and work in the United States permanently, regardless of the child's age or marital status. A lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) may only petition for an unmarried child of any age.

Children of lawful permanent residents may be sponsored only if they are unmarried, and should not marry prior to the Green Card approval. However, if they marry after the I-130 application has been filed, the petition will be deemed invalid, and neither the person nor the new spouse would be able to become a Green Card holder based on the Form I-130 filing.

Therefore, unmarried children of lawful permanent residents, who are the beneficiaries of I-130 petitions based on this relationship, should not marry if sponsorship by a lawful permanent resident parent is the only avenue available to them for obtaining permanent residence.

Q: As a new U.S. permanent resident, can I apply for Green Card for my son together with my wife? My son was born abroad prior to the grant of my permanent residence.

A: Unmarried children who were born abroad prior to the grant of your U.S. permanent residence can apply for U.S. immigration, same as spouses who married before the Green Card approval. They may adjust status to permanent residence by undergoing the consular processing.

Children of the new permanent resident who are born in the United States are U.S. citizens. They may be entitled to dual citizenship of the U.S. and the parent's home country, depending upon that country's laws.

Q: My daughter was born abroad after my I-485 status adjustment application approval. Can we use my priority date to apply for her Green Card?

A: The permanent resident's children born abroad after the principal's adjustment date are also entitled to the same priority date and procedure to obtain permanent resident status, if born in a marriage that occurred prior to the adjustment of status. This can be important when the derivative spouse is expecting a baby, but the baby is born after the Green Card case is approved.

Q: Both my wife and I are Green Card holders. If my baby is born in our home country, is the baby born abroad still the U.S. permanent resident?

A: Once both husband and wife are permanent residents, they may face the decision whether to have their children born in the U.S. or in the home country. Some people chose to have their children in the home country to be close to their families. Children born abroad to permanent resident mothers are U.S. permanent residents, if certain conditions are met.

The requirements are that such a child must be brought to the U.S. on the mother's first return trip, which must occur before the child is two years of age. The child in this situation does not need a visa. The necessary paperwork is processed at the port of entry, based on the mother's permanent resident status and the child's birth certificate.

Q: After my son gets into U.S. with an immigrant visa, does he needs to apply for Work Permit to work in U.S.?

A: Your son does not need to apply for a work permit once he is admitted as an immigrant with Green Card (immigrant visa), or has already been approved for adjustment to permanent resident status. As a legal permanent resident, your child should receive Green Car that will prove that he has gone through the U.S. immigration process, and has a right to live and work in the United States permanently.

If your child is now outside the United States, he will receive a passport stamp upon arrival in the United States. This stamp will prove that he is allowed to work until a Green Card is created.

If your child is in the U.S. and has applied to adjust to permanent resident status (by filing USCIS Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), he is eligible to apply for a work permit while his case is pending if he is over the age of 14. Your child should use USCIS Form I-765 to apply for a work permit.

Q: What is the following-to-join benefit for permanent resident's children to obtain a Green Card?

A: If you had children who did not obtain permanent residence at the same time as you did, they may be eligible for follow-to-join benefits. This means that you do not have to submit a separate Form I-130 for your children. In addition, your children will not have to wait any extra time for a visa number to become available. In this case, you may simply notify a U.S. consulate that you are a permanent resident so that your children can apply for an immigrant visa.

You should also be prepared to prove that you meet the income requirement of a sponsor. Your household income should be sufficient to support your family at 125% or more above the U.S. poverty level for your household size.

Q: As a U.S. permanent resident, how could I know if my children are eligible for following-to-join benefits?

A: If you had children before you obtained a Green Card (became a permanent resident), your children may be eligible to receive following-to-join benefits. This means that you would not have to submit a separate USCIS Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for your children, and your children will not have to wait any extra time for a visa number to become available. The relationship should exist at the time you became a permanent resident and still exists.

Q: As a U.S. permanent resident, my daughter was born before I obtained a Green Card, do I need to file Form I-130 for her to get Green Card?

A: The permanent residents are not required to file an immigrant petition (Form I-130) on behalf of qualifying children born before the sponsoring parent obtained a Green Card. A child of a permanent resident in this category may apply for a Green Card without having an approved Immigrant Petition.

This process is known as "accompanying" or "follow-to-join." Permanent residents who have "adjusted" to Lawful Permanent Resident status in the U.S. must file Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition in order to notify the appropriate consulate that their child will "accompany" or "follow-to-join."

Children born outside the United States after the sponsoring parent obtained a Green Card must have an approved Form I-130 Immigrant Petition in order to be eligible to apply for a Green Card. In addition to an approved Immigrant Petition, a foreign child in this category must have a current "Priority Date."

Q: What is the “aging out” for permanent resident's child immigrant application?

A: If a person filing for Green Card application is 21 or less and unmarried, he or she will be able to file as a child. However, if the child’s parents are legal permanent residents, not U.S. citizens, there is the danger of “aging out.”

