Do you have a foreign national who also happens to be a family member and you want to bring to the U.S.? Well, the good news is that you can bring to the U.S. through a family-based green card system. The bad news, however, is that the process can be quite complicated.
Your residency status as well as how you relate to the foreign national you intend to sponsor for the green card will greatly impact the outcome of your petition.
So, who can sponsor a sibling for the green card?
You must be a citizen of the U.S. to sponsor a sibling for the green card. And as far as the age requirement is concerned, you must be at least 21 years old.
What counts as a sibling?
Even when you are a U.S. citizen, you cannot sponsor just about anyone for a green card. While the definition of “family” may vary, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses the following legal parameters to define who qualifies as a sibling for migration purposes:
- A sibling with whom you share biological parents
- A sibling with whom you share one parent
- A step-sibling from either parent’s marriage
- An adopted sibling who was formally adopted by your family before turning 16
Besides meeting the legal definition of a sibling, they must also meet the U.S. admissibility requirements. A previous immigration violation or certain criminal convictions (like prior convictions for terror-related offenses) may be a stumbling block.
Getting it right
Yes, you can sponsor a sibling for the green card. Understanding how the U.S. immigration laws work can help you avoid pitfalls that might derail your dream of reuniting with a loved one in the United States.