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Legal Question/Advice for Sponsoring Father (a little complicated situation)

332 views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  twostep  
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3 posts · ed 2025
Hello guys! My name is Leyz.

I am in the process of renewing my green card from conditional to a ten-year one. A year from now and I can start processing my citizenship. Once I become a citizen, I'm planning to sponsor my father. The setup is:

1) Biological father
2) Biological sister (more than 21yrs old)
3) Step mother (legally married to dad around before or after I was 18, I believe, not so sure, if that matters, let me know)
4) Step brother (minor around 14yrs old) - biologically related to my step mother but not her biological son, they adopted (not legally) and took care of him since he was about 2-4. He has been using his legal birth name in papers

I will sponsor my dad to come to US. I am aware that a step-mother and a legally adopted son can be sponsored altogether, but is it better for us to wait for my dad to become a citizen and then sponsor/adopt my brother. We also have to consider that he is 14. The reason I am asking is because when I did my searches in google, AI said it is better to adopt when my dad becomes a citizen so the process of making my step brother a citizen is easier.

Or should we go ahead and process legal adoption papers in the Philippines and just sponsor them altogether?

Thank you!
 
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a US citizen can petition for their stepparent to immigrate to the United States, but certain conditions must be met, including the stepparent's marriage to the US citizen's biological parent occurring before the US citizen turned 18. So this is something you need to resolve first.
They adopted, but not legally ..... if not legally adopted then something else you need to resolve first as neither you nor your father can sponsor someone who is not some sort of legal relative.
Your sister is an F4 candidate. Current times for US citizens to sponsor siblings is around 15 years.
For Permanent residents (your father) to sponsor adult non married children (21 years+) 10 years.

This post should be moved to the US general section ....
 
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Thank you very much, Crawford! I think an moved my post (sorry about that!)

I will check with my father when they got married.

As to my step brother, we can do the Hague Convention process right? But is it gonna be more costly and complicated if we do that compared to doing the legal process of having my father adopting my stepbrother domestically in the Philippines and petition my father with him since he is a minor? Thank you!
 
Hi, Crawford. So I just found out that they got married when I was 18yrs old and 9 mos. Legal age in PH starts at 18. I suppose my dad can only petition them once he becomes a citizen? I will google it. If you have any advise on what to do, please tell me.

Thank you!
 
I suppose my dad can only petition them once he becomes a citizen? I will google it. If you have any advise on what to do, please tell me.

Thank you!
Your father can petition once he becomes a US permanent citizen (green card holder)
 
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