Even after the papers are filed for permanent residency, it can take many months or even years to officially register the adjustment of status. In the meantime, the person could turn 21, and no longer qualify as a child, thus “aging out.” Now, he or she must start all over again to file as an adult.

“Aging out” only applies to children of legal permanent residents, or Green Card holders, not children of U.S. citizens. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) mandates that a U.S. citizen can avoid aging out by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. By using this form, you can “lock in” a certain time, with the person’s age at the time being the operative age.

Q: What is the relief in the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to children who “age-out”?

A: The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was enacted to provide relief to children who “age-out” as a result of delays by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in processing immigrant visa applications. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines a “child” as an unmarried individual under 21 years of age. The CSPA does not change this definition, but instead changes the point at which the child’s age is calculated.

Prior to the CSPA, an application for permanent residency as a direct or derivative beneficiary child would be approved only if adjudicated prior to the child turning 21. Upon turning 21, a child would “age out” and lose the preferential status of a child. As the result of agency backlogs and delays, many children aged out before their cases were complete. For cases to which it pertains, the CSPA now locks in the age of the child at an earlier date in the process, and in this way will preserve the status of “child” for many individuals who otherwise would age out.

Q: What are the new methods of calculating a child’s age in an immigration application?

A: The new method of calculating a person’s age varies depending on the type of immigration benefit that is sought. The CSPA applies to:

Q: What is the CSPA method of age calculation for a child of U.S. citizen?

A: Under the CSPA, when a U.S. citizen parent petitions for the immigration of a child, the age of the child will be locked in as of the date that the parent files the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. Thus, if a U.S. citizen father files an I-130 for his unmarried daughter when the daughter is 20, the daughter will retain the status of a “child” even if the visa petition or adjustment of status application is not adjudicated until the daughter is 22 years old.

Q: How to calculate a child's age after a permanent resident patent naturalizing to U.S. citizen?

A: In this case, it will involve conversion of a petition from a preference category to the Immediate Relative category. When an permanent resident petitions for a child under the F2A preference category, and the permanent resident naturalizes as U.S. citizen while the petition is pending, the age of the child will be locked in on the date of the parent’s naturalization. If the child is under 21 on that date, the petition will be converted to an Immediate Relative petition.

Q: Will the CSPA affect a U.S. citizen's married child?

A: When a U.S. citizen parent files a petition for a married son or daughter, and the son or daughter legally terminates the marriage while the petition is pending, the son or daughter’s age will be locked in on the date that the marriage is legally terminated. If under 21, the petition will be converted to an Immediate Relative petition.

Q: How to determine the age of the child of a Permanent Resident in CSPA?

A: The process for determining the age of the child of an Legal Permanent Resident, or the derivative of a family-based, employment-based or diversity visa is more complicated. In these cases, the beneficiary’s age will be locked in on the date that the priority date of the visa petition becomes current, subtract the number of days that the petition is pending, but only if the beneficiary seeks to acquire the status of an Legal Permanent Resident within one year of the date the visa became available. This formula can be broken down into three steps:

Q: How to understand the formula for locked child's age of a Permanent Resident in CSPA?

A: The first two steps will determine the child’s age. This age will only lock in, however, if the third step is met. The first step is to determine the child’s age at the time that a visa number became available for the child, or in the case of derivatives, when a visa number became available for the child’s parent. Both the USCIS and the DOS state that a visa number becomes available on the first day of the month that the DOS Visa Bulletin says that the priority date has been reached.

If the visa number is already available when the I-130 is approved, however, the agencies interpret the “visa availability” date for the CSPA as the date that the I-130 is approved. DOS rejected an alternate interpretation that a visa number is distinguishable from a visa, and that a visa number becomes available when the priority date becomes current, even if the visa itself is not available yet.

Q: What are the relationship requirements to file an immigration petition for adopted child?

A: In the immigration regulation, a stepmother is actually considered a closer relationship than an adoptive mother. An adoptive relationship must meet more requirements:

Q: Why these are strict regulations on immigration petitions based on adoptive relationships?

A: There is a rationale for treat stepchildren on a more favorable standard than adopted children on immigration petitions. It is primarily fraud prevention. Many U.S. citizens, especially naturalized citizens, have relatives with children in foreign countries. They may intend to bring these children to the US.

If there are no strict regulations on immigration petitions based on adoptive relationships, many people may take advantage of the system. Although fraudulent activities also happen in marriage-based immigration, it is harder to cheat the USCIS in a marriage relationship than in an adoptive relationship.

Q: How to appeal if a Green Card application is denied for my child?

A: If the visa petition you filed for your child is denied, the denial letter will tell you how to appeal. Generally, you may appeal within 33 days of receiving the denial. After your appeal form and a required fee are processed, the appeal will be referred to the Board of Immigration Appeals in Washington, D.C.

