6 Key Things Parents Should Know About Sponsoring Their Children to the U.S.

If your parents are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, they can open a sponsorship file to bring their children from Vietnam to the US for reunion and residency.

However, sponsoring children to the U.S. also requires meeting certain conditions and preparing financial support documents.

The following article from ImmiPath will help you answer questions like “How long does it take for parents to sponsor their children to the U.S.? What are the requirements? What are the procedures and documents needed?” See now!

1. What are the Requirements for Parents to Sponsor their Children for Permanent Residency in the U.S.?

The requirements for parents to sponsor their children to the U.S. depend on whether the sponsor is a U.S. citizen or a green card holder, and whether the child is under 21 or over 21 and married. ImmiPath will clarify these two aspects:

1.1 US Citizens

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can sponsor the following children:

• Children under 21 years old and unmarried
• Unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years old
• Married sons and daughters of any age
• The children or spouse of the sponsored individual can also be included in the sponsorship application.

1.2 Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders)

If you are a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), you can sponsor the following children:

• Unmarried children under 21 years old
• Unmarried sons and daughters of any age
• The children or spouse of the sponsored individual can also be included in your sponsorship application.

2. What Documents are Needed to Sponsor Children for Permanent Residency in the U.S.?

Many people go to ImmiPath for U.S. immigration advice and often ask, “What documents are needed for parents to sponsor their children to the U.S.?” Preparing the correct documents is crucial because any errors or missing documents can significantly delay the interview process and green card issuance.

Here are some important documents you need to prepare when opening a sponsorship file for bringing your children to the U.S.:

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative (completed, signed, and with the appropriate fee)
• A copy of your and your children’s U.S. birth certificates
• A copy of your valid US passport
• A copy of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or
• A copy of your Certificate of Naturalization, or
• A copy of your Certificate of Citizenship

If you are a permanent resident, you must provide proof of your status with:

• A copy (front and back) of Form I-551 (Green Card) or for the sponsored person
• A copy of your foreign passport with a stamp showing temporary residence

If your name has changed, you will need to provide legal proof of the name change (which may include marriage certificates, divorce decrees, adoption decrees, court orders for name changes, etc.).

In addition, you also need to prepare some evidence of the relationship. The requirements may vary depending on the specific case:

Sponsor	Required Documents
Genetic mother or legally pregnant mother (non-genetic)	A copy of your child’s birth certificate issued by a civil authority
Genetic father	A copy of your child’s birth certificate issued by a civil authority A copy of your marriage certificate with the child’s mother, whether biological or legal or a legal document recognizing paternity If you were never married to the child’s mother before the child turned 18: If the laws in your or your child’s place of residence recognize the relationship, you do not need to provide additional information. If your child’s paternity is not legally recognized, you must provide evidence that you established a genuine father-child relationship before the child turned 21 or got married. This evidence must show emotional and/or financial involvement in your child’s life.
Stepparent (stepmother or stepfather)	A copy of the biological child’s birth certificate issued by a civil authority A copy of the civil marriage certificate between you and the stepparent or the legal guardian of the biological child Evidence of the legal termination of all previous marriages of you and/or the biological parent or legal guardian (divorce decree, death certificate, annulment decree)
Adoptive Parent (adoptive mother or father)	A copy of the child’s original birth certificate A copy of the final adoption decree Evidence that you have had legal guardianship for 2 years (this may have been granted by the court before the final adoption decree) Evidence that you have had custody for 2 years (meaning the time the child has lived with you and you have exercised primary parental control)

2.1 Submitting a Sponsorship Application for Children to the U.S. in the United States

Object	Documents
U.S. Citizens sponsoring their unmarried children under 21 years old	Your child can submit Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, at the same time you submit Form I-130.
U.S. Citizens sponsoring their sons or daughters (married and/or over 21 years old)	You submit Form I-130. Your son or daughter submits Form I-485 when a visa becomes available. Refer to the visa bulletin and green card pages for details.
Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) sponsoring their children	Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) sponsoring their children

2.2 Submitting an Application for Parents Living Outside the U.S.

If your child, son, or daughter is outside the U.S., you submit Form I-130. The petition will be sent for consular processing after approval and once a visa is available. The U.S. embassy or consulate will provide notification and processing information.

