公民父母和配偶即使身份过期仍然可以申请绿卡

最近有多位读者询问，父母已经在中国申请了绿卡（或准备申请绿卡），这次持 B1/B2 签证来玩，因疫情和航班取消无法回国，办理延期有何注意事项？

适用领馆处理程序的境外申请人，以合法身份来到美国之后可以选择调整身份（Adjustment of Status; AOS）。不过，通常建议不要在入境 90 天内转换或调整身份，原因参见这篇文章。另外，持 B1/B2 签证入境调整身份（尤其是入境之后很快就提交 I-485），有被认为「入境时隐瞒真实意图」的法律风险，参见这篇文章。最后，通常来说申请人在提交 AOS 时必须有合法身份。

但是，提问的读者若是美国公民（只有美国公民才可以为父母申请绿卡），那么他们的父母是 immediate relatives，即使 out-of-status 仍然可以调整身份。参见 USCIS Policy Manual^[链接]：

An alien is barred from adjustment of status if the alien is in an unlawful immigration status on the date of filing the adjustment application.^[1]This bar to adjustment does not apply to:
– Immediate relatives;^[2]
– Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)-based applicants;
– Certain alien doctors and their accompanying spouse and children;^[3]
– Certain G-4 international organization employees, NATO-6 employees, and their family members;^[4]
– Special immigrant juveniles;^[5]
– Certain members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouses and children;^[6]or
– Employment-based applicants who meet the INA 245(k) exemption.

以及 ^[链接]：

Any adjustment applicant is ineligible to adjust status under INA 245(a) if, other than through no fault of his or her own or for technical reasons,^[1]he or she has ever:
– Failed to continuously maintain a lawful status since entry into the United States;^[2]or
– Violated the terms of his or her nonimmigrant status.^[3]
The INA 245(c)(2) and INA 245(c)(8) bars to adjustment do not apply to:
– Immediate relatives;^[4]
– Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)-based applicants;
– Certain physicians and their accompanying spouse and children;^[5]
– Certain G-4 international organization employees, NATO-6 employees, and their family members;^[6]
– Special immigrant juveniles;^[7]or
– Certain members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouse and children.^[8]
Employment-based applicants also may be eligible for exemption from this bar under INA 245(k).^[9]

移民法中的「immediate relatives」包括 ^[参见]：美国公民的配偶；美国公民的 21 岁以下未婚子女；21 岁以上美国公民的父母。「Immediate relatives」除了在 out-of-status 期间仍然可以调整身份以外，还不受绿卡配额限制、无需排期。对于本文开头那些提问的读者来说，我的建议都是：没有必要浪费钱申请 B1/B2 延期，既然已经打算为父母申请、甚至已经申请了绿卡，如今人在境内，直接提交 I-485 调整身份，同时申请 Advance Parole 即可。

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