The Complete Guide to Family-Based Green Cards in Los Angeles

Two groups can file family-based petitions. US citizens can petition for spouses, children of any age, parents, and siblings. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can petition for spouses and unmarried children only.

The category you fall under matters because it determines your wait time. Immediate relatives of US citizens (spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21) have no annual cap and typically wait 10 to 18 months. Other categories, called family preference categories, are capped each year and can take 2 years (F2A spouses of permanent residents) to more than 20 years (F4 siblings of US citizens from Mexico or the Philippines).

Every family-based green card starts with Form I-130, the Petition for Alien Relative. The US citizen or permanent resident petitioner files this form to establish that the qualifying family relationship exists. The current filing fee is 675 dollars (paper) or 625 dollars (online). USCIS posts current fees at uscis.gov.

Evidence to submit with the I-130 includes proof of the petitioner's status (US passport bio page or naturalization certificate, or green card), proof of the qualifying relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates), and for spousal cases, bona-fide marriage evidence (joint lease, joint bank statements, photos, affidavits from people who know the couple).

Bona-fide marriage evidence is where most cases are won or lost. USCIS officers are trained to look for sham marriages. Build a binder of joint life evidence covering as many years as possible.

Once the I-130 is approved (or filed concurrently in immediate-relative cases), the next step is to either adjust status inside the United States using Form I-485, or to attend a visa interview at a US consulate abroad (most often Ciudad Juarez for Mexican nationals).

Adjustment of status is available to those who entered the United States legally and meet other eligibility rules. The I-485 fee is currently 1,440 dollars including biometrics. Filing usually includes Form I-765 for a work permit and Form I-131 for advance parole, both at no extra cost when filed with the I-485.

Consular processing applies to applicants outside the United States, and to those inside the United States who are not eligible to adjust (for example, because they entered without inspection). The consular interview happens at the US Embassy or Consulate of the home country. Ciudad Juarez handles the highest volume of Mexican spousal cases.

Many of our Compton and South LA spouses entered the United States without inspection, which triggers a 3-year or 10-year unlawful presence bar when they leave the country to attend their consular interview. The I-601A provisional unlawful presence waiver allows them to ask for forgiveness before they leave, dramatically reducing the time they are separated from family.

To qualify, the applicant must have a US citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent (the qualifying relative) and must show that the qualifying relative would suffer extreme hardship if the waiver is denied. Extreme hardship is a high bar, financial, medical, emotional, and country-conditions evidence all matter.

The Los Angeles USCIS Field Office is at 300 N Los Angeles St, downtown. Adjustment-of-status interviews for South LA cases are typically held there. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early, bring originals of every document submitted, and bring an interpreter only if you do not speak English well (USCIS provides interpreters in some categories but not all).

Spousal interviews are the most rigorous. Officers may interview spouses together or separately. Be ready to answer questions about your shared life, daily routine, family, and finances. Honest, consistent answers based on your actual life win these interviews.