A: You may check the status of your application or case online, by phone, or by contacting an appropriate USCIS office. You may also want to review U.S. Visa Wait Times and USCIS Immigration Processing Times. For assistance outside of the U.S., contact the nearest U.S. Consulate. For assistance within the U.S., contact your nearest USCIS District Office or Sub Office, or call the national USCIS toll-free information service at 1-800-375-5283

If the visa petition you filed for a Green Card for your child is denied, the denial letter will tell you how to appeal. Generally, you may appeal within 33 days of receiving the denial by mail. After your appeal form and a required fee are processed, the appeal will be referred to the Board of Immigration Appeals in Washington, D.C.

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Q: My son and I have U.S. Green Card based on my marriage to U.S. citizen husband. We are now conditional permanent residents. It is true that the conditional Green Card will expires after two years for my son also, unless necessary steps are taken?

A: Aliens who obtain permanent residence (Green Card) based upon a petition filed by a U.S. citizen spouse may be subject to conditional residence status for two years. Permanent residence will be conditional, if the duration of the marriage has been less than two years at the time permanent residence is granted. This means that it will expire after two years, unless the Form I-751 is filed and approved. This allows the USCIS to double check and reassess whether the marriage was real at the time of its inception.

This same conditional grant of permanent residence is extended to children who obtain permanent residence based upon the marriage of that parent to a U.S. citizen, when the marriage is less than two years in duration. If the parent's marriage is not real, then the children of the alien can not obtain any immigration benefits as the result of the marriage.

Q: I am U.S. citizen. My son with H-1B visa is in U.S. and he has married. How could he adjusts his status in U.S. if the Form I-130 is approved for him? In another words, what is the availability of a visa number for him? and what is the process for adjusting status for him?

A: To adjust status in the United States or to get U.S. Green Card, an immigrant visa number must be readily available to the alien immigrant. Each year, a certain number of immigrant visas are available for alien immigrants. The available immigrant visa numbers and their current "priority dates" can be checked at the monthly Visa Bulletin issued by the U.S. Department of State.

The Priority Date is the date on which an immigrant visa petition is filed with the USCIS. Therefore, an alien immigrant can apply to adjust status only when his or her priority date is "current". The immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens are exempted from this requirement as they are not subject to the immigrant visa quota system. But other relatives of U.S. Citizens, such as U.S. citizen's married child or U.S. citizen's brother or sister, are subject to the immigrant visa quota system.

By filing USCIS form I-485 - Application to Register Permanent Residence of Adjust Status, an alien immigrant can adjust his or her status to a lawful permanent resident within the United States, if the alien immigrant can meets the requirements and is not subject to any ground of inadmissibility. Also, the alien immigrant needs to submit other mandatory governmental forms, relevant documents, and application fees to USCIS.

Q: When I filed Form I-130 for my spouses and minor children several years ago, I was U.S. permanent residents. About 6 months ago, I naturalized to U.S. citizenship and relocated to another state. But for near one year, I never got any message from USCIS, for my pending I-130 case. Do you know what is wrong? and what should I do?

A: For family-based immigration, the Family 2A category is for spouses and minor children of U.S. permanent residents. The immigration visa number's waiting time could be long for this category - sometimes waiting for several years. Thus it is difficult for USCIS or DOS to communicate with petitioning relatives who have since relocated. Also, for some cases, USCIS may issue Request For Evidence (RFE) notice for cases that have not been approved.

When so much time has elapsed since the Form I-130 petition was initially filed, USCIS' mails may go to addresses that are long-since out of date. Many Form I-130 petitioners frequently are unaware of the need to update USCIS records when they change addresses. This is often the case for some petitioner who have forgot to file Form AR-11 to notify the USCIS for address change.

This is particularly so for U.S. citizens who are no longer subject to Form AR-11change-of-address requirements, since many I-130 petitioners filed as permanent residents, but naturalized to U.S. citizenship after filing. Therefore, USCIS always wishes to remind petitioners of the need to update the USCIS records regarding address changes.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen. Recently, I married my alien husband who has a daughter in his home country. How could I bring the step-daughter into the United States to live with us? As a stepmother now, do I need to adopt her first before file the immigration petition for her?

A: In the immigration regulation, a stepmother is actually considered a closer relationship than an adoptive mother, and there are less restrictions. However, an adoptive relationship must meet more requirements:

There is a rationale for treat stepchildren on a more favorable standard than adopted children on immigration petitions, and it is primarily fraud prevention. Many US citizens, especially naturalized citizens, have relatives with children in foreign countries. They may intend to bring these children to the US.

If there are no strict regulations on immigration petitions based on adoptive relationships, many people may take advantage of the system. Although fraudulent activities also happen in marriage-based immigration, it is harder to cheat the USCIS in a marriage relationship than in an adoptive relationship.

