If you or your immediate relative entered the U.S. originally without a visa or your immediate relative is outside the U.S., you or they can obtain permanent resident status through “consular processing.” The U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative must first file an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (See prior blog post). Once that petition is approved, the immediate relative will be able to apply for residency through a U.S. consulate abroad.