Can I apply to bring my sibling to live in the United States?

If you are living in California and you have a sibling in another country, it is only natural to want to have him or her immigrate to the United States to be near you. In some circumstances, you may be able to file a petition for a green card for your brother or sister. There are some conditions though, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

To begin with, your sibling will not be able come and live with you prior to the petition being filed. Since you will be the one to file the application, there is documentation that you will be required to submit in the addition to the required forms. You must be at least 21 years old in order to file a petition. You will not be able to do so if you are a permanent resident. Only U.S. citizens can apply and you must produce proof of your citizenship.

You will also need to produce evidence, such as yours and your sibling’s birth certificates, that show you do share at least one biological parent. If you are half-siblings and share a father but not a mother, you will need to provide proof that your father was married to each mother and that those marriages were legal.

In the event that you are not blood relatives and are related through marriage or adoption, you will need to submit additional paperwork regarding your relationship. This is not intended to be legal advice and this is provided as general information on this topic only.