For U.S. citizens aged 21 or older petitioning for a parent
A green card for parents of US citizens, prepared and checked before you file
A green card for parents of US citizens has no visa wait, because a parent is an immediate relative. If your parent is already in the United States, you can file Form I-130, Form I-485 and Form I-864 together. We fill the forms from your answers, build the document list, and show you the report before you pay.
No account, no card. Money-back guarantee.
- Up to 60 pre-filing checks
- Add-ons: work permit and travel document
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $299Base package
- 60 + 6Maximum pre-filing checks
- I-765
I-131Work permit and travel add-ons - 100%Money-back guarantee
WHO CAN PETITION
Only a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older can petition for a parent. A green card holder cannot. If you are one, you can petition once you naturalize.
Build your package
Start with the green card package. Add work and travel if you need them.
You choose add-ons in the app after you sign up. They start unticked, and you can skip both. Each one reuses the answers you already gave and has its own fixed add-on price.
- 01
Green card package: Form I-130 and Form I-485
The family petition and the green card application, plus Form I-130A and Form I-864 when your case needs them. Includes the pre-filing report, one document list, and filing instructions.
$299 BASE PACKAGE - 02
Work permit (Form I-765)
Lets your relative start working while the green card application is pending. We prepare the (c)(9) work permit from answers you have already given. The USCIS fee is separate.
+ $69 ADD-ON - 03
Travel document (Form I-131)
Advance parole lets your relative leave the U.S. and come back while the I-485 is pending. Leaving without it can end the application. Filed with the work permit, both can arrive on one combo card. The USCIS fee is separate.
+ $69 ADD-ON
Which route is yours
Your parent’s location decides the forms
Both routes start with the same petition. Only a parent already in the United States can file the green card application with it.
- 01
Your parent is in the U.S. after a lawful entry
A parent of a citizen is an immediate relative, so no visa number is needed. You file the I-130, your parent files the I-485, and the I-864 comes with it. All three go in one packet.
THE PACKAGE WE PREPARECheck eligibility - 02
Your parent lives abroad
There is no I-485. You file Form I-130 alone, and your parent finishes the process at a U.S. consulate after the petition is approved.
I-130 ONLYSee the I-130 on its own - 03
You are a green card holder
A green card holder cannot petition for a parent. Naturalizing first makes you a U.S. citizen, and then the petition is open to you.
NOT YETSee the citizenship application - 04
Your parent entered without inspection or has a court case
How a parent entered the country and any court history can limit adjustment of status. An overstay on its own does not stop a parent of a citizen from adjusting. Our questions flag these early, and some belong with an immigration attorney first.
CHECK FIRSTCheck eligibility
What you get
The petition, the application and your parent’s paperwork, made to agree
You and your parent answer your own questions. We produce the forms, the checks and one document list.
- THE POINT OF IT
One set of answers fills every form
Names, dates and addresses go in once. They fill the I-130, the I-485 and the I-864, so the forms cannot drift apart.
The right proof of the parent-child relationship
The evidence depends on whether you petition for your mother or your father, and on adoption or a stepparent marriage. Your answers pick the list.
Your income checked for the I-864
A parent’s green card needs an Affidavit of Support from you. We check your income and household size against the guidelines, and tell you if you need a joint sponsor.
Work and travel add-ons for your parent
Your parent can add a work permit and a travel document. Both reuse the answers already given, and you can skip them.
How it works
Prepare a green card for your parent in four steps
A full package takes more than one sitting. Your answers save as you go.
Check that you qualify
Confirm that you are a citizen aged 21 or older and where your parent lives. It is free and needs no account.
Answer for yourself and for your parent
You cover your citizenship, your income and the relationship. Your parent covers how they entered the country and their background.
Read your report
Every check across the package: what passed, what needs attention and how to fix it. You have not paid yet.
Gather the documents and file
Your list starts with your own birth certificate naming your parent. Then mail the packet, or file the I-130 online first and the I-485 after the receipt notice arrives.
