For years, your family has been broken up. Perhaps you came to the United States to go to school or to take a job opportunity. Your children did not come with you at that time. You thought you would return to them shortly.
However, the trip changed. You have a green card now and you’re a permanent resident. Things have gone very well and you do not want to leave. Instead, you want to bring your children into the United States to live with you. Can you do so?
You can petition to have them immigrate on those grounds. There are a few stipulations to be aware of:
- You do need to be a lawful permanent resident which, in this example, you are.
- The child needs to be under 21 years old.
- The child may or may not be married, though you will have to note which.
- You can petition to bring in the children of your children, or your own grandchildren
Keeping families together is important to the government. This is especially true when children are cut off from their parents and the support that they provide. It may not have made sense to bring your minor children with you when you first arrived, but things change. If that means you now want to shift your focus and bring them into the U.S. to bring your family back together, you do have options to do so.
This does not mean that the petition will be granted, of course. It is crucial to know the steps you need to take to give yourself the best possible chance of success.