Can a U.S. citizen sponsor a non-family member for immigration? Unfortunately, no, you can't petition for a foreign national's visa or green card if they aren't a family member.
You don't have to be a relative to be someone's financial sponsor. So, a friend can become a financial sponsor. However, the person must still have someone else who acts as the sponsor or their visa or green card application. That sponsor must be an employee, relative, or fiancé(e).
If you've been convicted of one of these types of offenses, you'll be disqualified from sponsoring someone for a green card: Any sex offense against a minor. The production, possession or distribution of pornography involving children or minors. Kidnapping a child.
All sponsors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be at least 18 years old, and be living in the United States (including territories and possessions) when they file the affidavit of support.
After you've become a U.S. Citizen, you can start filing a petition for them. Your parents will receive the fastest immigration process since they are recognized as immediate relatives. Please note that you cannot file a petition for family members like grandparents, aunts, cousins, nephews, etc.
If you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and you have a friend or relative who seeks to come to the U.S. as a tourist (on a B-2 visitor visa), you might be able to help the person by providing a letter of invitation.
Which relatives may I petition for? A U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years or older may also petition for the following relatives: Parents; • Brothers or sisters. When you submit your petition, you are required to provide evidence to prove your relationship to the person for whom you are filing.
Income Requirement to Become a Sponsor
You must meet certain income requirements to become a sponsor. The most common minimum financial requirement is an annual income of $22,000. This figure is calculated to be at least 125% above the Federal poverty level based on the ASPE.
Risks of sponsoring an immigrant after signing an affidavit of support appear from the contractual relationship between the sponsor and the government. This contract will be enforceable in the court of law and the government may sue the sponsor for failing to provide support to the immigrant.
How Much Does It Cost to Sponsor a Visa? In general, a visa sponsorship costs approximately $4000 but may cost $8-9,000 if a company has more than fifty employees and 50% of those employees are foreign nationals.
You can financially sponsor an immigrant by signing Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. This document is a legally enforceable contract and signifies that the sponsor accepts financial responsibility for the immigrant.
Responsibilities as a Sponsor
When you sign the affidavit of support, you accept legal responsibility for financially supporting the sponsored immigrant(s), generally until they become U.S. citizens or are credited with 40 quarters of work.
Yes, because sponsorship is determined by the expected income of the current year (as opposed to the income on the previous year's tax return) disability, workman's compensation and Social Security can all be used to qualify to sponsor an immigrant.
While you can't petition for a friend's immigrant visa or Green Card (only family members can do that), you can financially sponsor a friend's immigration petition with Form I-864, Affidavit of Support.
On average, the I-130 filed by your sponsor usually takes between 5 to 19 months to be processed. The USCIS processes the petition on a first-come, first-served basis. Your sponsor can expedite the process by submitting the form as early as possible.
However, if your sponsor alleges and proves that your immigration petition or green card application was based on fraud, then USCIS will take action and you can be removed from the U.S. (deported). This is possible even after you have obtained a green card.
Although there are a variety of reasons that sponsorships can be refused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), this is a common reason – IRCC is simply not convinced that the relationship is genuine and was entered into only for immigration purposes.
Question: Will an immigration sponsor be responsible for Medi-Cal bills of the immigrant who is holding a permanent green card? Answer: No.
For example, in 2021, a sponsor in the U.S. mainland would need to have income (or assets) of at least $33,125 to cover a petitioner who lives alone and is sponsoring one immigrant and two children (that is, a total of four people).
Many countries have limits on cash or liquid assets that can removed from the country. The net value of assets must be at least five times the difference between the sponsor's income and 125 percent of the poverty guideline for the household size.
You are an immediate relative if you are: The spouse of a U.S. citizen; The unmarried child under 21 years of age of a U.S. citizen; or. The parent of a U.S. citizen (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years of age or older).
Step 1: Filing the Petition
To begin the sponsorship process, the U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident family member will need to mail a visa petition on USCIS Form I-130, along with accompanying documents, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The LRP must prove the family relationship is real.
In reality, significant wait times can make it difficult for U.S. citizens to sponsor even close relatives and U.S. citizens cannot sponsor non-immediate relatives (such as nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents) to immigrate to the United States.