16 Dec 2021

I filed my son’s I-485 as my dependent before he had aged out. After we applied, however, the category retrogressed. Is it possible my child could now age out?

Answer If the child qualified as a dependent at the time the I-485 was filed based on the date being current in Chart A (i.e., the final action chart), the child normally would not be at risk of aging out based on subsequent retrogression. However, if...

18 Nov 2021

I am a U.S. citizen and I sponsored my mother for a green card. Due to backlogs, the earliest date I could get for her appointment at the consulate is about 6 months from now. In the meantime, can she visit me on her tourist visa?

Answer Immigration officers at the U.S. ports of entry generally have discretion to admit a person on a B-1/B-2 visitor visa while that individual has a green card case pending. However, to be admitted on a B-1/B-2 visa, the foreign national typically must demonstrate a lack...

04 Nov 2021

My I-485 was approved at the end of October. However, my wife’s I-485 is still pending, and the cutoff date has now retrogressed before my priority date. Can I sponsor her for a family-based green card? Do I have to wait a certain amount of time after getting my GC before I can sponsor someone?

Answer There is no set amount of time a lawful permanent resident must wait to sponsor a qualifying family member for a green card. Further, the fact that she has a pending employment-based green card case does not prevent her from also being sponsored for a...

04 Aug 2021

I filed my H-4 and H-4 EAD extensions with my husband’s H1B extension. His extension was approved through 2024, but my applications are still pending. I recently traveled and was issued a new I-94 valid through 2024 when I returned. Can I update the USCIS with my new I-94? Will it speed up the processing of my EAD?

Answer The USCIS does not appear to have an official policy on this. Anecdotally, however, we have had cases where we have provided an updated I-94 to the USCIS while the form I-765 application for employment authorization was pending. For at least some of those cases,...

29 Jul 2021

I am in the U.S. visiting my brother, who is a U.S. citizen. If my brother sponsors me for a green card, can I stay in the U.S.?

Answer A U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old typically can sponsor a sibling for a green card under the family-based, fourth preference (FB4) category. However, the pending or approved I-130 petition does not provide any immediate immigration benefits. Rather, one would need to...

22 Jul 2021

My daughter is a U.S. citizen who will turn 21 next year. She lives with me and her father in Singapore. Can she sponsor us for green cards when she turns 21, or does she have to move to the U.S. first?

Answer Generally speaking, a U.S. citizen living abroad may sponsor her parents for green cards when she turns 21, as long as she plans on moving to the U.S. once the immigrant visas are issued. (On occasion, we have seen consulates require the U.S. citizen child...

15 Jul 2021

I have a pending I-485 based on my husband’s approved I-140. We are currently separated, and it will take many months before the divorce can be finalized. Will this impact my green card case?

Answer If the divorce is finalized before the I-485 is approved, your case should be denied by the USCIS. However, if the green card is issued before the divorce is official, the divorce typically would have no impact on the green card.  (15.Jul.2021)Sheela Murthy and other...

06 May 2021

I just became a U.S. citizen, and wish to sponsor my brother and mother for green cards. I understand the process for sponsoring siblings takes many, many years. Should I just sponsor my mother, and then, when she gets a green card, she can sponsor my brother?

Answer It is true that the family-based category is severely backlogged. But, if your brother is married, your mother would have to wait until she is a citizen to sponsor him. Even if he does not marry, the general recommendation would be to sponsor the sibling...

06 May 2021

If I travel from India to Mexico and stay there for two weeks, can I then enter the U.S.? Or would the travel ban still apply to me?

Answer The suspension of travel from India due to the pandemic only applies to people who were physically in India during the past 14 days. If a person travels to a third country, such as Mexico, for two weeks, the travel ban would not prevent that...