U.S. Green Card Applications for Children to be Fast Tracked

[nancymervin]

Thousands of green card applicants who lost their place in line for U.S. residency when they turned 21 must be given priority status, according to decisions made by a federal appeals court on September 26, 2012.Those children who "aged out" during the process lost their 'place in line', by being forced to file new applications for U.S. residency, which meant that their new application would be put at the bottom of the pile.

However, the narrowly divided 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on September 26 decided that the applicants may keep their "priority date" established when their parents filed for a derivative U.S. visa for their children.Based on this decision, Carl Shusterman, one of the lawyers representing the applicants, suggested tens of thousands of children living in the U.S. or abroad who have "aged out" of the green card process will reclaim their place in line and after which be able to file N-400 form for naturalization.