No.	Category	Collection Agency	Amount
1	Application Fee	USCIS	$535/application
2	Financial Document Review Fee	NVC	$120/application
3	Civil Document Review Fee	NVC	$325/person
4	Medical Examination Fee	Cho Ray,  IOM	Adults: $275 (6,399,000 VND) Children 2-14 years old: $240 ((5,584,000 VND) Children under 2 years: $165 (3,389,000 VND)
5	Vaccination Fee	International Health Center – HCMC	Varies based on the number of doses, typically 4-6 million VND
6	Immigration Fee	USCIS	$190 per person
7	Criminal Record Certificate Fee	Provincial Justice Department (residence)	200,000 VND/person (over 16 years old)
8	Passport Fee	Immigration Department – Provincial Police	200,000 VND
9	Document Translation Fee	Notary Office	Varies by location. Some documents, such as criminal record certificates with convictions, need to be translated into English
10	Visa Delivery Fee	Courier Service	140,000 VND

For items 1, 2, 3, and 6, the total fee for a single principal applicant is $1,170. Items 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 vary depending on the type of visa and the number of accompanying family members.

For families with multiple accompanying members, the cost of sponsoring to the U.S. will increase accordingly for each person.

When submitting a sponsorship application for children to the U.S., you need to ensure that all documents comply with USCIS regulations and pay the corresponding fees.

3. How Long Does It Take to Sponsor a Child to the U.S.?

One of the most common concerns regarding parent sponsorship for children is how long the process takes.

The time from when the sponsorship application is submitted to USCIS until the child in Vietnam is interviewed for a visa depends on the sponsor’s citizenship status or green card status.

In addition, there are other factors that determine how long the processing will take for your child, such as whether the child is currently in the U.S. or abroad. If the child is in the U.S., the immigration status will be reviewed more quickly.

3.1 For U.S. citizen parents sponsoring their children

• CR-2/IR-2 Category: Processed immediately. The time from when the application is opened to when the visa is issued is about 14 months.
• F-1 Category: Waiting according to the monthly visa bulletin. The time from when the application is opened to when the visa is issued is about 6 years.
• F-3 Category: Waiting according to the monthly visa bulletin. The time from when the application is opened to when the visa is issued is about 12 years.

3.2 For parents as green card holders sponsoring their children

• F2-A Category: Waiting according to the monthly visa bulletin. The time from when the application is opened to when the visa is issued is about 2 years.
• F2-B Category: Waiting according to the monthly visa bulletin. The time from when the application is opened to when the visa is issued is about 6 years.

4. How to Check the Status of a Parent Sponsorship Application for U.S. Immigration?

As ImmiPath has explained, the waiting time for parent-sponsored immigration to the U.S. can be quite long. To facilitate tracking the progress of your application and to know when it will be your turn for an interview, you can learn how to check your application status.

Here are some ways ImmiPath reveals to help you track your U.S. immigration application:

4.1 Tracking Your U.S. Immigration Application with a Receipt Number

A Receipt Number is a 10-character string issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to applicants for tracking their U.S. immigration application.

Each application receives a unique Form I-797C receipt with a distinct Receipt Number. For example, a Receipt Number might look like SRC 23 016 23912, where:

• “SRC” represents the code for USCIS service centers.
• “23” indicates the year the application was received, which is 2023.
• “016” signifies the day of the fiscal year the application was received. 001 represents the first day, i.e., October 1, and 016 is the 16th business day of that fiscal year.
• “23912” is the sequential number assigned to the application at the time of receipt.

4.2 How to Read Your U.S. Immigration Application Status

To check the status of your U.S. immigration application, you can follow these steps:

1. Visit the website: https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do
2. Enter the 10-character Receipt Number provided by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
3. Review the status of your application based on the following notifications:

• Case Was Received: Your application has been received.
• Case Was Approved: Your application has been approved.
• Case Was Received At My Local Office: Your application has been received at the local USCIS office.
• Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received: A response to USCIS’s request for additional evidence has been received.
• Case Was Sent To The Department of State: Your application has been sent to the Department of State.
• Department of State Sent Case to USCIS For Review: The Department of State has sent your application back to USCIS for review.
• Revocation Notice Was Sent: A revocation notice has been sent.
• New Card Is Being Produced: A new card is being produced.

4.3 Checking the Processing Times for U.S. Immigration Applications with USCIS

To determine if your immigration application has been processed, you can check the processing times. This can be done before or simultaneously with checking your Receipt Number. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the link: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
2. Fill out the form by selecting the type of application you have filed.
3. In the “Field Office or Service Center” section, select the USCIS office handling your application.
4. Click “Get processing time” to receive the processing time information.

5. Some Frequently Asked Questions about the Parent-Sponsored Child Immigration Process to the U.S.

5.1. Can my parents switch from a green card holder status to U.S. citizenship to sponsor me after obtaining U.S. citizenship?

The waiting time for a visa under the parent-sponsored category can be quite long. If the sponsor becomes a U.S. citizen, they can change their residency status from a green card holder to a U.S. citizen, which will also change the status of the U.S. immigration application.

