U.S. citizens aged 21+ can sponsor siblings for green cards through the F4 visa category. Current wait times are 10-15 years for most countries, 20-25+ years for Mexico and the Philippines, and 12-15+ years for China. The process involves filing Form I-130, waiting for your priority date to become current, and completing consular processing or adjustment of status.
Sibling sponsorship is a pathway that allows U.S. citizens to help their brothers and sisters obtain a green card and join them in the United States. This family-based immigration process involves several steps, commencing with submitting the alien relative petition, thereafter waiting for visa availability, which occurs when the priority date becomes current, and either completing consular processing outside the United States or, if eligible, adjustment of status inside the U.S.
The number of green cards available for siblings is limited each year, and therefore, the process is lengthy; it can also be complex. Understanding the requirements, timelines, and procedures for sibling sponsorship is important to set reasonable expectations for both petitioning U.S. citizens who wish to reunite with their beneficiary siblings and navigate the green card process successfully. Despite the long wait times and potential difficulties, this remains a viable means to reunite families.
Family reunification has long been a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy, enabling U.S. citizens to sponsor immediate relatives for permanent residence in the United States. The process is governed by the U.S. Immigration & Nationality Act, which enacted the family-based visas system.
One of the provisions within the law allows U.S. citizens to petition for Green Cards for their siblings and family members of the siblings. The process is lengthy, with long wait times, particularly for citizens from a few countries. The F4 sibling category has the longest green card wait time of all the family-sponsored categories. The F4 category has an annual cap of roughly 65,000 visas globally, which contributes to the lengthy sister processing time.
The total processing time from commencement to receiving the green card encompasses both the visa bulletin waiting period and the USCIS processing time. Applicants should plan ahead due to the extended wait times involved.
U.S. law limits the number of visas per country, with each country having a 7% cap, which creates backlogs for high-demand nations.
This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the process of obtaining Green Cards for siblings of U.S. citizens, as well as to discuss the various factors that contribute to the wait times involved. Obtaining permanent residency through sibling sponsorship is a pathway to US citizenship, but the process to get a green card can be lengthy.
To sponsor a sibling for a green card, a U.S. citizen must meet specific eligibility requirements:
Additionally, at the time of the application for residence, the sponsored sibling and qualifying family members must show eligibility qualifications for permanent residence.
Collecting and submitting accurate documentation is essential to establishing eligibility and avoiding delays in the green card process.
To be eligible to sponsor a sibling for a Green Card, the petitioner must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old. Both the petitioner and the sibling they are sponsoring must share at least one common parent, either by blood, adoption, or potentially through a parent’s marriage as step-siblings. In cases where siblings are related through adoption or step-parent relationships, they must have been under the age of 18 when the relationship was established.
Important: Lawful permanent residents cannot sponsor siblings; only U.S. citizens are eligible to do so.
Other family members, such as unmarried adult children, married children, and spouses, fall into different family preference categories, each with its own processing time and wait list. Petitions for parents or spouses generally have shorter processing times compared to sibling petitions.
The first step in the process is for the U.S. citizen to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This process initiates the sibling green card application. Proper evidentiary documents must be submitted to demonstrate the sibling relationship. This form requires information to establish the relationship between the petitioner and the beneficiary (the sibling). It is essential to provide all the required supporting documents, such as birth certificates and proof of citizenship, to ensure that the petition is processed smoothly.
USCIS requires paying the form fee, which is only accepted through a particularized form. The I-130 filing fee is currently $675.00, and additional fees may apply for the immigrant visa or adjustment of status process. At this time, USCIS only accepts payment through a credit card or by an ACH transfer.
Common reasons for denial of sibling petitions include incomplete forms or missing proof of relationship, which can cause unnecessary delays.
Siblings of U.S. citizens fall under the Fourth Preference (F4) visa category, which affords visa numbers only after all other family-based visa numbers are issued. The total number of visas available has decreased in the last fiscal year (2025) by 3.6%, which has added to the backlog of visas. Practitioners in the field do not expect the number of visas available in the near future to increase.
