How to bring your parents to the U.S.
Parents of adult U.S. citizens sit in the most favorable category in family immigration — immediate relatives, with no annual visa quota. The process is still exacting: one petition per parent, an affidavit of support, and a second stage that depends on where each parent is and how they last entered. Here is the structure, with every claim cited to its source. This is general process description, not advice about any individual case.
Who can petition — and who cannot
Only a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old can file for a parent. Green-card holders cannot petition for parents at all — for them, the path opens at naturalization, one of the practical differences covered in the green card vs. citizenship guide. Each parent gets a separate Form I-130 with their own filing fee: under the current G-1055 schedule, $675 on paper or $625 online, per petition. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055.
Immediate relatives: no visa queue
Most family categories wait in an annual-quota line that can stretch for years. Parents of adult citizens do not — immediate-relative visas are always available, so the case moves as fast as the paperwork does. That makes the quality of the filing the main variable the family controls: a complete, consistent, well-documented petition has nothing to wait on but processing.
Free. About 4 minutes. See your forms and your total cost before you pay anything.
The second stage: two paths
The I-130 establishes the relationship; a second stage makes the parent a permanent resident. A parent living abroad completes consular processing — the case moves to the National Visa Center and then to a U.S. embassy or consulate for an immigrant-visa interview. A parent already in the United States after a lawful entry may be able to file Form I-485 and adjust status without leaving. Which path fits a particular parent turns on facts — location, manner of entry, immigration history — that get assessed case by case, and the petitioning child signs Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, in either path.
The documents do the talking in a parent case: the petitioner's birth certificate establishing the parent-child relationship, proof of the petitioner's citizenship, and the parent's civil documents. Records from another country must come with certified English translations — a certified translation service handles that to USCIS's standard.
When this is bigger than a filing
A parent case with criminal history, prior deportation or removal proceedings, prior denials, or complex admissibility issues belongs with a licensed immigration attorney — this site's assessment flags those situations and refers them rather than filing them. For the straightforward case, the work is organization: the right forms, the right evidence, nothing missing.
Know exactly what your case needs. Before you file anything.
Free 4-minute assessment. No card required.
Can a green-card holder petition for their parents?
No. Only a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old can file Form I-130 for a parent. For permanent residents, the option opens at naturalization.
Do both parents go on one petition?
No — each parent gets a separate I-130 with its own filing fee ($675 paper / $625 online under the current schedule; verify at uscis.gov/g-1055).
Is there a waiting line for parent visas?
Parents of adult U.S. citizens are immediate relatives — a visa is always available, with no annual-quota line. Processing still takes time, but there is no category wait.
Does my parent apply from abroad or inside the U.S.?
It depends on where the parent is and how they last entered: abroad means consular processing through an embassy or consulate; inside the U.S. after a lawful entry may allow adjustment of status. The right path is a case-by-case question.
Do I have to sponsor my parents financially?
Yes — the petitioning son or daughter signs Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, for each sponsored parent.