Green Card for Parents (IR-5 Visa)

In the United States, parents of U.S. citizens can apply for lawful permanent resident status, which is also known as a green card.

If you are a U.S. citizen who wishes to bring your parents to the U.S., this article will teach you more about the process of applying for an IR-5 visa – also known as a parent green card.

What is an IR-5 Visa (Parent Green Card)?

An IR-5 visa is a family-based green card that grants lawful permanent resident status to parents of U.S. citizens. 

IR stands for “Immediate Relative”. 

While some visa types have yearly caps and priority dates IR visas do not have these limitations.

This means that applications may be submitted throughout the year and there is no wait time for a green card to become available. 

Parent Green Card Eligibility Requirements

Before you even begin the process of applying for the IR-5 visa, let’s make sure you or your parents will be eligible. 

A U.S. citizen who wants to sponsor his or her parents is called a “Petitioner”. Parents are the “Beneficiaries”.

The following criteria must be met to successfully apply for an IR-5 visa:

• The sponsor must be a U.S. citizen
• The U.S. citizen sponsor must be at least 21 years old
• The U.S. citizen sponsor must be able to prove that they have the financial means to support their beneficiaries (parents)
• The U.S. citizen sponsor must reside in the U.S.
• The U.S. citizen sponsor must prove their relationship with their parents by providing a valid birth certificate (for mother), plus parents’ marriage certificate (for father)

How to Apply for a Parent Green Card

First things first, the U.S. citizen sponsor must petition on the parents’ behalf. 

To do this, the sponsor must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.

What other forms can or cannot be filed with the Form I-130 depend on whether the parents are located inside the U.S. or outside the U.S.

Parents Inside the U.S. (“Adjustment of Status”)

If the parents are already inside the U.S. through lawful entry, the process of applying for a parent green card is called “Concurrent Adjustment of Status Filing” (AOS). 

In this case, your parents will obtain green cards in the U.S. No visa will be issued. 

Lawful entry means that the parents were inspected by an immigration officer, had a valid entry visa and received authorization to stay in the U.S. at an inspection checkpoint. 

Parents who have entered the U.S. by means of lawful entry are often tourist visitors (B-1 and B-2) visas. 

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative is a twelve-page USCIS form which consists of nine sections: 

• Part 1: Relationship (You, the U.S. citizen or the green card holder are the Petitioner. Your relative is the Beneficiary)
• Part 2:  Information About You (Petitioner)
• Part 3: Biographic Information (Petitioner)
• Part 4: Information About Beneficiary (relative seeking the green card)
• Part 5: Other information
• Part 6: Petitioner’s Statement, Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature
• Part 7: Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature
• Part 8: Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature of the Person Preparing this Affidavit, if Other Than the Petitioner
• Part 9: Additional Information

In many cases, beneficiaries must wait for Form I-130 approval to begin the application process. 

However, as mentioned before, there is no wait time for IR visas for parents.

Therefore, Forms I-130 and I-485 can be filed together at the same time if the parents are physically present in the U.S. 

Parents Outside the U.S. (“Consular Processing”)

If the beneficiaries are applying for a parent green card abroad, the process is called consular processing. 

In this case, your parents will be issued immigrant visas that allow them to enter the U.S. 

Green cards will be mailed to your parents after they enter the U.S.

The sponsor must first file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. 

Once Form I-130 is approved by USCIS, the National Visa Center (NVC) will process the immigrant application (DS-260).

After NVC sends you an email with further instructions, the following steps must be completed: 

• Pay Fees – Your sponsored family member will be required to pay the DS-260 Fee ($325) and Affidavit of Support Fee ($120);
• Submit Immigration Visa Application – Your sponsored family member will be required to complete and upload Form DS-260, Immigration Visa & Alien Registration Application;
• Submit Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) and supporting documents;
• Submit civil documents – Your sponsored family member will be required to upload their civil documents (birth certificate, passport, police certificate, etc.) to their NVC account.

Parent Green Card Fees

The cost of applying for an IR-5 visa or green card for parents depends on whether the beneficiaries are inside the U.S. or outside the U.S.

The cost of applying for a family-based green card inside the U.S. is $1,760.

The cost of applying for a family-based green card outside the U.S. is $1,200.

Government fees are subject to change.

Keep in mind, these expenses do not include required medical examination fees. 

Below, you can find a breakdown of the government fees.