Q: I am a family-based new immigrant. I will sent out my Form I-1485 application to USCIS very soon. I have a 20 years son who will be included in my Form I-1485 application. I am worry about that he may reach 21 years old before the Form I-1485 approval. Could you please give me some idea about the "aging-out process"?

A: If one of dependent child is about to reach 21 years of age and seeks immigrant status as the dependent beneficiary of either family-based or employment-based immigration, it is the USCIS practice to take such case as the "top priority" case and expedite the process so that the Green Card applications for the entire family are adjudicated before the child reaches 21 years of age.

Consequently, not only the aging out child but also the parents and other siblings receive "expedite" processing and cases are approved in a fairly short period of time. This aging-out expedite process has been available in the USCIS.

Currently, aging-out expedite works well in the family-based proceedings. Such aging-out expedite works at the USCIS local district office one-step I-130/I-485 proceedings. The USCIS district offices approves I-485 applications for the entire family members in the event that a child will reach 21 years of age in a few months.

Q: My Form I-130 Application for my relative's immigration has been approved by USCIS recently. Now she received notice from U.S. National Visa Center (NVC) to file Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application. Please help us know more information about how to fill the electronic immigrant visa application form DS-260?

A: The Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application (also called "Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application") replaces the paper-based DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (parts I and II); while the Form DS-261 Choice of Address and Agent will replace the DS-3032 Choice of Address and Agent.

The Department of State (DOS) has implemented use of the DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, and the DS-261, Choice of Address and Agent. These two forms are used for immigrant visa applicants processing at all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. The online forms are submitted to DOS through the Consular Electronic Applications Center (CEAC) website at https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/. In order to access the online forms, the applicant must input his or her NVC case number and invoice I.D. number.

All of the information entered online is accessible by the National Visa Center (NVC) and the consular posts, the applicant is not required to submit a paper version to the NVC or bring a copy to the visa interview.

    * Most fields on the DS-260 must be completed before the application can be submitted to DOS. The system will not allow you to continue without providing the required information unless the field is specifically marked "Optional."

    * If a mandatory field is left blank, an error message will appear and the applicant must complete the required field before proceeding with the form. A partially completed application can be saved by clicking on the "Save" button at the bottom of each page.

    * It is recommended that data be saved often to ensure information is not lost. A saved application can be accessed by returning to the website and selecting View/Edit from the Alien Registration section of the Immigrant Visa.

    * The applicant can continue completing the form by clicking on the "Edit" button on the right side of the application's listed status. Once all of the fields are completed, the applicant submits the form by clicking on the "Sign and Submit Application" button.

    * Should the applicant need to make any changes to the form after submission, he or she will have to contact the NVC to request access to the form. If a case has already been sent by NVC to the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate interview, any changes to the form will have to be made at the post.

Q: My parents are waiting for the U.S. citizen's brother/sister immigration visa, and I may be included to immigranting process together with my parents. Since I am 19 years old and and currently a college sudnet in my country, under the Child Status Protection Act, do I have to apply for U.S. immigration "within one-year requirement" when the U.S. immigration visas are avauilable for my parents?

A: U.S. immigration law normally limits dependent or derivative status to children who are under 21 years of age. For U.S. permanent resident (Green Card) application, the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) allows derivative benefits beyond the child's 21st birthday, if certain conditions are met.

Previously, a child who turned 21 years of age was no longer eligible to receive a Green Card as part of a parent's immigration case. This is true even if the child had aged out because of U.S. government's immigration processing delays. The Child Status Protection Act was intended to help alleviate this "chind aged out", and the Child Status Protection Act contains a formula for determining the child's CSPA age.

An important restriction to eligibility under the CSPA is the requirement that an applicant seeks to apply for U.S. permanent resident status within one year of an immigration visa becoming available. Therefore, to preserve the child's eligibility for immigration or U.S. Green Card, the child must apply for the U.S. immigration within one year of the time when the immigration visa for th child is considered to have become available.

The action that must be taken within the one year time period generally includes filing one of the following: an adjustment of status application (Form I-485), a following-to-join application (Form I-824), or an immigrant visa and alien registration application (DS-260).

The appropriate actions depend upon the location of the child. Any of these actions constitutes applying for U.S. permanent resident status, and it will suffice to freeze the CSPA child's age. Failure to take one of these actions within one year may result in loss of eligibility under CSPA for the child.

Q: To file Form I-130 for relative outside U.S., what kind of fees can be expected?

A: Immigration application related fees are charged for different services, such as fees for Department of State government services, fees for Visa Services, and fees for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):

Also, Form I-864 is required for most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants to show that they have adequate means of financial support and are not likely to rely on the U.S. government for financial support. There is no fee when filed with USCIS or abroad with the Department of State (DOS). DOS does charge a fee when this form is filed in the U.S.

