Having your first child is an exciting time. Yet, if you left your home country to come and live in the U.S., it can also be a sad time. If your parents remain back home, they will miss out on your child growing up.
Grandparents play an essential role in a child’s life. They can also be a big help for you as a new parent, teaching you about parenting and helping out with childcare so that you can work. Fortunately, there may be options to bring your parents to join you in the U.S.
You can only bring your parents permanently if you hold citizenship
If you are a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a permanent residency visa for your parents. To do so, you must complete Form I-130.
If you have a Green Card but are not yet a U.S. citizen, you have two options:
- Either apply for a temporary visa for your parents,
- Or complete the naturalization process and then apply for a permanent residency for them.
You must be a U.S. citizen if you want to get permanent residency for your parents.
Do my parents need to be married for my father to come to the U.S.?
If your parents were not married when you were born, you would need to provide extra paperwork for your father. What this includes depends on when they registered paternity and your relationship with your father before turning 21 years old or marrying.
Immigration visa applications are hard to get right. Many people apply each year, and many get turned down due to application errors. Having help to complete all the forms correctly and collect the evidence increase the chance you can bring your family together.