US Lists 9 Conditions Foreign Relatives of American Citizens Must Meet to Get Green Card

• The US Citizenship and Immigration Services outlined nine specific conditions that immediate relatives of American citizens must satisfy to obtain a Green Card
• USCIS confirmed that only three categories of people qualify as immediate relatives under this pathway, including spouses and parents of US citizens
• The conditions apply specifically to foreign relatives already inside the United States who wish to adjust their status without leaving the country

Foreign nationals who are immediate relatives of American citizens must satisfy nine specific conditions before they can obtain lawful permanent residence in the United States, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed.

The guidelines apply to those already living inside the country who wish to adjust their immigration status to that of a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a Green Card holder, without travelling abroad to complete the process.

Who qualifies as an immediate relative

Under this particular pathway, USCIS recognises only three groups as immediate relatives: the spouse of a US citizen, an unmarried child under 21 years of age whose parent is a US citizen, and a parent of a US citizen who is at least 21 years old.

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The nine conditions applicants must meet

Applicants must properly file Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, as the first step. Beyond submitting the form, they must have been formally inspected and either admitted or paroled into the country by an immigration officer at the point of entry. Those who entered without undergoing this inspection process are generally not eligible to adjust their status through this route.

Physical presence inside the United States on the date the Form I-485 is submitted is also compulsory. Applicants must additionally be eligible to receive an immigrant visa, and that visa must be immediately available both at the time of filing and when USCIS issues its final decision on the case.

USCIS clarifies that a visa is always considered available for immediate relatives, which sets this category apart from other family-based immigration pathways that can involve lengthy waiting periods.

The family relationship underpinning the original petition, filed on Form I-130 by the qualifying US citizen, must still be in place when the application is submitted. No bars to adjustment of status should apply to the applicant, and the individual must be admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or must qualify for a waiver if any grounds of inadmissibility exist.

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Finally, the applicant must merit a favourable exercise of discretion from USCIS. All nine conditions must be satisfied for a Green Card application under this category to succeed.

Source: YEN.com.gh