Parent Immigration Visa

Get the Assistance You Need for Your Parent Immigration Visa Case

Are you a U.S. citizen and wish to petition for your parent’s permanent residence status in the United States? If you are, and your parent lives overseas, our team would be honored to support you in filing immigration paperwork to obtain an IR5 immigrant visa for your foreign parent.

Are You Eligible to Bring Your Parents to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents?

To file an IR5 parent immigrant visa case, the following requirements must be met. You, as the petitioner/sponsor for your parent:

Are a U.S. citizen age 21 or older;
Are your parent’s biological child, stepchild, or adoptive child; and
Have the financial means to provide for your foreign parent during his/her U.S. immigration process.

But that’s not all. Our team can evaluate if there are factors that may cause delays in your parent’s immigrant visa case and address them upfront. In our assessment, we will consider factors such as whether you are a child born out of wedlock, your parent doesn’t have a birth certificate, and if there are concerns about your parent’s U.S. travel history. Even something seemingly harmless as misreporting information during a previous nonimmigrant visa interview can affect the outcome of your petition for your parent’s immigrant visa.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Process:

The first step in the parent immigrant visa process is to submit Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The purpose of this form and its required supporting documentation is to establish the existence of a qualifying relationship between you, a U.S. citizen, and your foreign parent who wishes to immigrate to the United States.

It is also important to note that the quality of information contained in the USCIS form and supporting documentation will affect the processing time and approval of your case. Complete, well-organized petitions are likely to be approved more quickly. Again, it is very important to have a complete and detailed petition, and our team can help you prepare yours.

The National Visa Center (NVC) Process:

When USCIS approves your filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, USCIS will forward your petition to the U.S. Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH, for immigrant visa pre-processing. The NVC will assign your case a Case Number and Invoice ID. With these unique identifiers, you may log in to the CEAC portal wherein the NVC will prompt you to pay visa application fees, submit the immigrant visa application (DS-260), and then upload required (1) civil documents, (2) Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, and (3) other financial documents.

The NVC typically takes several weeks to review all submitted materials. Then the NVC will forward your case to the local U.S. Consulate or Embassy in your parent’s country of residence only when interviews are scheduled for parent immigrant visas. If you work with our team, we will support you in this process and inform you of Consulate/Embassy-specific observed wait times for interview scheduling.

The U.S. Consular/Embassy Process:

The final step in this process is an in-person interview with a U.S. Consulate or Embassy overseas. Your parent must complete an immigration medical exam with a designated panel physician and may need to complete a biometrics appointment before an interview. Only the foreign parent is required to attend this interview.

The interviewing officer’s main goal is to evaluate whether the parent and child relationship is legitimate and whether your parent committed any immigration or/and criminal law violations. Upon approval, your parents will come to the United States with a parental immigrant visa (IR5).

What Is Next?

Around 4-8 weeks after arriving in the United States using the issued immigrant visa, your parent will receive a 10-year green card and U.S. Social Security Card at your U.S. mailing address. Afterward, your parent may be eligible to apply to become a U.S. citizen as soon as five years after he or she receives the 10-year green card.

What Can We Do for You?

Based out of Schaumburg, IL, with additional offices in Naperville, IL, Chicago, IL, and Madison, WI, our firm is committed to serving the immigration needs of clients throughout the world. Our clients include people coming to the United States from India, Mexico, China, Serbia, the Philippines, and worldwide.

Francis Law Center is committed to practicing immigration law; in fact, it is the only law we practice. Attorney Jae Francis Lee brings experience as a professional working as a Professor of U.S. History at the University of Wisconsin and holds a Ph.D. from New York University. He understands the importance of in-depth research and meticulous documentation for a successful immigrant visa petition for your parents. Your mind will rest easier knowing that we are working on your behalf for your immigrant visa petitions for your parents.