Bringing your family together, one petition at a time.
Family immigration allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to petition for certain relatives to immigrate to the United States. The process starts with Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, and how long it takes from there depends heavily on your relationship to the relative you are petitioning for.
U.S. citizens can petition for immediate relatives, spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21, without any annual limit on visas, which generally means shorter waits. Other relationships, such as adult children, married children, and siblings of U.S. citizens, along with spouses and children of permanent residents, fall into family preference categories that are subject to annual visa limits and can involve significant waiting periods.
We help you understand realistically how long your family member's case may take based on their category and country of origin, and we keep your petition moving at every stage, from filing through your relative's final interview.
Our immigration attorneys are ready to review your family's situation and answer your questions. Contact us today at (718) 878-1177 or fill out our online form for free.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, spouses, parents, and unmarried children under 21, are not subject to annual visa limits, so their cases generally move faster. Other relationships fall into preference categories with annual caps, which can mean years of waiting depending on the category and country of origin.
Sibling petitions fall into the F4 preference category, which currently has some of the longest wait times of any family category, often well over a decade depending on the sibling's country of origin.
If you are a U.S. citizen 21 or older, you can petition for your parents as immediate relatives, which is not subject to the annual visa limits that apply to other family categories.
The visa bulletin, published monthly by the State Department, shows which priority dates are currently eligible to move forward in preference categories. Your priority date is generally the date your I-130 petition was filed, and it determines your place in line.
It depends on their category and current immigration status. Immediate relatives already in the U.S. may be able to adjust status once their petition is approved, while others may need to wait abroad until a visa becomes available.
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Learn MoreApplying for lawful permanent residence from inside the United States.
Learn moreA path to a green card for survivors of abuse, filed independently of an abusive spouse or parent.
Learn moreProtection for those who fear persecution in their home country.
Learn moreBecoming a U.S. citizen through the naturalization process.
Learn moreNonimmigrant visa applications and extending your authorized stay in the United States.
Learn moreRelief that can allow certain long-term residents to remain in the United States.
Learn moreGuidance when criminal charges or convictions affect your immigration status.
Learn moreRepresentation in removal proceedings to keep you and your family in the United States.
Learn moreRequests to excuse certain grounds of inadmissibility so your application can move forward.
Learn moreShim Law Group is always looking to help those in need.