At this point, the green card holder (permanent resident) sponsoring different categories will be switched to:

• F2-A Category (Green card holders sponsoring unmarried children under 21 years old): This category will be switched to CR-2/IR-2. The CR-2/IR-2 category is processed immediately since it is not subject to the annual visa cap.
• F2-B Category (Green card holders sponsoring unmarried children over 21 years old): This category will be switched to F1. F1 is also subject to the annual visa cap, similar to F2-B, and when switching categories, the application will continue to wait.

When switching categories, the priority date (which indicates when the application will be processed) can usually be retained. F2-B generally progresses faster than F1. Usually, when switching from F2-B to F1, you can request to retain the F2-B priority date so that the application can be processed sooner.

5.2. Can the sponsored person’s children accompany them?

When parents sponsor their unmarried children over 21 years old under categories like F-1 or F2-B, these children may have their own children, i.e., the grandchildren of the sponsor. So, can these grandchildren accompany their parents?

According to U.S. immigration law, the grandchildren in this scenario are allowed to accompany the principal applicant. For the sponsorship categories of unmarried children by U.S. citizens and permanent residents, such as F-1 and F2-B, the grandchildren are considered dependents and are permitted to accompany their parents.

The term “unmarried” in U.S. immigration is understood as being able to have a spouse and children. For the F2-B category, this sponsor’s child is considered as born out of wedlock and is allowed to accompany the parent, but the unmarried spouse is not allowed to accompany them.

5.3. What happens if I get married while waiting for my parents’ sponsorship to the U.S.?

The process for parents sponsoring their children to the U.S. can take a long time, sometimes up to 12 years. During this waiting period, many life events can occur. ImmiPath outlines 3 common scenarios during the sponsorship process:

Child sponsored under F-1 gets married: If the child, originally sponsored under the F-1 category, gets married, the application will be reclassified from F-1 to F-3. In this case, the only requirement is to submit the marriage certificate to the office processing the application. 

The wait time for F-3 is about twice as long as F-1, but the advantage is that the child can bring their spouse and children (the sponsor’s grandchildren) with them.

Child sponsored under F2-B gets married: If the child sponsored under the F2-B category gets married, they will lose their eligibility for sponsorship. The application will be canceled. To continue the sponsorship process, the parents will need to restart the application after obtaining U.S. citizenship.

Child sponsored under F-3 gets divorced: If the child sponsored under the F-3 category gets divorced, the application will be reclassified to F-1. This change is beneficial because F-1 is processed faster than F-3. The child of the sponsored individual (the sponsor’s grandchild) is still allowed to accompany them.

5.4. When is the Ideal Time to File a Petition to Sponsor Your Child to the U.S.?

When should parents file a petition to sponsor their child to the U.S.? This question is quite common among parents who are considering starting the sponsorship process for their child. In our opinion, parents should file the petition as early as possible.

As you may know, U.S. immigration petitions can take a long time to process due to the limited number of available visas. Some categories, like the F-3 category for parents sponsoring a married child, can take up to 13 years. Therefore, it is advisable for parents to start the process as early as possible.

Parents can file a petition to sponsor their child immediately after arriving in the U.S. with an immigrant visa. The immigrant visa, which is valid for one year, serves as a temporary substitute for the Green Card (Form I-551), allowing parents to begin the sponsorship process as soon as they arrive in the U.S.

5.5. How Can I Find a Joint Sponsor for My Child’s Immigration to the U.S. if I Do not Have Enough Financial Resources?

Parents sponsoring their child may sometimes find that their declared income is not sufficient to meet the financial sponsorship requirements. In such cases, it is necessary to find a joint sponsor. This situation is quite common, especially for the F-1 and F2-B categories where the child is over 21 years old, and the parents are usually over 40.

By the time parents declare their income for financial sponsorship, they are often at least 46 years old or older. If the parents immigrated to the U.S. through sponsorship by another child, they likely haven’t lived in the U.S. for very long.

As a result, some parents may not have sufficient income to sponsor their children in Vietnam. In such cases, the parents need to find a joint financial sponsor.

The joint sponsor can be another child of the parents, a family member, or an acquaintance. This person must demonstrate their income, similar to the primary sponsor, and it must be at least 125% above the U.S. poverty level.

6. What Should You Do to Avoid Long Waiting Times for Parent-Sponsored Immigration to the U.S.?

As outlined by ImmiPath, the time frame for parents sponsoring their children for U.S. immigration depends on whether the sponsor is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident, the age of the children, and whether they are married.

To ensure a smooth process and a successful interview with the consular officer, it is advisable to seek a reputable and high-quality immigration consultancy service.

If any required documents are missing, or if the evidence provided is not convincing, or if the necessary fees are not fully paid, your application may be returned, leading to delays in family reunification.

If you have any questions about parents sponsoring their children to come to the U.S., feel free to comment below, and the ImmiPath consulting team will provide support and guidance with the expertise and dedication, to help make your dream of family reunion in the U.S. come true.