- 1). Find an immediate relative who is a U.S. citizen and is willing to file an immigration petition on your behalf. Immediate relatives include a spouse, parents, siblings and children over the age of 21.
- 2). Complete USCIS Form I-130. Your spouse or immediate relative must sign this petition and file it on your behalf; you cannot file it yourself.
- 3). Complete USCIS Form I-485. This form is submitted in your name and you will have to sign it yourself.
- 4). Obtain police reports from every place that you have lived for at least a year since you turned 16. If you have no police record, the police report will have to state that fact. An arrest record will not necessarily prevent you from being granted permanent residence.
- 5). Download USCIS Form I-693 and take it to a USCIS-approved medical clinic in your area. A doctor will perform a medical examination, fill out Form I-693, and return it to you in a sealed envelope. Do not open the envelope or break the seal.
- 6). Collect your personal financial records to establish that you have the financial means to support yourself while in the United States. If your resources are insufficient, you will need to find someone to sponsor you using USCIS Form I-864. Your spouse can sponsor you.
- 7). Collect all of the forms and documents that you have prepared, including documentation required by various forms (copies of your marriage certificate, birth certificate and passport), and submit them to the USCIS Service Center that serves your jurisdiction. Once your application has been submitted, you will be able to legally remain in the United States while it is being adjudicated, even if conditions in your home country improve to the point that others in withholding of removal status are deported.
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