Immigration pathway · CC-BY-4.0
Parent sponsorship — Adjustment of Status for a parent of a U.S. citizen
U.S.-citizen child age 21+ sponsors a parent already in the United States. Same filing package as marriage-based AOS — $3,205–$3,655: I-130 ($675) + I-485 ($1,440) + I-765 ($260) + I-131 ($630) + I-864 ($0 USCIS fee) + I-693 medical ($200–$650). The sponsor must earn at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines on the I-864.
Default Florida cost range: $3,205 – $3,655
Filing package
USCIS, DOS, and NVC fees in integer cents. Source: backend public API at /immigration/calculator/cost?pathway=parent_sponsorship_aos.
I-130 — Petition for Alien Relative (parent)
$675 paper / $625 online
U.S.-citizen child age 21+ petitions for parent as an immediate relative. No annual cap; not subject to visa-bulletin wait times.
- INA § 201(b)(2)(A)(i)
- INA § 204
I-485 (adult) — Adjustment of Status — parent
$1,440 paper / $1,375 online
Parent adjusts to LPR status; biometrics bundled.
- INA § 245
I-765 (concurrent) — Employment Authorization
$260 paper
Optional — many parent applicants do not need work authorization but the concurrent EAD is the default.
- 8 CFR § 274a.12(c)(9)
I-131 (advance parole) — Application for Travel Document
$630 paper / $580 online
Travel during AOS adjudication.
- INA § 212(d)(5)
I-864 — Affidavit of Support
$0 paper
Sponsor commits to 125% FPG for the household including the parent. Joint sponsor permitted if primary sponsor's income falls short.
- INA § 213A
I-693 — Medical examination
$200 paper
Civil-surgeon exam ($200–$650 range).
- INA § 232
Eligibility
1. U.S.-citizen child age 21+
Only U.S. citizens age 21 or older may sponsor parents. LPR children cannot. Children under 21 cannot petition for parents — they must wait until their 21st birthday.
- INA § 201(b)(2)(A)(i)
- INA § 101(b)(1)
2. Parent inspected + admitted (or § 245(i) grandfathered)
Per INA § 245(a), the parent must have been inspected and admitted or paroled into the U.S. Entry without inspection bars domestic AOS absent a § 245(i) grandfather (rare — applies only to beneficiaries of petitions filed on or before April 30, 2001).
- INA § 245(a)
- INA § 245(i)
3. Sponsor meets 125% FPG income threshold
I-864 requires the sponsoring child to earn at or above 125% FPG for the household size including the parent. A joint sponsor — typically another U.S.-citizen relative — can be used if the primary sponsor falls short.
- INA § 213A(f)(1)(E)
Common pitfalls
Sponsoring before turning 21
USCIS rejects I-130 filings by children under 21 as ineligible. The petition cannot be backdated upon the child's 21st birthday — it must be filed after.
- INA § 101(b)(1)
Parent overstayed and now seeks AOS
If the parent entered with a visa and overstayed, INA § 245(a) typically still permits AOS as an immediate relative — overstays of immediate-relative beneficiaries are forgiven for AOS purposes (but not for consular processing without an I-601A waiver).
- INA § 245(c)(2)
I-864 sponsor income below threshold
If the sponsoring child does not meet 125% FPG, USCIS issues an RFE. The standard fix is a joint sponsor (another U.S.-citizen household, typically a relative) filing a second I-864.
- INA § 213A(f)(1)(E)
Primary statutes
- INA § 201(b)(2)(A)(i)
- Parents of U.S. citizens (age 21+) classified as immediate relatives — no annual cap.
- INA § 204
- Petition procedure.
- INA § 245
- Adjustment of status.
- INA § 213A
- Affidavit of Support / 125% FPG sponsor income.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does parent sponsorship AOS cost in Florida?
- $3,205–$3,655 in government and physician fees (no attorney). Same total as marriage-based AOS — both file the I-130 + I-485 + I-765 + I-131 + I-864 + I-693 package.
- Can a 20-year-old U.S. citizen sponsor a parent?
- No. INA § 201(b)(2)(A)(i) requires the sponsoring child to be age 21 or older. The petition must be filed after the child's 21st birthday.
- Does an LPR child sponsoring a parent face a wait time?
- LPRs cannot sponsor parents at all. Only U.S. citizens age 21+ can. The path for an LPR child would be: become a citizen first, then file I-130 for the parent.
- Is the parent's overstay before AOS a problem?
- For domestic AOS via INA § 245, overstays of immediate-relative beneficiaries are forgiven. For consular processing, an unlawful-presence bar may apply if the parent departs — the I-601A provisional waiver is the standard mitigation.
Sources
- 1USCIS — Bringing Parents to Live in the United States(accessed 2026-06-01)
- 2USCIS Policy Manual — Volume 6 (Immediate Relatives)(accessed 2026-06-01)
Legal
This data is generated by the Unilegal Florida immigration methodology model for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.), Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, USCIS policy manual, the Federal Register fee rules (incl. 89 FR 6194), Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1, 2025), and Florida Statutes are the authoritative sources. USCIS fees and EOIR caselaw change frequently; always verify against uscis.gov + justice.gov/eoir.
Immigration matters affect lawful status, employment authorization, and removal exposure. Consult a Florida-licensed attorney verified at floridabar.org — never a 'notario' or non-attorney consultant. Notarios cannot give legal advice in the United States; fraudulent representations to USCIS trigger lifetime inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(6)(C).