For AOS inside the U.S., the following fees must be paid:

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative: $535
• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Resident Status or Adjust Status: $1,140
• Biometric Service Fee (for parents age under 79): $85
• Required Medical Examination Fee: Varies (est. $350-$600)

For consular processing outside the U.S., the following fees must be paid:

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative: $535
• Affidavit of Support fee: $120
• State Department Processing Fee: $325
• USCIS Immigrant Fee: $220
• Required Medical Examination Fee: Varies

You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee in order for your green card to be processed. If you fail to pay this fee on time, it could result in significant delays.

Processing Time for Form I-130

The time it takes to process form I-130 is dependent on three main factors:

1. Whether the relative is currently inside or outside of the U.S.; 
2. Which USCIS office and/or U.S. Embassy is processing the application;
3. If the application is filed correctly and all supporting documents are submitted.

It currently takes about 12 to 18 months to process an application for a parent of a U.S. citizen living in the U.S.

For parents living outside of the U.S., it can take 2-3 years to complete the consular processing.

The following table depicts current I-130 processing time based on the application center. 

Source: Current USCIS processing times of I-130 applications.

Parent Green Card Documents Checklist

To successfully obtain an IR-5 visa for your parents, you must be able to provide the required documents. 

The following table shows the required documents for completing the green card application through AOS for parents who have already entered the U.S.:

General Document Checklist for Parents Applying From Inside the U.S. (AOS)

If your parents are completing the IR-5 visa application from outside the U.S., the following list shows the required documents for consular processing:

General Document Checklist for Parents Applying From Outside the U.S. (Consular Processing)

Keep in mind that if U.S. citizen petitioner is applying for their father and the petitioner was born out of wedlock, the additional evidence will be required (see below):

Father Applying With a Sponsoring Child Born Out of Wedlock 

Stepparent Checklist

Adoptive Parents Checklist

Parent Green Card Financial Requirements

Sponsoring U.S. citizen must meet the minimum financial requirements to successfully bring their parents to the U.S. through the IR-5 visa.

The U.S. citizen sponsor must also sign the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support as a commitment to the U.S. government to financially support his or her parents.

Upon signature by the sponsor, the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support becomes a legally binding contract between the sponsor and the U.S. government. 

From this moment on, the sponsor must abide by sponsorship requirements. 

In the U.S. there are set numbers that determine whether a household is above or below the poverty line (“Poverty Guidelines”).

Keep in mind that these guidelines are solely based on the sponsor’s annual income. Poverty Guidelines are updated every year in March-April.

It’s also important to note that if you live in Alaska or Hawaii, the poverty guidelines are different, and the annual income requirements are higher than the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. 

The tables below depict 2022 poverty guidelines based on petitioner’s household size and location.

For the 48 Contiguous States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands:

For Alaska

For Hawaii:

Source: USCIS 2022 Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support

You must show that your petitioner earns at least 125% of the U.S. poverty guideline for his or her household size. 

If the sponsor is on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, then your petitioner needs to earn at least 100% of the U.S. poverty guideline for your household size. 

Now, you may be wondering how to determine the size of your household. 

The U.S. considers all of the following to be members of a household:

• You (the sponsor)
• Your parent(s) 
• Any dependent children under the age of 21 
• Any other dependents listed on your most recent Federal income tax return
• Any immigrants previously sponsored with a Form I-864 or Form I-864 EZ, affidavit of support whom you are still obligated to support.
• Everyone being sponsored in this Affidavit of Support.

Since you’re applying for a parent green card, the minimum household size would be two for one parent or three for both parents. 

If your household doesn’t meet the minimum financial requirements, there are other ways to obtain a parent green card for the beneficiary(ies). You can: 

• Provide income earned by any individuals in your household or dependents listed on your most recent Federal income tax return who signed Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
• List the value of your assets (i.e. home(s), vehicles, property, etc.). If necessary, you may also include the assets of other members of your household who signed Form I-864A or the assets of the parent(s)
• Provide a joint sponsor whose income and/or assets are at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines 

You can learn more about using these additional sources of income here.

Related links:

Adjustment of Status

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Form I-130 is Approved, What to Do Next

Form I-485 Processing Time

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Form I-864, Affidavit of Support

Form I-765, Employment Authorization Document

Form I-131, Travel Document

Form I-693, Medical Examination