Who and how can move relatives to the United States?

Can relatives born abroad come to the United States to reunite with a U.S. citizen or green card holder? This depends on the relationship between the potential petitioner (a family member in the U.S.) and the immigrant, writes Nolo.

Many people in the US have relatives in other countries and wonder if they can invite them to live with them. This is usually possible for spouses and children. But the common belief that if one immigrant settles in the US, they can obtain green cards (permanent residence) for their entire extended family is a myth. The reality is more complex.

Who can a U.S. citizen or permanent resident invite to the country?

If you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (green card holder), you can petition to bring certain close relatives into the country (this process is often called sponsorship). However, even this is subject to restrictions: you can only invite specific family members.

On the subject: Trump's 'Golden' Green Cards: The government has released details of the residency program for millionaires.

• US citizens can sponsor:
  • Spouse or spouse.
  • Parents (if the sponsor is 21 years old).
  • Children of any age (including married and unmarried).
  • Brothers and sisters (if the sponsor is 21 years old).
• Permanent residents (green card holders) can sponsor:
  • Spouse or spouse.
  • Unmarried children (under 21 years of age or over 21 years of age).
• Exceptions (cannot sponsor directly):
  • Grandmothers and grandfathers.
  • Cousins.
  • Aunt, uncle.
  • Mothers-in-law and fathers-in-law.
  • Other distant relatives.
• Additional Notes:
  • Most sponsored relatives (except immediate relatives) may bring their spouse and children if they are permitted to enter.
  • Permanent residents cannot sponsor parents, married children, or siblings.
  • Green card holders can sponsor more relatives over time, but the process is lengthy and multi-step.

Please note who is not on the list: neither U.S. citizens nor green card holders can directly sponsor grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law, or other distant relatives. Furthermore, permanent residents cannot sponsor their parents, married children, or siblings.

However, if someone on the approved list is allowed to immigrate to the United States, most of them (except immediate relatives) will be able to bring their spouses and children with them. It's also true that after receiving a green card, they will be able to sponsor other family members on the list, although this is a lengthy, multi-step process.

In other words, when a person from a certain category of relatives is eligible to immigrate to the United States (for example, the son, daughter, or brother of a U.S. citizen), then their immediate family members—their spouse and children—can also immigrate with them.

There is an exception, however—the category of "immediate relatives." This category includes spouses of U.S. citizens, their minor unmarried children, and parents of U.S. citizens. These individuals receive green cards directly and cannot include additional family members (such as a spouse or children) in their application, as they are already considered immediate family.

For example, if a U.S. citizen's brother receives a green card, he can bring his wife and children with him. However, if the U.S. citizen applies for a green card for his wife, she enters alone as an immediate relative and cannot bring anyone else as part of her application.

How long do foreign relatives have to wait to immigrate to the US?

Immediate relatives receive green cards without waiting for visa availability or being subject to quotas. However, they will have to wait several months for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and then the State Department to process their applications.

Relatives in the preference category typically wait several years before they can apply for a visa or green card.

Each year, only a certain percentage of green cards in the "preference" category are allocated to each country. This means that if a particular country receives particularly large numbers of applications (as is often the case with India, Mexico, China, and the Philippines), their relatives will have to wait longer than others.

Due to annual caps on the number of green cards (immigrant visas) issued, as well as the unpredictability of how many people will apply in a given year, it's impossible to say exactly how long each preference category applicant will have to wait. It's only possible to know how long applicants waited to be among the first in line.

Overall, applicants in higher priority categories have shorter waits. Average wait times for family immigrants as of July 2025 were as follows:

• Adult unmarried children of US citizens (First priority category, F1):
  9 years for most countries; 20 years for Mexican citizens; 13 years for Filipino citizens.
• Spouses or children of permanent residents (Second priority category, F2A and F2B):
  Category F2A (spouses and minor children): more than 3 years.
  Category F2B (unmarried children over 21): 9 years old for most countries, 18 years old for Mexican citizens, 13 years old for Filipino citizens.
• Married children of US citizens (Third priority category, F3):
  14 years for most countries; 24 years for Mexican citizens; 22 years for Filipino citizens.
• Brothers and sisters of US citizens (Fourth priority category, F4):
  17 years old for most countries; 19 years old for Indian citizens; 24 years old for Mexican citizens; 19 years old for Filipino citizens.

Note: Waiting times vary depending on demand and annual quotas. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of citizens over 21) receive green cards without waiting for quotas. Data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor is as of 2025.

While these wait times are not fixed and vary depending on demand and other factors, it should be noted that siblings of US citizens (priority category four), particularly those from the Philippines and Mexico, have the longest waits.

Is there a limit on the number of immigrants a U.S. citizen or permanent resident can sponsor?

American law does not place strict limits on the number of immigrants for whom a person can file a petition, with the exception of spouses: polygamy and bigamy are prohibited in the United States, so filing petitions for more than one husband or wife is impossible and poses serious problems.

In some cases, filing a petition for multiple relatives is relatively straightforward, as they can be listed on a single Form I-130 to begin the process. However, this does not apply to immediate relatives: a separate petition is required for each.

However, there is a significant practical limitation. To successfully sponsor immigrants, the applicant in the United States must prove sufficient financial resources to support them so that they do not become a "public charge," meaning they do not rely on government benefits. This requires proof of a certain level of income and assets, with the exact amount depending on the number of people in the family. This is all documented through USCIS Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support).

For example, in 2025, a U.S. citizen with no dependents living in the mainland United States (not Alaska or Hawaii) and sponsoring a foreign spouse (making a family of two) would need to show income of $26,437. But if that same citizen sponsored not only a spouse but also five stepchildren that same year (making a family of seven), the required income would increase to $60,812.

This is an obvious difficulty for those with low incomes, although there are alternative options.

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How to start the process of obtaining a green card for the United States

The task of a U.S. citizen or green card holder is to begin the immigration process for their relatives, typically by filing Form I-130 along with copies of documents proving the relationship (such as birth or marriage certificates) and proof of the applicant's status in the U.S. as a citizen or permanent resident. After that, several more steps follow.

If the relative is outside the United States, he or she cannot enter the country until the I-130 petition and subsequent applications are approved.

If you still have questions or the paperwork seems too complicated, it might be worth contacting an experienced immigration lawyer.

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