Bringing your parents to the US (IR-5)

Who this is for

US citizens (21+) who want to bring a parent to live in the US permanently. For a parent just visiting, that's a B-2 tourist visa instead — a completely different, temporary path.

The path (confirm specifics with USCIS / an attorney)

1. Confirm you qualify: you must be a US citizen, 21 or older. Parents are "immediate relatives," which avoids the long category waits that some other family categories face.
2. File Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for each parent with proof of the parent-child relationship + your citizenship.
3. After USCIS approves, the case goes to the National Visa Center (NVC) → consular processing: you submit civil documents + an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) showing you can financially sponsor them.
4. Embassy interview in Kathmandu; on approval your parent receives an immigrant visa.
5. Entry + green card: your parent enters the US as a permanent resident (the physical card follows). (If a parent is already lawfully in the US, adjustment of status may be an option instead of consular processing — an attorney advises which path fits.)

Key things people get wrong

• Only US citizens can petition parents — a green-card holder cannot. (If you're a green-card holder, this waits until you naturalize — see the citizenship guide.)
• Permanent vs visit: IR-5 is a green card. If you only want them here for a few months, that's a B-2 visitor visa + visitor health insurance — don't conflate them.
• Affidavit of Support is a real obligation — sponsoring is a binding financial commitment; understand it before filing.
• File a separate I-130 for each parent.