The U.S. immigration system provides several categories for individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States based on their familial relationships with U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The fourth preference category (also known as the “F4” category) is for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. If you are the sibling of a U.S. citizen, you may be eligible to immigrate to the United States through this category. However, due to the high demand for immigrant visas in this category, the waiting time for a visa to become available can be substantially long.
How the Wait Time is Shown on the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin.
The wait time for an immigrant visa in the F4 category is determined by the U.S. Department of State and is shown on the monthly Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin lists the priority date for each preference category, which is the date on which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) received the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (“I-130 Petition”) filed on behalf of the foreign national. The priority date determines an individual’s place in line for an immigrant visa, and immigrant visas are made available to individuals in the order in which their priority dates become current.
The Visa Bulletin is updated on a monthly basis and by showing the priority date, we can estimate the current wait time for each preference category. The current wait time is determined by the number of visas that are available in the category, and the demand for visas from individuals who are waiting in line.
Visa Bulettin For February 2023
Table A
Estimated Wait Time for a Visa to Become Available if a U.S. Citizen Brother or Sister Files an I-130 Petition Today.
Based on the priority date of March 22, 2007 (Table A Final Action Date) in the Visa Bulletin of February 2023, the estimated wait time for a visa to become available in the F4 category if a U.S. citizen brother or sister files an I-130 Petition today is approximately 20 years. This estimate is based on the current demand for immigrant visas in this category, and the availability of such immigrant visas in the U.S. immigration system. It may seem that from the priority date being only 16 years difference that this would be the wait time, but it is important to keep in mind that the wait time can vary depending on several factors, including the number of visas that are made available each year, and the number of individuals who are waiting in line. The priority date does not move forward on a regular schedule.
The waiting time for an immigrant visa in the family-based fourth preference immigrant visa category can be extremely long, but it is possible to immigrate to the United States through this category if you are the sibling of a U.S. citizen. Contact Enterline & Partners if you have questions about U.S. visas at info@enterlinepartners.com and speak with an experienced U.S. immigration lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City, Manila and Taipei.
Other things to keep in mind:
- Visa delays can also happen due to name order issues on documents. See How Vietnam Passport Name Order Listed for common mistakes and how to fix them.
- If you’re overseas and lost your Green Card, you might need a travel document. Learn more at What is a Transportation/Boarding Foil?
- See U.S. Visas News for updates on visa bulletins and policy changes.
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Copyright 2023. This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This article may be changed with or without notice. The opinions expressed in this article are those of Enterline and Partners only.
