Many parents want to give their children any opportunity they can. Especially if you come from a country with less economic opportunity or some kind of instability, you may view living and working in the United States as the best option for you and your loved ones.
Through your career, your education or your relationships, you may eventually be able to lawfully enter the United States. Naturally, you would like to extend that good fortune to your children as well. How can you help your children enter the United States based on your immigration status?
If you have a visa
If you recently secured a visa due to marrying a citizen, pursuing a higher education or obtaining a job, your children may be able to travel to the United States with you. Subordinate visas for dependent family members are available in most visa programs and will allow you to bring unmarried children under the age of 21 with you when you enter the country.
If you are a permanent resident
Once you have a green card, you have slightly improved opportunities to help your loved ones enter the United States. For example, you could sponsor a family member for a green card via a family preference visa.
The best opportunities still prioritize underage children who have not yet married. However, there is also a lower preference category for the children in your family who are over the age of 21 but who have not yet gotten married.
If you become a naturalized citizen
As a citizen, you have the most tools available to you to help your loved ones enter the country. You have the option of not only supporting your minor children and unmarried children, but even your older children who already have families of their own.
You may need to submit documentation confirming your relationship with them, and you may also need to be patient. Depending on the visa program and the number of applications submitted, you may have to apply multiple years in a row in order to achieve your goal of helping your loved one enter the United States to live permanently.
Exploring different family-based immigration options can help those living in the United States reconnect with loved ones abroad and to assist them in taking advantage of a number of opportunities.