How Long Will I Wait if My U.S. Citizen Sibling Applies for My Green Card?

Under U.S. immigration law, a sibling of a U.S citizen is not considered an “immediate relative.” This means that the process for obtaining a green card as a sibling of a U.S citizen can be quite lengthy. The Visa Bulletin, a monthly publication issued by the U.S. Department of State, provides information on the availability of all immigrant visa categories that are not considered “immediate relative.”

Siblings of adult U.S. citizens are in the F4 category, which typically carries a long backlog based on visa number availability.

To determine the wait time for the F4 category, we must look at the “Dates for Filing Family-Sponsored Visa Applications” chart in the Visa Bulletin. This chart shows when the next step of the green card application can be filed. As of the current date, the chart shows that the government is currently looking at cases with a filing date of December 15th, 2007. This means that there is a backlog of more than 15 years for this category.

If your parent is a green card holder (and you are unmarried) or if your parent is U.S. citizen, it may be beneficial to review the requirements and wait times for their petition for your green card instead of relying on your sibling’s sponsorship. This could potentially expedite the process and reduce the wait time for obtaining a green card.

There may be other ways for family members to immigrate.

Have detailed questions about your specific family petition? Our office routinely files family green card petitions of all levels of complexity. Schedule your consultation here.

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Remember that each case is different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.