Common Reasons USCIS May Issue a Family-Based Green Card Application Denial

The US government admits thousands of foreign nationals as permanent residents of the United States each year but also denies thousands of green card applications. There are several possible factors for a green card application denial, which can vary from no basis for eligibility to grounds of inadmissibility to failure to deal with the application requirements properly.

Denial Statistics

Each year U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denies thousands of green card applications. In the fiscal year 2021, USCIS received 757,206 petitions for alien relatives and denied 81,169. This doesn’t include the 11 percent that USCIS routinely rejects. Family-based applications for a green card are based on a family relationship with a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.

1. Ineligibility Reasons for a Green Card Application Denial

U.S. immigration law narrowly defines eligibility for a family-based green card. Not all family members are eligible for this privilege. A lawful permanent resident may only petition a spouse or unmarried son or daughter. It is not possible to directly petition one’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, or nephews.

2. Immediate Relatives

An unlimited number of immigrant visas (green cards) can be issued to immigrants who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. There is “no wait” for an immediate relative immigrant visa, but there is still a process that will most likely take several months. The immediate relative categories include spouse, unmarried child (under age 21), or parent of a U. S. citizen.

3. Family Preference

The family preference categories for an immigrant visa include other relationships for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Some categories will wait many years to get a green card. USCIS will certainly deny the petition if you don’t fit these categories. If USCIS determines that you lied, the intending immigrant’s future attempts to immigrate to the United States will be adversely affected.