Requirements for a U.S. citizen’s child sponsorship

1. Under immigration law, you must be the legal parent — biological, step, or adoptive parent.

2. You don’t need to be residing in the U.S. when filing the sponsorship petition, but you must be residing in the U.S. when filing the immigrant visa application.

The categories are as follows:

1. Sponsored person (child)

2. Unmarried child under 21 (IR2)

3. Unmarried child 21 or older (F1)

4. Married child (F3)