Q: For USCIS Form I-864 Affidavit of Support, what are the differences between sponsor, joint sponsor, and substitute sponsor?

A: An affidavit of support is a document an individual signs to accept financial responsibility for another person, usually a relative, who is coming to the United States to live permanently. The person who signs the affidavit of support becomes the sponsor of the relative coming to live in U.S. The sponsor is usually the petitioner of an immigrant petition for a family member. An affidavit of support is legally enforceable; the sponsor's responsibility usually lasts until the family member or other individual either becomes a U.S. citizen, or can be credited with 40 quarters of work - usually 10 years.

A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting the family member with you. A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant. The joint sponsor, or the joint sponsor and his or her household, must reach the 125% income requirement alone. You cannot combine your income with that of a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement.

If the visa petitioner has died after approval of the visa petition but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decides to let the petition continue, a substitute sponsor must file a Form I-864 in place of the deceased visa petitioner.

Some other eligibility requirements apply to the substitute sponsor as well. He or she must be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident of at least 18 years of age who has a domicile in the U.S. And the sponsor must be a relative of yours. In order to be a substitute sponsor, you must be related to the intending immigrant in one of the following ways: Spouse; Parent; Mother-in-law; Father-in-law; Sibling; Child (if at least 18 years of age); Son; Daughter; Son-in-law; Daughter-in-law; Sister-in-law; Brother-in-law; Grandparent; Grandchild; Legal guardian of the beneficiary.

Serving as a substitute sponsor is a primarily financial relationship, and it involves filling out an Affidavit of Support on USCIS Form I-864. The Affidavit must indicate that the new sponsor is able to support the immigrants and his/her own household, at a level that is at or above 125% of the federal Poverty Guidelines. In fact, by filing Form I-864, the substitute sponsor promises the U.S. government to pay back any need-based public assistance that the named immigrants receive for approximately the first ten years of their having a green card.

Q: When I arrived U.S. las month, I did not complete the paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94. Do I really need the form as an admission process record?

A: Foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal visitor status to employers, schools/universities or government agencies can access their CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) arrival/departure record information online at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov.

CBP now gathers travelers’ arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records. Because advance information is only transmitted for air and sea travelers, CBP will still issue a paper form I-94 at land border ports of entry.

If travelers need the information from their Form I-94 admission record to verify immigration status or employment authorization, the record number and other admission information they are encouraged to get their I-94 Number.

Upon arrival, a CBP officer stamps the travel document of each arriving non-immigrant traveler with the admission date, the class of admission, and the date that the traveler is admitted until. If a traveler would like a paper Form I-94, one can be requested during the inspection process. All requests will be accommodated in a secondary setting.

Upon exiting the U.S., travelers previously issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the commercial carrier or to CBP upon departure. Otherwise, CBP will record the departure electronically via manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP.

An I-94 form is needed by all persons except U.S. Citizens, returning resident aliens, aliens with immigrant visas, and most Canadian citizens visiting or in transit. Air and Sea travelers will be issued I-94s during the admission process at the port of entry. A traveler lawfully admitted (or paroled) into the U.S. may print their lawful record of admission (I-94 form) from this CBP website. If someone requests your admission information, this is the form you would provide.

Q: I plan to sponsor my relatives for Green Card applicatin. What are the processing time and steps during the process?

A: If you are planning on acting as a green card sponsor for a family member, various factors can stretch the process into months, depending on how long it takes you to gather documents and prepare the appropriate paperwork; who you plan to sponsor; whether there is a limit on immigrant visa numbers given out in that category; and how backlogged the various USCIS offices that you will deal with are at the time.

First, you will need to fill out USCIS Form I-130, and attach your U.S. citizenship or Green Card evidence, as well as proof of your relationship to your family member. USCIS' process for the petition can take several months. Usually later, you will need to prepare an Affidavit of Support on Form I-864, together with documents proving that you are able and willing to support the immigrant at an amount that is at least 125% of the U.S. Poverty Guidelines.

In addition, your family member will need to prepare various documents as his or her own application for a green card. The exact forms and process depend on whether your relative will be adjusting status in the U.S. or going through consular processing from another country. Your relative will also need to undergo a medical exam, and get the doctor's report to submit with the green card application. At every step of the way, you will be dealing with a government agency that is backlogged with other applicants. The typical processing steps you may encounter include:

Q: My father is a Green Card holder, and he just applied Green Card for me. I am 19 years old at this time. What is the "Age-Out" for me if I reach age 21 while my I-485 application is still pending?

A: A child of a Permanent Resident who is seeking permanent residency and who will turn 21 will age out, and lose the original eligibility. In most cases, if the child turns 21 before the adjustment case is approved, the case moves into another preference category, which can result in a delay in the processing time.

