Sponsoring for GC when out of country

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b_desai

New Member
I would like to know if a US citizen who sponsors a family member for Green Card has to be living in the US? Also, once the family member receives the Green Card, does the sponsor need to continue living in the US to support them (till they obtain citizenship)?

In other words, can a US citizen living in another country (India) be able to sponsor their family members for US GC or not. Any info/pointers will be appreciated.

If this is possible, what are the requirements that need to be fulfilled by the sponsor. Thank you very much.
 
You can find the requirements for sponsors here:
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/affsupp.htm

There you can find the following:

Who is Required to Be a Sponsor?
If you filed an immigrant visa petition for your relative, you must be the sponsor. You must also be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. You must have a domicile in the United States or a territory or possession of the United States. Usually, this requirement means you must actually live in the United States, or a territory or possession, in order to be a sponsor. If you live abroad, you may still be eligible to be a sponsor if you can show that your residence abroad is temporary, so that you still have your domicile in the United States.

Can anyone else be a sponsor?
INA section 213A permits both a "joint sponsor" and a "substitute sponsor" in certain cases.

Who can be a joint sponsor, and when is a joint sponsor allowed?
If the visa petitioner's household income is not sufficient to meet the requirements of INA section 213A and 8 C.F.R. § 213a, INA section 213A permits a joint sponsor to sign an affidavit of support, in addition to the affidavit of support signed by the visa petitioner. A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting your family member with you. A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant. The joint sponsor (or the joint sponsor and his or her household) must reach the 125 percent income requirement alone. You cannot combine your income with that of a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement.

Which makes it clear that a sponsor can't reside in India outside US jurisdiction.
 
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