Your
Responsibilities as the U.S. Citizen Sponsor:
Please
note that you do not need to file separate applications for your
brother's or sister's spouse or unmarried, minor children. Any
child under 21 is considered a minor.
If you have the same mother
If you have the same father but different mothers
If you or your brother or sister are illegitimate
and related through your father
If your brother or sister are legitimated and related
through your father
If you are petitioning for your step brother or step
sister and you share a common mother
If you are petitioning for your step brother or step
sister and you share a common father
If you or your step brother or step sister are illegitimate
and related through your father
If you or your step brother or step sister are legitimated
and related through a common father
Read the
instructions on the form carefully. If you live in the U.S.,
you should file with the USCIS office that has jurisdiction over where you live. If
you live outside the U.S., contact the nearest
American Consulate to find out where to file. Forms
are available online,
or by calling 1-800-870-3676, or by submitting an online request
to receive forms
by mail. Further information on forms, filing fees, and fee waivers
is available in Forms,
Fees & Filing Locations.
You
should also be prepared to prove that you meet the income requirement
of a sponsor. When your brother or sister has been scheduled for
an immigrant visa interview with a consular officer overseas,
or when your relative is about to submit an application for adjustment
to permanent resident, you will need to complete an I-864
Affidavit of Support. For more details, see Filing an Affidavit of Support
for a Relative.
Your Brother or Sister's Responsibilities:
You will be notified by the USCIS
if your I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is approved or denied.
If it is approved, your brother or sister will be notified when
a visa number is available. If your brother or sister is outside
the country, they must then go to the local
U.S. consulate to complete visa processing. If your
brother or sister is inside the United States when a visa number
becomes available, your brother or sister should apply to adjust
to Permanent Resident Status.
For more information, return to: Bringing
My Brother or Sister to Live in the U.S.
If you have the same mother...
If you are seeking permanent resident status for your brother
or sister, and you have the same mother, you must file the following
items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate (copy) showing the name of your mother
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States.
- A copy
of your brother or sister's birth certificate showing the name
of the mother.
If you have the same father but different mothers...
If you are seeking permanent resident status for your brother
or sister, and you have the same father but different mothers,
you must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate (copy) showing the name of you and your father
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States.
- A copy
of your brother's or sister's birth certificate, showing your
father's name.
- Copy of
your father's marriage certificates to both mothers.
- A copy
of divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees
showing that any previous marriages entered into by your father
or mothers ended legally.
If you or your brother or sister are illegitimate
and related through your father...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate (copy) showing the names of you and your father
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States.
- A copy
of your brother or sister's birth certificate showing your father's
name.
- Evidence
that an emotional or financial bond existed between your father
and you and/or your brother or sister before you and/or your
brother or sister was married or reached the age of 21.
If your brother or sister are legitimated and
related through your father...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate (copy) showing the names of you and your father
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States.
- A copy
of your brother's or sister's birth certificate showing your
father's name.
- Evidence
that you and /or your brother or sister were legitimated before
reaching the age of 18 through the marriage of your brother's
or sister's natural parents, the laws of your brother's or sister's
country, or the laws of your father's country.
If you are petitioning for your step brother
or step sister and you share a common mother...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate showing your name and the name of your mother, as
well as your Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy)
if you were not born in the United States
- A copy
of your step brother or step sister's birth certificate showing
their name and the name of your mother.
If you are petitioning for your step brother
or step sister and you share a common father...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate showing your name and that of your father
- The birth
certificate of your step brother or step sister showing their
name and that of your father
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States
- The marriage
certificates of your father to both your natural mother and
your step brother or step sister's natural mother, and proof
of legal termination of all prior marriages of your father and
both your mother and your step brother or step sister's mother
If you or your step brother or step sister
are illegitimate and related through your father...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
- Form
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate showing your name and that of your father
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States
- The birth
certificate of your step brother or step sister showing their
name and that of your father
- Proof that
a bona fide parent child relationship existed between your father
and you and/or your step brother or step sister prior to you
and/or your sibling attaining the age of 21.
If you or your step brother or step sister
are legitimated and related through a common father...
You must file the following items with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- Form
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
- Your birth
certificate showing your father's name
- Your Certificate
of Naturalization or Citizenship (copy) if you were not born
in the United States
- The birth
certificate of your step brother or step sister showing their
name and your father's name
- Evidence
that you and/or your step brother or step sister were legitimated
before reaching the age of 18 through the marriage of your father
and your natural mother(s), the laws of your step brother or
step sister's country, or the laws of your father's country.
back
to: Bringing My Brother
or Sister to Live in the U.S.
The
information provided in this website is not legal advice and should
not be interpreted as legal advice. This website is intended to
provide a basic understanding of this information in summary form.
This information may not be comprehensive, is subject to change,
and may not apply to all individual circumstances. Any information
received here should be confirmed with the appropriate government
agencies or with an attorney, particularly as it relates to your
individual circumstances. Your use of this website indicates your
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