green card for parents outside US

[noblepacino 0]

Hi, my parents live outside of US. As a US citizen I plan to sponsor them in a green card application. They intend to live abroad until and if they receive their cards. How fast do they need to come to US after they receive the cards? If they have a very strong reason, can they stay outside for about 6 months from the moment their card is approved and then come over?

[Just Paul 4,595]

1 minute ago, noblepacino said:

Hi, my parents live outside of US. As a US citizen I plan to sponsor them in a green card application. They intend to live abroad until and if they receive their cards. How fast do they need to come to US after they receive the cards? If they have a very strong reason, can they stay outside for about 6 months from the moment their card is approved and then come over?

The cards are not ordered until they enter the US.   It can take a few weeks to 3 or 5 months for them to be produced.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

They will be issued immigrant visas, which will be valid for 6 months from the date of the medical. They would need to enter before the visas expire.

Usually it would take approximately a year from you filing the petition to their getting an interview (exact time varies according to consulate and any idiosyncrasy of your case) but with everything delayed at the moment timelines for petitions being filed now might be longer. 

[noblepacino 0]

Thank you so much!