How Long Does the Family Immigration Process Take?
The length of time the family immigration process takes depends on various factors, including the nature of the petition, visa quotas, and general USCIS processing times. An experienced Florida family-based immigration lawyer can help minimize delays by ensuring you include all necessary evidence with the initial I-130 petition.
If you’ve already filed an I-130, the compassionate immigration attorneys at Robert M. Bell can use your receipt number to check your case status and potentially help you overcome unavoidable delays. Contact our South Florida office at (954) 241-4209 or connect with us online, and consider the following general timelines applicable to the family immigration process in the United States.
Understanding U.S. Visa Quotas
The United States offers a limited number of visas in each visa category annually. Unfortunately, there are significantly more visa applications than available visas. This means otherwise eligible applicants must wait to obtain a visa until it becomes available, which could mean waiting years even after they’re approved. Family-based visas are unique. There is no visa quota for certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. This means you might immediately obtain a visa following your interview, but this is not true for every family member.
Immediately Available Family-Based Visas
There is no quota for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. USCIS defines an immediate relative as a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, or a parent of a U.S. citizen. If you file an I-130 on behalf of an immediate relative, your relative might obtain a visa immediately following his or her official interview. There is no additional waiting period after approval. Processing times for immediate relative visas generally fall between 12 and 18 months, but you might have to file additional documents and wait for the next available interview appointment.
Processing Time for Non-Immediate Family Visas
If you are not the spouse, parent, or unmarried child of a U.S. citizen, the family immigration process can take over a decade. Siblings of U.S. citizens might need to wait over 10 years before a visa becomes available, and some have stayed much longer. As such, you should always work with an experienced family-based immigration lawyer to discuss whether applying for a family-based visa in the following categories is the best option for your loved one:
- Married children of U.S. citizens
- Unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens
- Siblings of U.S. citizens
- Spouses of LPRs (green card holders)
- Unmarried children of LPRs under 21
- Adult sons and daughters of LPRs (unmarried only)
An immigration lawyer can help you check USCIS case processing times in each category, but case processing does not mean a visa will be available once your application is approved. You must still wait for an available visa. Experienced family immigration attorneys can use your priority date and country of origin to check the visa bulletin and estimate how long the family immigration process will take in your case.
Florida Family Immigration Attorneys
The experienced Florida immigration lawyers at Robert M. Bell P.A. can give you a rough estimate of how long the family immigration process will take in your case. Discuss current visa processing times and options with their experienced attorneys today by calling (954) 241-4209 or connecting with their South Florida office online.