Sisters and Brother

[GIS]

My laopo has a sister in the US thats a USC. 4 years ago she petitioned for her couple of sisters and brother back in China. Just recently they got a letter that said keep waiting, no visas are available yet...not unexpected.

I have been looking on USCIS' website and the State Dept's website and they seem to have very differnet estimates of approval time for these petitions. I understand that USCIS is the petition side and State is the visa side...but...

I have read 11-12 years for Chinese citizens, in other cases about 6 years or so. The Service Center where the I-130s are at are working on F-4s from 2004. I am just wondering how much longer they should plan on waiting?

Thanks

 

State Dept.

http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/WaitingListItem.pdf

[dnoblett]

The reason for different times is USCIS knows it will be some time so places cases in COLD storage for a few years, and then when it gets closer to the time that DOS will issue visa numbers in the F4 class USCIS will then process and approve the petition and send to NVC where it will go into Cold storage at DOS until a visa number can be assigned to the case, at which time they will pull the case out of DOS storage and begin processing.

 

USCIS: I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizen filing for a brother or sister November 16, 2000

 

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplay.do

 

NVC: 4th 15 JAN00 15J AN 00

 

http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin...letin_4659.html

 

What this info means is USCIS is now handling petitions filed November 2000, and NVC is now issuing visa numbers to cases filed around Jan of 2000

 

Using these figures it takes 10 years to process through USCIS and then will sit at NVC for aprox 9 months for a visa number. Or think of it this way, USCIS will pull cases out of storage about 9 months or so before a visa number may be issued.

[GIS]

Just to follow up...

We've been talking about this off and on for a couple weeks in the family.

My wife was under the impression that everyone in her family in China would be able to come to the US (sisters/brothers - and their spouses, and kids)

I was under the impression that is was just for sisters/brothers and their kids (as long as they are unmarried and under 21). I just want to confirm I've got the right info so I can give my in-laws the correct information and we can all plan accordingly.

[dnoblett]

Just to follow up...

We've been talking about this off and on for a couple weeks in the family.

My wife was under the impression that everyone in her family in China would be able to come to the US (sisters/brothers - and their spouses, and kids)

I was under the impression that is was just for sisters/brothers and their kids (as long as they are unmarried and under 21). I just want to confirm I've got the right info so I can give my in-laws the correct information and we can all plan accordingly.

Nope, it is Sister/brother, their children and their spouse on this petition.

 

Family Fourth Preference (F4): Brothers and sisters of United States citizens, and their spouses and children, provided the U.S. citizens are at least 21 years of age. (65,000)

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...pes_1306.html#4

[GIS]

Thanks! I'm glad I was wrong.