Immigrant Visas

Parents of a U.S. Citizen

A U.S. citizen over the age of 21 can sponsor his/her parents for immigration to the United States.

How to apply

The American citizen must file an alien relative petition (Form I-130) with the office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS) in the U.S. having jurisdiction over his/her place of residence. Forms and instructions are available from USCIS. Once USCIS approves the petition, they will send the petitioner a notice of approval, Form I-797. USCIS will also forward the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC), which will contact the intending immigrant with further information.

The "How Do I Bring My Parents to Live in the United States?" page of USCIS provides detailed information on the process.

Applying at the Embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Budapest accepts petitions from U.S. citizens on behalf of their parents. If the petition is executed at the Embassy, the consular officer may approve it. The fee for executing an I-130 petition is 185 USD.
Please note: The petition must be filed by the U.S. citizen - in person!

In order to file a petition, the American citizen needs to present the following documents:

• proof of citizenship;
• proof of relationship; and
• proof of name change if other than indicated on the birth certificate of the U.S. citizen

Any document in a foreign language must be accompanied by an official translation into English.

How long the application will take to process

The total processing time for an immigrant visa for a parent might take up to 2-3 years if the petition is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the U.S. and subsequently forwarded via the National Visa Center to an Embassy overseas.
Please note: If the petition is filed with the Embassy, the processing time is generally one month.

Last updated: 05/06/2005