Definition of Key Terms
These key terms are highlighted in blue on this page to help clarify the application process.
Immigrant Petition
Form I-130. Step 1 of the family-sponsorship process
Green Card
Immigrant Visa (parent is outside the US) or Adjustment of Status (parent is inside the US). Step 2 of the family-sponsorship process
Immigrant Visa
The document issued by a foreign consulate that allows the bearer to enter the U.S. in "Immigrant Status." The bearer becomes a Lawful Permanent Resident upon entry into the U.S.
Adjustment of Status
The process of obtaining a "Green Card" if you are already inside the U.S.
Concurrent Filing
The process of filing the Immigrant Petition and Adjustment of Status application at the same time.
Sponsor
The US Citizen who files Form I-130 on behalf of a parent
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services
(USCIS, formerly the INS)
The agency that processes the Immigrant Petition. It is also the agency that processes the Green Card Application if the applicant is applying in the U.S.
Department of State (DOS)
The agency that processes the Green Card Application if the applicant is applying outside the U.S.
Lawful Permanent Resident Status
Green Card Status
U.S. Citizen Sponsors
U.S. citizens with unmarried children under the age of 21 may sponsor them as "Immediate Relatives." Immediate Relatives are eligible to apply for a Green Card immediately, without waiting for a "Priority Date" to become current. Click here to start the Green Card application process for your child.
U.S citizens may also sponsor children who are married or over the age of 21, however these children will not qualify as "Immediate Relatives." Applicants in this category will need to wait for their "Priority Date" to be current before they are eligible to apply for a Green Card. Click here to find out more about what a Priority Date is and how long you might have to wait for a Priority Date to become current. Does your child already have an Approved Immigrant Petition? Click here to find out if the "Priority Date" is current so that you can proceed to the next step. Click here to start the Green Card application process for your child. Already have an approved Immigrant Petition? If your child is in the U.S., click here to get started on the Application to Adjust Status to Permanent Resident.
If your child is outside the U.S., click here to find out more about the Immigrant Visa process.
Lawful Permanent Resident Sponsors
Lawful Permanent Residents are not required to file an Immigrant Petition on behalf of qualifying children born before the sponsoring parent obtained a Green Card. A child of a Lawful Permanent Resident in this category may apply for a Green Card without having an approved Immigrant Petition. This process is known as "accompanying" or "follow to join." Lawful Permanent Residents who have "adjusted" to Lawful Permanent Resident status in the U.S. must file Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition in order to notify the appropriate consulate that their child will "accompany" or "follow to join." Click here to get started on the Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition.
Children born outside the United States after the sponsoring parent obtained a Green Card must have an approved Form I-130 Immigrant Petition in order to be eligible to apply for a Green Card. Click here to start the Green Card application process for your child.
In addition to an approved Immigrant Petition, a foreign child in this category must have a current "Priority Date." Click here to find out more about what a Priority Date is and how long you might have to wait for a Priority Date to become current.
Does your child already have an Approved Immigrant Petition? Click here to find out if the "Priority Date" is current so that you can proceed to the next step. Click here to get started on the Application to Adjust Status to Permanent Resident.
If your child is outside the U.S., click here to find out more about the Immigrant Visa process.
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