US Lists 9 Requirements for Foreign Relatives of American Citizens to Get Green Card
- The US government has outlined specific eligibility conditions that immediate relatives of American citizens must meet to obtain a Green Card
- Only spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens aged 21 or older qualify under the immediate relative category
- Applicants must be physically present in the US and have been officially inspected and admitted or paroled by an immigration officer to be eligible
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The United States government has outlined nine specific conditions that foreign nationals who are immediate relatives of American citizens must satisfy in order to obtain lawful permanent residence, commonly known as a Green Card.
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), only three categories of people qualify as immediate relatives under this pathway: the spouse of a US citizen, the unmarried child under 21 years of age of a US citizen, or the parent of a US citizen who is at least 21 years old.
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The USCIS information applies specifically to immediate relatives who are already inside the United States and wish to adjust their status to lawful permanent resident without leaving the country.
Conditions for relatives to get Green Card
1. An applicant must properly file Form I-485, the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
2. Beyond that, they must have been inspected and either admitted or paroled into the United States by an immigration officer at the time of their entry. Individuals who entered the country without going through this inspection process are generally ineligible to adjust their status through this route.
3. The applicant must be physically present in the United States on the day they submit their Form I-485.
4. They must be eligible to receive an immigrant visa.
5. The immigrant visa must also be immediately available both when the form is filed and when USCIS reaches a final decision on the case. Notably, USCIS clarifies that a visa is always considered available for immediate relatives, which distinguishes this category from other family-based immigration pathways that involve long waiting periods.
6. The family relationship that formed the basis of the original petition, filed on Form I-130 by the qualifying US citizen, must still exist at the time of the application.
7. No applicable bars to adjustment of status should apply to the applicant, and
8. The person must be admissible to the United States for lawful permanent residence or must qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility.
9. Finally, the applicant must merit a favourable exercise of discretion by USCIS.
Meeting all nine conditions is required for a successful Green Card application under this category.
Legit.ng reported that Spain named African countries whose citizens are eligible for visa-free entry.
Japan releases countries eligible for its eVisa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Japan updated its eVisa eligibility list in May 2026, opening online visa applications to nationals residing in several countries across the world.
The update shared how travellers from selected countries can apply directly through the Japan eVisa website.
Nationals from some other countries face different application requirements and must apply through accredited agencies.
Source: Legit.ng
