US Outlines 9 Requirements for Relatives of American Citizens To Get a Green Card
- The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has outlined nine specific conditions that immediate relatives of American citizens must satisfy to obtain a Green Card
- Only three categories of people qualify as immediate relatives under this pathway, including spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens aged 21 or older
- Applicants must have been formally inspected and admitted or paroled into the US by an immigration officer at the time of their entry to be eligible
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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has detailed nine conditions that foreign nationals who are immediate relatives of American citizens must fulfil to obtain lawful permanent residence, commonly referred to as a Green Card.
The conditions apply specifically to immediate relatives who are already residing inside the United States and wish to adjust their immigration status without travelling abroad.
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Who qualifies as an immediate relative
Under this pathway, USCIS recognises only three categories of applicants as immediate relatives: the spouse of a US citizen, an unmarried child under the age of 21 of a US citizen, or a parent of a US citizen who is at least 21 years old. Anyone outside these three categories cannot apply through this route.
The nine conditions applicants must meet
All nine conditions must be satisfied for an application to succeed. The first requires the applicant to properly file Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
The second condition stipulates that the applicant must have been inspected and either admitted or paroled into the United States by an immigration officer at the point of entry. Those who entered the country without undergoing this inspection process are generally ineligible to adjust their status through this channel.
Third, the applicant must be physically present in the United States on the date they submit Form I-485.
Fourth, they must be eligible to receive an immigrant visa. Fifth, that visa must be immediately available both at the time of filing and at the point when USCIS reaches a final decision on the case.
USCIS notes that a visa is always considered available for immediate relatives, setting this category apart from other family-based immigration pathways that often involve lengthy waiting periods.
The sixth condition requires that the family relationship underpinning the original petition, filed through Form I-130 by the qualifying US citizen, must still exist at the time of application.
Seventh, no applicable bars to adjustment of status should apply to the applicant. Eighth, the person must be admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or must qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility.
The ninth and final condition is that the applicant must merit a favourable exercise of discretion by USCIS, meaning the agency must judge the overall circumstances of the case as warranting approval.
USCIS confirms that satisfying all nine conditions is mandatory for a successful Green Card application under the immediate relative category.
US expands visa pilot programme to more countries
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the US had launched a fast-track visa pilot programme at selected embassies.
The move, officially announced on 22 July 2026, was scheduled to run until 31 December 2026. On 18 August 2026, the programme was expanded to additional countries.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
