Green Card for the Parent of a US Citizen

• The petitioner must be a US citizen and at least 21. Green card holders cannot sponsor parents.
• Mother: proven by your birth certificate.
• Father: proven by your birth certificate. If you were born out of wedlock, extra evidence is needed, such as legitimation or a real father-child relationship.
• Stepparent: qualifies if the marriage to your parent happened before you turned 18.
• Adoptive parent: qualifies if the adoption happened before you turned 16, with 2 years of custody and living together.

No derivatives

Immediate relatives cannot bring family members on their petition. That means:

• Each parent needs a separate I-130.
• Your brothers and sisters cannot come with your parents. You can file for them in the F4 category, which has a long wait. Once a parent has a green card, they can also file for their own unmarried children under the F2A or F2B categories.

The Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). The petitioner must promise to support the immigrant and show household income of at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size (100% for active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child). If the income is too low, assets can help, or a joint sponsor who meets the test can sign a second I-864. The promise is a legal contract that usually lasts until the immigrant becomes a citizen or has 40 quarters of work. Check your numbers with our I-864 income calculator.

If your parent is in the US: they can file Form I-485 at the same time as the I-130 ("concurrent filing"), because immediate relatives never wait for a visa number. They generally must have been inspected and admitted or paroled into the US. Immediate relatives can often adjust even after overstaying or working without permission, but the 2026 memo says these allowances are now weighed as a matter of discretion. See adjustment of status.

If your parent is abroad: after USCIS approves the I-130, the case moves to the National Visa Center (NVC). You pay fees and submit the DS-260, civil documents, and the Affidavit of Support, then the interview happens at a US embassy or consulate. See consular processing.

If your parent entered without inspection: adjustment in the US is usually not possible. Leaving for a consular interview can trigger the 3-year or 10-year bar for unlawful presence, and a provisional waiver (Form I-601A) filed before leaving may help in some cases. Talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before anyone leaves the US. See visa denials and waivers.

Parents visiting on a B-2 visa. Many parents are in the US as visitors when the family decides to file. The 2026 memo treats visitors as the most exposed group, and the State Department presumes misrepresentation if someone acts against their visa's purpose within 90 days of entry. A parent who entered as a visitor while already planning to stay can face a finding of fraud. Talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before filing an I-485 for a parent who is here on a visitor visa. For many families, consular processing from home is the safer route.

The 2026 adjustment of status memo. On May 21, 2026, USCIS issued a policy memo (PM-602-0199) that treats adjustment of status as a discretionary benefit. USCIS said that people who are in the US on a temporary visa and want a green card should expect to apply from their home country, except in extraordinary circumstances. The memo applies to pending and new Form I-485 filings. Meeting the legal requirements is now treated as the minimum: officers weigh your whole record, including whether you used your visa for its stated purpose. Legal challenges were expected, so check the current position before you file.

The 2026 interview freeze. Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused scheduling of immigrant visa interviews worldwide while consular officers train on public charge screening. No restart date had been announced as of September 22, 2026. Track it on our immigrant visa pause page.

Travel ban. Nationals of the 39 countries covered by the travel ban (Proclamation 10998, in effect since January 1, 2026) generally cannot receive immigrant visas abroad, and USCIS has held many pending applications from those countries for extra review.

Public charge. A new public charge rule took effect on September 18, 2026. It replaces the 2022 rule with a broader "totality of the circumstances" test of whether you are likely to rely on government support.

Government fees as of September 2026, from the USCIS fee schedule:

Check the USCIS fee calculator before paying. To estimate the total for your situation, try our sponsorship cost estimator.

Many sponsored parents are older, so health costs matter. The public charge test that returned in September 2026 looks at age, health, income, assets, and the sponsor's support. A strong Affidavit of Support and a plan for health insurance can matter in that assessment.

New green card holders usually do not qualify right away for most federal benefits, and Medicare generally requires years of residence or work history. As the sponsor, you may be asked to repay certain means-tested benefits your parent receives while the Affidavit of Support is in force.

Parents who want to split time between countries should know that long trips abroad can put a green card at risk. A reentry permit helps for absences of up to 2 years. After 5 years, parents can apply for naturalization; older applicants with long residence may take the civics test in their own language. See also our page on retiring in the US.