For example, for a daughter of a permanent resident, if the parent's petition for her immigration was approved. She applied for I-485 adjustment of status while she was still 20 and unmarried. She was categorized as Family Based Immigration in the Second Preference F2A. If she reaches 21 while her application for I-485 adjustment is pending. She ages out and loses her eligibility as Family Base Immigration in the Second Preference F2A. If she stays unmarried, she now is qualified for Family Based Immigration in the Second Preference F2B.

Here the Second Section F2A is for spouses and unmarried children of a green card holder, if the children are younger than age 21. the Second Section F2B is for unmarried children age 21 or older of a green card holder.

Q: I am applying for U.S. Green Card based on marriage to a U.S. citizen. Can I can include my son from previous marriage in the immigration process?

A: If you are applying for U.S. Green Card (lawful permanent residence) based on marriage to a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident, your foreign-born child may be eligible to obtain green card along with you. This is true whether or not the foreign-born child is the biological children of your petitioning spouse.

But the foreign-born child would not get Green Card automatically. The child will have to go through the same or a very similar immigration application process as you do. The child will have to prove that he or she is not inadmissible, and that the child will be financially supported along with you.

If your child are unmarried and under age 21, he or she will be placed in the same immigrant category of applicant as you. The result will be that the child can get a visa or green card at the same time as you do.

If your child is married or over age 21, they may or may not be able to get an immigrant visa, and any visa they might get will take years longer than yours to obtain. The eligibility will depend in part on whether your spouse is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.

Q: As a green card holder, what are the basic requirements of Green Card petition for spouse or child?

A: The spouse or child of U.S. Permanent Resident category provides foreign spouses and children of permanent residents the opportunity to reunite with family living in the United States and become permanent residents. Permanent Residents have the right to live and work in the United States permanently, leave and return to the United States with few limitations, attend public schools and colleges and become a U.S. citizen when eligible to do so.

As a green card holder, or permanent resident, you may petition for certain family members to immigrate to the United States as permanent residents. You may petition for the following family members:

To be eligible for a Green Card as a spouse or child of a U.S. Permanent Resident, the foreign spouse and the U.S. lawful permanent resident must be legally married as evidenced by a valid marriage certificate. In addition, the lawful permanent resident must be residing in the United States at the time of the application.

Children of the lawful permanent resident must prove relationships through birth certificates, adoption papers and marriage certificates. Applicants must also meet certain health and character requirements.

If your relative is already in the United States legally, he or she may apply to adjust status to become a permanent resident after a visa number becomes available using Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

If your relative is outside the United States, your petition will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will forward your petition to the appropriate U.S. consulate when a visa becomes available and your relative will be notified about how to proceed. This process is referred to as “Consular Processing.”

Q: The Form I-130 application for my family members have been approved by USCIS. What is the next step for my family members to get an immigrant visa to enter United States.

A: After your form I-130 is approved by USCIS, the form U.S. Department of States form DS-260 is used to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa. The form DS-260 is an online Immigrant Visa Application and Registration form used to collect the needed application information from persons seeking U.S. immigrant visas. This form is completed and submitted online to the Department of State via the Internet through the Consular Electronic Applications Center (CEAC).

You can access the DS-260 from the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website, by going to Immigrant Visas.state.gov and clicking on “Submit Visa Application and Civil Documents,” or on the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate where you will apply.

After you pay your fees, you and each qualified family member immigrating with you must complete the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Form DS-260) in the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). You may wish to preview a sample DS-260 before beginning.

It is important to distinguish the mandatory use of the DS-260 for processing at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide from the "Electronic Processing Program" used for electronic submission of documents and the I-864 Affidavit of Support for processing at select embassies and consulates. Under this program, the I-864 is downloaded, completed, signed, scanned, saved as a PDF file and e-mailed to the NVC.

Also, the required civil documents and supporting documents must be converted to PDF files and then e-mailed to the NVC. For these select consular posts it is not required to mail the I-864, civil documents, and other supporting documents to the NVC, but the applicant must be prepared to present the original physical documents at the time of the visa interview. For all other posts, the I-864 and documentation are still mailed to the NVC.

For additional information on the DS-260, DS-261 and Electronic Processing Program, you should go to travel.state.gov and read the FAQs on DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application and the instruction pages on Required Electronic Processing and Optional Electronic Processing.

Q: How to Calculate the CSPA age for Aging out of Child Green Card Application

A: The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines a child as a person who is both unmarried and under 21 years old. If someone applies for lawful permanent resident (Green Card) status as a child but turns 21 before being approved for a Green Card, that person can no longer be considered a child for immigration purposes. This situation is commonly referred to as “aging out”, and often means that these applicants would have to file a new petition or application, wait even longer to get a Green Card, or may no longer be eligible for a Green Card.

U.S. Congress recognized that many children were aging out due to large USCIS processing backlogs, so it enacted the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to protect certain children from aging out. The CSPA went into effect on August 6, 2002.

