Are you a US citizen who has SUCCESSFULLY petitioned for an immigrant to come to the US?

Question

If so, how were they related to you? How long did the process take? WHEN did you file the application?

They say there's no waiting for a visa number to become available if a US citizen is petitioning for a spouse or child. I'm wondering if that's true, because I know someone who ended up waiting a year and a half and another person who has been waiting 3 years - both married to US born citizens.

Answer 1

no....we have enough

Answer 2

I had to wait two years after marrying women, cleared though all US embassy requirements. A relative other than wife took many years longer. This was 20 years ago. With current political and terrorist problems, good luck.

Answer 3

Well my father petitioned for my stepmother (from the Dominican Republic) and it has taken quite a long time, which is alright because we know that's the price to pay for doing it legally! She's here after over a year and a half (we're in Puerto Rico btw) and now, her three children already have their visas so they should be coming later this year. It takes a while. My dad is American so I think it goes even faster that way.

Answer 4

Well, once an Immediate Relative petition is approved, it can be used immediately. Obviously though, there's more to the story. Backlogs at USCIS mean that these petitions take 6 months or more to process and approve. Then they go to the National Visa Center for additional processing which takes several more months, and then on to the embassy overseas. So figure on average, 8-12 months. It can take longer, if there are problems with the forms, if you didn't pay the proper fee, which means they have to be sent back. If you don't respond promptly when the National Visa Center responds and some embassies have their own backlogs. Other things can happen as well. But, 8-12 months is a good ball park figure.

Answer 5

The backlog is the cause of the delay. Different consulates take different times to do the paperwork. The originating country can delay by delaying criminal background checks, military service records etc. Your sponsored child btw can age out. It doesn't matter when you start the process- if immigration has not completed the application prior to the child's 21st birthday they can not be processed as your child. That is why no matter what you do- get an immigration attorney. I'd rather be in a den of ravenous IRS agents than sit in front of 1 immigration official with no lawyer