Below are the main categories available for alien family members to connect with a U.S. citizen or green card holder family member in order to get a green card.

There are many routes to obtaining a green card or a permanent U.S residency card. Some people obtain their green card through their employment or through applying for a special status such as refugee or asylee status but many people just apply through a relationship with a family member. Those immigrants with family members already in the United States that are either United States citizens or permanent resident green card holders could be on the fast track to getting a U.S. permanent residency card of their own. The process for obtaining a green card through a family member begins with asking that specific U.S. citizen family member to sponsor your application for a green card or permanent U.S residency. If he or she agrees then the green card application process can begin. Below are the main categories available for alien family members to connect with a U.S. citizen or green card holder family member in order to get a green card.

• U.S. Citizen, Immediate Relative
Immediate relative category would include the U.S. citizen's spouse, his or her unmarried children under age twenty one and his or her parents age twenty one or older.

• U.S. Citizen, Family Member Preference
The "preference category" includes all non-immediate family members of the U.S. citizen such as unmarried children under age twenty one, married children of any age and brother and sisters of the U.S. citizen age twenty and older.

• Permanent Resident, Green Card Holder, Family Member
This category includes the spouse of a green card holder and his or her unmarried children.

• Special Category
The special category includes applicant of individuals such as battered spouses and minor children of a U.S citizen or green card holder suffering abuse and the widow or widow of a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

After figuring out which category fits your immigration situation you will need to ask your sponsoring family member to fill out and submit an I-864, Affidavit of Support Form for you. The sponsor will need to be at least eighteen years old and living inside the United States. To qualify as a sponsor the relative must be able to show that his income is at least 125 percent of the current Federal poverty line. A joint sponsor is allowed is the sponsoring relative is unable to meet the income requirements. The financial asset of the sponsoring relative can also be used to supplement income requirements if the Department of Immigration is convinced that the assets could be made available to support the proposed immigrant to be financially sponsored.

Please feel free to set up a free initial consultation with Attorney Hendrik Pretorius today to consider your options.