Pre-filing audit
See every check before you file
Every packet runs through up to 60 checks: 46 on the petition and the application, 2 on Form I-130A for spouse petitions, and 12 on Form I-864 when your case needs one. The work permit add-on brings 2 more checks and the travel document add-on 4 more. You see the full report before you pay.
Form I-130: the sponsor and the petition
- Petitioner status, citizen or green card holder
- Petitioner age threshold
- Citizenship basis and proof
- Qualifying relationship category
- Green card holder petition limits
- Prior petition history
- Petitioner name consistency
- Beneficiary name consistency
- Petitioner five-year address history
Form I-130: marriage and family
- Spouse marital status consistency
- Prior marriages legally ended
- Evidence the marriage is real
- Marriage timing and conditional residence
- Stepchild marriage timing
- Beneficiary age and age-out risk
- Family birth dates that make sense together
- Location against adjustment of status
- Removal or deportation proceedings
The petition against the application
- Marriage details match on both forms
- Relationship matches on both forms
Form I-130A, for spouse petitions
- Beneficiary five-year address history
- Beneficiary five-year employment history
Form I-485: eligibility and category
- Category matches your petition status
- Inspected, admitted or paroled, or 245(i)
- Lawful status maintained under 245(c)
- Derivative filing allowed in your category
- J-1 and J-2 two-year home residence under 212(e)
- Prior permanent residence not rescinded
- One-year physical presence for asylees and refugees
Form I-485: family, marriage and age
- Marital status consistent across the form
- Prior marriages legally ended
- K-1 marriage inside the 90-day window
- Child status and age-out risk under CSPA
- Automatic citizenship heads-up for a child
Form I-485: admissibility and background
- Criminal history grounds
- Security and terrorism grounds
- Unlawful acts and immigration violations
- Fraud or misrepresentation
- Military and other grounds
- Removal or immigration court history
- Travel while pending and advance parole
- Medical exam on Form I-693 still valid
Form I-485: public charge and history
- Affidavit of Support required or exempt
- Public charge questions complete or correctly skipped
- Five-year address history with no gaps
- Five-year employment history with no gaps
Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support
- Sponsor income against the 125% poverty guidelines
- Sponsor meets the age requirement
- Sponsor is domiciled in the United States
- Household size counted correctly
- Joint sponsor income is enough
- Household member income added correctly on I-864A
- Assets cover any income shortfall
- Right tax year and transcripts attached
- Sponsor employment and income source disclosed
- Sponsored relatives match the petition
- Sponsored children listed consistently
- Sponsor Social Security number disclosed
Add-on: work permit, Form I-765
- Category (c)(9) for a work permit filed with Form I-485
- Initial, renewal or replacement chosen correctly
Add-on: travel document, Form I-131
- Advance parole fits the rest of the package
- Departure date leaves time for the document
- Unlawful presence before you travel
- Immigration court history
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Three ways to prepare your adjustment of status package
A concurrent filing is up to six forms that have to agree with each other. This is who does that work in each case.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $299 | $3,000–$10,000+ |
| Form I-130, the family petition | YesThe blank USCIS form, free to download | YesFilled in from the sponsor's answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Form I-485, the green card application | YesThe blank USCIS form, free to download | YesFilled in from the relative's answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Form I-130A, for a spouse | NoA third form, if you work out that you need it | YesAdded for spouse cases, filled from the same answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support | NoA fourth form, and a poverty-guideline table to read | YesPrepared, with the household size and income math done | YesPrepared for you |
| Which forms your case needs | NoYou read four sets of instructions to decide | YesDecided from your answers | YesThey decide |
| Keeping every form consistent | NoYou retype names, dates and addresses on each form | YesEntered once, then compared across the forms | YesThey cross-check |
| Inadmissibility questions on the I-485 | NoYou read and interpret them alone | YesChecked against the rest of your answers | YesReviewed with you |
| Error checking | NoNone. You find out from the rejection notice | YesUp to 60 checks, shown before you pay | YesA person reads it |
| Work permit and travel document | NoTwo more forms, each with its own instructions | YesOptional add-ons, filled from the same answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Document list | NoSeveral overlapping checklists to reconcile | YesOne list covering the whole packet | YesTailored to you |
| Filing by mail or online | NoYou work out the route and the order yourself | YesSteps for the route you choose | YesThey file for you |
| What it costs you upfront | YesNothing | Yes$299 for the base package, after you see the report | NoA retainer before anything starts |
Your complete green card package
Form I-130, Form I-485, Form I-130A and Form I-864 where they apply, the pre-filing report, one document list, and filing instructions.