CSPA does not change the definition of a child. Instead, CSPA provides a method for calculating a person’s age to see if they meet the definition of a child for immigration purposes. The calculated age is the child’s “CSPA age.” This allows some people to remain classified as children beyond their 21st birthday. However, CSPA does not change the requirement that you must be unmarried in order to remain eligible for classification as a child.

If you are a family preference, your CSPA age is calculated by subtracting the number of days your petition was pending (pending time) from your age on the date an immigrant visa becomes available to you - age at time of visa availability. However, you must remain unmarried in order to qualify.

The formula for calculating CSPA age is as follows: Age at Time of Visa Availability - Pending Time = CSPA Age

For example: If you are 21 years and 4 months old when an immigrant visa becomes available to you. Your petition was pending for 6 months. Your CSPA age is calculated as follows: 21 years and 4 months - 6 months = 20 years and 10 months.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen. One of my son was born to unmarried parents, can I apply for his Green Card?

A: If the petitioning spouse is a U.S. citizen and the unmarried children under 21 are his or her biological children, or are legal stepchildren because you and your spouse married when they were under age 18, they qualify for green cards as the U.S. petitioner's immediate relatives.

Immediate relatives are given high priority under the immigration laws, with no annual limits to slow their receipt of a green card. But they each need separate visa petitions filed on their behalf, using USCIS Form I-130.

Some of the visa possibilities for children of the immigrant depend on a biological parent-child relationship between the new U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse and the children. Thus, immigration law recognizes certain nonbiological parent-child relationships, and includes them as “children.” For children born to unmarried parents,

1) If the petitioner is the child’s mother, the case is handled just like any other child immigration application case.

2) But if the petitioner is the child’s father, he will have to prove that he was the biological father, and either had a real relationship with the child before the child turned 21, such as living together or financial support, or took legal steps to formally “legitimate” the child before his or her 18th birthday. At the time of legitimation, the child must have been in the legal custody of the father.

Q: How Turning 21 Will Affect My Son’s Eligibility for Green Card?

A: If your child turns 21 before his or her Priority Date has become current, that is, before visas are being allotted to people who applied at the same time as the primary immigrant, the child could be “age out,” or drop into a lower Visa Preference category (2B), with a longer waiting period.

However, with the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), a child can actually turn 21 without turning 21 in the immigration law. That is because the law allows you to subtract from the child’s age the amount of time that it took USCIS to approve your family’s immigrant visa petition. But this would not save every child.

Children who turn 21 after their Priority Date becomes current can keep their 2A status, but there is a catch. The child who has turned 21 must submit his or her green card application within a year of when the Priority Date became current.

Q: I am going to marry a U.S. permanent resident soon. I want to know my children’s U.S. visa eligibility after I marriage with a U.S. permanent resident.

A: If your spouse has a U.S. green card, your children who are unmarried and under age 21 are considered derivative beneficiaries. This means that the children will not need a separate initial visa petition (Form I-130) filed for them in order to be included in your immigration process. Unlike many other applicants, they also would not need to prove that the petitioning spouse is their parent or even stepparent, because they are riding on the immigrant's application. They will share the immigrant's place on the visa or green card waiting list, and most likely get a visa at the same time as the immigrant, provided they remain unmarried.

Children who have gotten married will not be able to immigrate to the United States at the same time with their parents. They will have no visa options until the petitioning spouse becomes a U.S. citizen, and files a visa petition for them in category 3 of the Visa Preference System, which has a very long waiting period. Of course, to do this, the spouse would have to prove that he or she is either the child’s legal stepparent or the biological parent.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen and recently married a foreign spouse. Is my stepchild eligible for a U.S. Green Card?

A: If the petitioning spouse is a U.S. citizen, and the unmarried children under 21 are his or her biological children or legal stepchildren, and if you married when they were under age 18, then the children qualify for Green Cards as the U.S. petitioner's immediate relatives. The immediate relatives are given high priority under the immigration laws, with no annual limits, and therefore waiting periods, to slow their receipt of a Green Card.

The children's Green Card should be approved at the same time as the immigrant spouse's, if they remain unmarried right up to the day they enter the U.S. with their immigrant visa; or if they are already in the US, receive approval of their adjustment of status application.

If any of your children marry before they receive a immigrant visa or Green Card, they will automatically drop into category 3 of the Visa Preference System, which is subject to long waiting periods.

If one of your children turns 21 before receiving an immigrant visa or Green Card, as long as the petitioner is a U.S. citizen and the child was under 21 when the visa petition was filed, the child will still be considered an immediate relative even after turning 21.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen, and filed Form I-130 immigration for my child. Can my child come to the United States to live while the visa petition is pending?

