I have an A2 visa and I want to become a US Citizen or get my Green Card. How do I do this?

Question

I'm a dependent of an A2 visa holder. I've been here since I was 8 years old and I'm now 22. I have a younger sister who is 12 that's a US Citizen. Am I able to get a Green Card or apply for Citizenship?

Answer 1

This is a non-immigrant visa for diplomatic personnel, foreign governments' officials here on official business and their dependents, and their staff.  Since it is not an immigration class of visa, you are not eligible for immigration or change of status to an immigration-class of visa.  If your younger sibling was born in the US to diplomatic personnel, diplomats' children are expressly barred from any claim to US citizenship based on birth in the US, under US law and the international laws regarding foreign government personnel/diplomatic corps, so she might not be a US citizen at all.  Do not assume she is -- verify facts.

You have to return to your own country and apply for immigration.  You must have a sponsor who is an immediate blood relative (parent, adult sibling, adult child) who is a US citizen.

Answer 2

You need to be a legal resident holding a legal green card for 5 years before you can apply for citizenship.

I have a friend that went through the A2 visa thing, email me so I can give you her info.

Answer 3

Well, you'd need to qualify in some manner that would allow you to apply for green card status, as with an immigrant visa petition, through the Diversity Visa Lottery or through employment. You're not eligible for a green card based on your stay here as a diplomatic dependent. Actually, I'm not sure that your sister is an American citizen for that matter, as children of diplomats serving in the US normally aren't eligible for citizenship. There isn't any way you could apply for citizenship based on what you've presented here.