$299One price for the base package. The work permit and travel document are optional add-ons, each at its own add-on price. USCIS filing fees are separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Common questions
Green card for parents questions, answered
What citizen children ask before they start.
You must be a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older. You file Form I-130 to prove the relationship. If your parent is already in the United States and entered lawfully, they can send Form I-485 at the same time, with Form I-864 from you. If your parent lives abroad, they finish at a U.S. consulate after approval.
No. A parent of a citizen who is 21 or older is an immediate relative, so a visa is always available. That is different from a sibling or an adult married child, who wait in a numbered line. See how the visa bulletin works
It depends on the USCIS office and the year, so we do not quote a number. USCIS posts current times for Form I-130 on its Check Case Processing Times page. If your parent files the I-485 with the I-130, they receive a decision on each form. Read about I-130 processing time
Proof of your U.S. citizenship, plus proof of the parent-child relationship, a passport-style photo where the instructions ask, and the filing fee. For a parent, the main document is your own birth certificate. We list the rest from your answers. See the I-130 documents checklist
For a mother, your birth certificate showing her name. For a father, your birth certificate showing both parents’ names and your parents’ marriage certificate, plus proof that any earlier marriages ended. For a father, if you were born out of wedlock: proof he legitimated you before you turned 18, or proof of a real parent-child relationship before you married or turned 21, whichever came first. For a mother, your birth certificate is enough. A stepparent needs a marriage that took place before you turned 18. An adoptive parent needs a decree showing adoption before age 16 and two years of legal custody and shared residence.
No. Only a U.S. citizen can petition for a parent. A green card holder can petition for a spouse and unmarried children only. Once you naturalize and turn 21 or older, you can file for your parent. See the citizenship application
Yes, if your parent is in the United States and entered with inspection, meaning they were admitted or paroled. Because a parent is an immediate relative, they generally do not need to have kept a status. An unlawful entry, an immigration court case or a past removal order can change that, and we ask about each of them. See concurrent filing
Immiva's fee for the base package is $299, paid once, after you have seen the report. USCIS fees are separate and go to the government. Our cost calculator shows the current USCIS fee for each form. Use the green card cost calculator
Green card guides
Read this before you file
How each form works, what to send, and what happens while you wait.
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative: 2026 Complete GuideWho can file, who you can sponsor, evidence, fees, and timing. Written in plain English.I-130 guide
- I-485 Complete Guide: Adjustment of Status to Green Card (2026)Who can adjust, the steps, evidence, fees, and timing, in plain English.I-485 guide
- I-130 for Spouse: Bona-Fide Marriage Evidence ExplainedWhat USCIS officers look for, ranked by evidence strength, and how to handle short-marriage scrutiny.Spouse
- Form I-864 for I-485: Income Requirements and Sponsor RulesWho needs a sponsor, the income thresholds, and how joint sponsors work.Affidavit of Support
- I-130 Priority Dates & the Visa Bulletin ExplainedHow priority dates work, how to read the visa bulletin, and when your category becomes current.Visa Bulletin
- Working and Traveling While I-485 Is Pending: EAD and Advance ParoleHow the combo card works and when it’s safe to leave the country.Work & Travel
- Green Card Cost CalculatorThe current USCIS fee for every form in your package, including the work permit and travel document.Cost calculator
Related pages
Other routes to a family green card
Your family may fit a different petition.