Living far away from your parents can be difficult, especially if they still reside in your home country while you are living in the United States. Your options for bringing them closer to you in the U.S. depend on your residency status.

Do you have permanent residency?

If you are already a U.S. citizen aged 21 or over, the process for bringing your parents to the country will be more straightforward. You can file a Form I-130 petition to request permanent residency for your parents. If approved, they can then go to their nearest U.S. consulate to complete the rest of the process. If denied, you need to look at the reasons given for the denial to see if you can file an appeal.

If you are not a permanent resident, then the Form I-130 route is off-limits, and you will need to look at other options to bring your parents across, although you might only be able to do so temporarily.

Or, you could focus on getting your U.S. citizenship so that you will be able to file a Form I-130 request for your parents.

Who classifies as your parents?

Who you call your parents may not be the same as who U.S. immigration authorities recognize as your parents. In short, they accept your biological mother as your mother, and your biological father should be easily accepted, so long as your parents were married at the time of your birth.

If your parents were not married when you were born, your father might need to show additional documentation. Adopted parents or stepparents are also subject to stricter conditions.

The visa process can take time, so the sooner you get started, the more likely you are to get to spend the moments that matter the most with the people who matter the most.

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