How long do I need to wait for the green card for family reunification: data for February

The owner of the green card, along with the opportunity to live and work permanently in the United States, receives the right to reunite with his family. If he has children, spouse or spouse in his homeland, he can take them to America. However, this process is quite long.

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ForumDaily found out how it passes and how long it lasts for different categories of relatives, based on data visa bulletin for February 2019 of the year on the website of the US Consular Service.

Procedure

A green card holder or citizen of the United States files a petition to begin the reunification procedure. I-130 on the relative who wants to transport.

After approval of the petition will need to provide confirmation of sponsorship - the form I-864 (Affidavit of support). It ensures that a green card holder or a US citizen can financially provide for his relative if necessary.

If a relative is in the US at the time of issuing a green card, then the form is submitted to him I-485 - statement of the change of status (Adjustment of status).

For close relatives (husband / wife, unmarried children up to 21), a US citizen has no restrictions on the number of immigration visas - they are issued as documents are drawn up in turn. Therefore, such green cards, as a rule, are issued relatively quickly - within a year and a half.

But for relatives of the green card holder or non-close relatives of a US citizen, the procedure is more complicated.

They are divided into different priority categories, which are spelled out in the US Immigration and Nationality Act. Accordingly, the higher the priority, the greater the chance of getting a green card.

There are 4 levels in total, which include relatives of green card holders or a US citizen:

• The first: F1 - the unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens;
• Second: F2A - spouses and unmarried children of green card holders under the age of 21;
• Second: F2B - unmarried children of green card holders older than 21;
• Third: F3 - married sons and daughters of US citizens;
• Fourth: F4 - brothers and sisters of US adults.

Each category is allocated a certain number of visas each year. Most often, there are more applicants than visas. Therefore, a snowball effect appears: those who did not have time to receive this year are transferred to the next.

waiting Period

Track turn can be on the site visa bulletinwhich is updated monthly. Your date of receipt of documents should be compared with the one shown in the newsletter. You will learn that you can get an immigrant visa when they match.

For example, in February 2019, the queue is right for those for whom petitioners of the F1 category filed documents before 22 September of 2011. That is, to reunite a green card holder or a US citizen with unmarried sons and daughters, you need to wait a little more than 7 years.

According to these data, spouses and unmarried children of green card holders under the age of 21 (category F2A) wait a little more than 2 years; unmarried children of green-card holders older than 21 of the year (category F2В) - almost 7 of years. The F3 and F4 categories have to wait the longest - married sons and daughters of US citizens and brothers and sisters of adult US citizens, respectively, their applications are considered more than 12 and more than 14 years, respectively.

You can track the status of applications here.

Read also on ForumDaily:

9 US immigration facts worth knowing in 2019

10 ways to stay in the USA

How can a green card holder move a family to America

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