A: If you are a U.S. citizen, once you file Form I-130 for your chld's immigration, your child is eligible to apply for a nonimmigrant K-4 visa. This will entitle the child to come to the United States to live and work, or go to school while the visa petition is pending. To petition for this benefit, you may file Form I-129F. Seeking a K-4 visa can be a method for him or her to come to the United States more quickly.

K-4 visa application is a step for a child to obtain a visa to come to the United States while waiting for USCIS to make a decision on the Form I-130. Historically, you and your family members might have been separated for some time while waiting for a decision on your Form I-130. US Congress sought to resolve this problem by creating K-3 nonimmigrant visa to shorten the time your family would need to spend apart.

Q: My brother has paid the fee for his immigration visa application. What he needs to do to file the immigration visa application form online?

A: After you pay your fees and the status is updated to 'PAID', you and each qualified family member immigrating with you must complete the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Form DS-260).

After the NVC processes your payment, you can file Form DS-260 online through the CEAC. You need your case identification number, beneficiary ID number, and invoice number from the NVC’s welcome letter to access the form. Keep reading to learn about the questions you’ll need to answer.

Form DS-260 asks biographical questions, such as other names you have used and your date and place of birth. It also asks you to list every address you have physically lived at since the age of 16, not just the addresses you have used as permanent addresses.

You will also answer questions about any personal social media platforms you have used in the last five years. Be sure that all information on your social media accounts is consistent. Update any public information displayed on your accounts, such as your name or marital status, to reflect your actual name or status.

Immigration officials review your social media accounts to confirm your identity. They also want to ensure that you are not associated with groups that threaten U.S. security.

Q: As a U.S. citizen, can I file the immigration petition for my adoptive child? and how could I do it?

A: While U.S. citizens may sponsor any of the spouse, parent, brother/sister, or child, the lawful permanent residents may only petition a spouse or unmarried child. If you are filing the Form I-130 petition for a child or parent, you will need to select an option for the type of relationship: biological, stepchild/stepparent, or adoptive.

The immigration petitions with biological relationships are generally the most straightforward, but the immigration laws that affect step relationships and adoptive relationships get more complicated. For example, the marriage that created a stepchild/stepparent relationship must take place before the child’s 18th birthday. Petitioners with step or adoptive relationships will also have to submit additional documentation as evidence of the relationship.

There are some additional questions about adoptive relationships. These are generally easy to answer. However, as previously explained, adoptive relationships can make the visa petition process more complicated. There are two ways to bring an adopted child to the United States through the immigration process. You can petition a child either as an orphan or as a non-orphan.

First, you can bring a child to the United States if the child is a Non-Orphan Adopted Child. The criteria for this process are as follows: The legal adoption order must be from a court or other governmental entity and that the adoption process must be finalized before the child’s sixteenth birthday. You must have lived with your adopted child outside of the United States, and the child must have been in your legal custody, for at least two years.

If you meet the requirements, you can file a Petition for Alien Relative Petition (I-130 Petition). You may receive a notice to appear to your nearest USCIS office to submit additional documents or information. If the petition is approved, then the U.S. embassy or consulate can issue an immigrant visa on behalf of your adopted child.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen petitioning a newly married foreign spouse with Form I-130. Do I need to file a separate Form I-130 for her 14 years old son?

A: In U.S. immigration, the "children” includes only unmarried children under age 21. Include all children even if they will not be immigrating to the United States.

If the spouse and children also intend to immigrate to the United States, it may or may not be necessary to file separate Form I-130 petitions. This can be confusing for many petitioners. You are not required to file separate petitions for the beneficiary’s spouse or unmarried children under 21, if the beneficiary is your:

• Married son or daughter and you are a U.S. citizen
• Brother or sister and you are a U.S. citizen
• Spouse and you are a lawful permanent resident
• Unmarried child (under 21) and you are a lawful permanent resident
• Unmarried son or daughter (21 or older) and you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident

The spouse and children in these cases qualify as “derivative beneficiaries.” A separate Form I-130 is not required. Once the Form I-130 is approved and current, the derivative beneficiaries may apply for an immigrant visa (green card) at the same time as the principal beneficiary.

This is not the case for the spouse and children of immediate relatives. For example, if you are a U.S. citizen petitioning a spouse, you must file separate I-130 petitions for your spouse’s unmarried children under 21 years of age. This is one of the most overlooked details in the I-130 instructions.

	More Articles about Immigration and Green Card Application for Child
•	Green Card Application for a Child of U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
•	Child Immigration, Visa Number, and Required Documents for Relationship
•	Child Immigration Petition Process and Immigrant Visa Application
•	The "Age Out" for a Child at Age of 21, and the Child Status Protection Act
•	The "Following-To-Join" Benefit for Permanent Resident's Child to Get Green Card
•	Our Help Desk's Answers for Questions of Green Card Application for Children
•	Complete Do-It-Yourself Package for U.S. Citizen's or Permanent Resident's Child
•	The Green Card and Immigration Application for Children
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