Bring your mother or father to the United States.
If you are a U.S. citizen 21 or older, you can petition for your parent. Your parent is an "immediate relative." That means no annual cap, no wait line, and no conditional green card.
- You must be a U.S. citizen, 21 or older. That is the threshold. There is no way around it.
- Your parent is an immediate relative. No annual cap and no wait line. The case moves as fast as the agencies process it.
- Green-card holders cannot petition a parent. The law provides no category for it. You naturalize first.
- "Parent" reaches further than you think. It can include stepparents and adoptive parents.
- No conditional green card. Your parent gets the ten-year card directly.
Who counts as your parent
Immigration law defines "parent" by looking at whether you were once that person's "child." It reaches more than a birth mother or father:
- Your mother. Straightforward where a birth record shows the relationship.
- Your father. Straightforward if you were born in wedlock. If you were not, he must have legitimated you before you turned 18, or be able to show a genuine parent-child relationship.
- A stepparent. If the marriage that created the step-relationship happened before you turned 18.
- An adoptive parent. If the adoption happened before you turned 16 and you lived in their legal custody for two years.
Only a U.S. citizen, 21 or older, can do this
There are two hard thresholds, and both are absolute.
First, you must be a U.S. citizen. A green-card holder cannot petition for a parent at all. This is the most common misunderstanding we see. It is not a long wait — the law simply provides no category for it.
Second, you must be 21 or older when you file. If you are a permanent resident, the route is to naturalize first, then petition. If you are a citizen under 21, you wait. We can tell you the earliest date you can file.
Who qualifies
- You are a U.S. citizen. Not a green-card holder. Not a citizen yet? Naturalizing first is the path — we can help with that step.
- You are 21 or older on the day the petition is filed.
- The relationship fits the legal definition of parent — birth, step, or adoptive, within the timing rules above.
- Your parent is admissible. Some immigration or criminal history can require a waiver. We screen for that early.
Where cases go wrong
- Filing as a green-card holder. The single most common mistake. There is no category. Naturalize first.
- Filing before you turn 21. The petition will not stand. Wait for the date.
- Step- or adoptive-parent timing. Missing the "before 18" or "before 16 plus two years" rule defeats an otherwise genuine relationship.
- Entry without inspection. A parent already here who was never inspected and admitted generally cannot adjust in the U.S. That case goes abroad, and may need a waiver first.
- Thin proof of the relationship. Birth records, the marriage that created a step-relationship, or the adoption decree and custody history.
How the process works
Every case starts with the U.S. citizen filing Form I-130. Where it goes next depends on where your parent is:
- Parent abroad — consular processing. After the petition is approved, the case moves to the National Visa Center. We prepare the immigrant visa application (DS-260) and the I-864 affidavit of support, then assemble the civil and financial documents. Your parent interviews at the U.S. consulate and enters the United States as a permanent resident.
- Parent already in the U.S. — adjustment of status. If your parent was inspected and admitted or paroled, we can file Form I-485 here, together with the I-130.
If your parent is adjusting inside the U.S., a 2026 USCIS policy memo now treats adjustment of status as a discretionary act rather than something an eligible applicant can expect. It applies to parents too. Read what changed and why it matters.
How we help
We confirm you can actually file before anything goes in — your citizenship, your age, and the relationship. We prepare and review every form and exhibit. We assemble the relationship and financial evidence, manage the National Visa Center or USCIS steps, and prepare your parent for the interview. A licensed U.S. immigration attorney stays on the file from intake through approval.
Sources: Immediate relatives, including a parent of a citizen who is 21 or older — INA § 201(b)(2)(A)(i) (8 U.S.C. § 1151). Definition of "parent," including stepparents and certain adoptive parents — INA § 101(b)(2) and § 101(b)(1) (8 U.S.C. § 1101). Petition — INA § 204 (8 U.S.C. § 1154); 8 CFR § 204.2. Adjustment of status — INA § 245 (8 U.S.C. § 1255); USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 7. Affidavit of support — INA § 213A (8 U.S.C. § 1183a). Consular processing — U.S. Department of State, travel.state.gov (9 FAM 502.1; DS-260). Forms — I-130, I-485, I-864. General information, not legal advice.
Common questions.
Can a green-card holder petition for a parent?
No. Only U.S. citizens can. The law provides no category for a permanent resident to sponsor a mother or father. If you are a permanent resident, naturalize first, then file.
Do I have to be 21?
Yes. You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old to file for a parent. There is no exception. If you are a citizen under 21, you wait until your 21st birthday.
Do stepparents and adoptive parents qualify?
Often, yes. A stepparent qualifies if the marriage that created the step-relationship happened before you turned 18. An adoptive parent qualifies if the adoption happened before you turned 16 and you lived in their legal custody for two years.
My parent is already in the U.S. — can they get the green card here?
If your parent was inspected and admitted or paroled, adjustment of status may be possible, filed together with the I-130. A 2026 policy memo now makes adjustment discretionary, so preparation matters more than it used to.
Does my parent get a conditional green card?
No. The two-year conditional card applies to marriage-based cases. Your parent receives the ten-year card directly, with no removal-of-conditions step later.
Bring your parents home.
Free consultation with a U.S. immigration attorney. No obligation.