Family-based immigration allows people to legally enter the United States. Unlike restrictive visa programs, family-based immigration often leads to a green card. Immigrants can potentially enter the country with more certainty about their ability to stay indefinitely if they obtain a green card through family immigration.
Those who have a green card become lawful permanent residents. They can potentially stay in the United States for the rest of their lives. They will have to file paperwork with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) every 10 years to renew their green cards, and they will also need to follow domestic laws.
Permanent residents have more opportunities and rights than those with visas typically do. Many people use family-based immigration programs to help their children or spouses enter the country with a green card. Are there immigration options for someone’s siblings?
Some siblings can obtain green cards
The extended family of someone living in the United States may qualify for family-based immigration opportunities. There are family preference visas and green card programs for the family members of those lawfully living in the United States. Both the immigration status of the United States resident and the nature of their relationship with someone else influence what options they have.
While visa holders and permanent residents can sponsor spouses and certain children, citizens have far more options. Some family-based immigration programs are only an option for citizens and their family members living abroad.
If someone wants their brother or sister to join them in the United States, they will usually need to secure citizenship. Someone who is already a citizen could help a sibling or half-sibling who is a citizen of another country obtain a green card. Proof of the relationship between the two parties, including birth certificates naming the same parents, is typically necessary. The citizen also needs documentation proving their immigration status.
A permanent resident with siblings living abroad may need to consider naturalization. Otherwise, they likely cannot directly support brothers and sisters hoping to lawfully enter the United States. Learning more about the different green card programs for family immigration may help people share their good fortune with their loved ones.