Currently, there are close to 2,200,000 individuals waiting within this preference category.
Countries like Mexico, India, and the Philippines have especially long visa backlogs for sibling green card applications due to high demand for immigrant visas. Unfortunately, this means that wait times have risen from a decade to close to fifteen years.
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin that lists the priority date for filing for permanent residence. The dates are set forth by preference category and country of origin. The priority date for a sibling’s visa, similar to other family-based categories, is set on the day USCIS receives the I-130 petition.
The Department of State’s monthly visa bulletin is a helpful resource, as it provides updates on visa availability and the current priority date for each family preference category. It is found at The Visa Bulletin. The priority date is set when the initial petition is filed, and applicants must wait until their date becomes current before moving forward with the green card application. You can check the priority date on the visa bulletin against your priority date to get a rough estimate of the time it will take to regularize.
The foreign national beneficiary is not able to apply for permanent residence until the priority date is close to becoming current. For example, the January 2026 Visa Bulletin indicates that the priority date for most countries is January 8, 2008; while the date for India and the Philippines is a few years longer; siblings from Mexico have a priority date of April 8, 2001.
The visa bulletin also sets forth a filing date. This date historically afforded applicants the opportunity to file for permanent residence prior to their priority date becoming current. President Trump issued an executive order recently that largely set aside these earlier filing dates. As a result, as of this being published, it is likely that an adjustment of status application can only be filed and properly accepted at the time the priority date becomes current.
For those foreign nationals who are either overseas or must adjudicate their permanent residence at a US Consulate overseas, the alien relative petition, I-130 petition, must first be approved. It must be transferred to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will allow the matter to move forward only when a visa number is available. As discussed above, the time frame for the case to become current can be over a decade.
Beneficiaries must wait until their priority date becomes current before they can proceed with the next steps in the Green Card application process.
Once the priority date becomes current, the beneficiary is eligible to apply for permanent residence.
There is an exception to the law for those who were the beneficiaries of a petition filed prior to April 30, 2001, for most applicants were also inside the United States on December 20, 2000. This old law is found at INA sec. 245(i) is perhaps applicable to siblings of Mexican nationals whose petitions were filed right before the sunset of the prior law. The visa bulletin for Mexican nationals is close to the April 30, 2001 date right now.
Eligibility for adjustment of status involves the confluence of many laws. It is very important to determine eligibility correctly. When filing Form I-485, a concurrent medical examination filing—submitting the required medical exam at the same time as the I-485 application is required. For processing at a U.S. consulate overseas, a medical exam must be scheduled with an approved doctor.
Warning: Filing an application for adjustment of status when not eligible could end with a denial, loss of money, and, worse still, referral to immigration court. Speak to qualified and learned counsel.
For applicants living in the United States who are not eligible for adjustment of status, the location to obtain an immigrant visa would be at a U.S. Consulate following an in-person interview. Leaving the United States after an unlawful stay can trigger a ten-year bar from returning. This creates a dilemma for siblings of U.S. citizens who have been waiting years for a visa number and may lack a location to adjudicate the residence application.
The unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility can be overcome with a provisional unlawful presence waiver. That waiver can be obtained inside the United States and, if approved, would afford the foreign national a means to return to the United States quickly despite being subject to a ground of inadmissibility. The waiver to overcome this inadmissibility is based on hardship to a U.S. permanent resident or citizen spouse or parent. As a result, it cannot be based on hardship to a sibling or child.
Whenever considering leaving the United States following a long-term stay here, it is critical to speak to a qualified attorney before departure.
A sibling petition allows the beneficiary’s spouse and children under 21 to also obtain their permanent residence at the same time as the principal beneficiary. Children of the principal, even if over 21, might still be considered qualified dependents. The determination of qualification depends on how long the alien relative petition was pending, the age of the child, and when the application for permanent residence was filed—either the I-485 in the United States or the DOS Form 260 for consular processing.
All individual family members must be eligible for permanent residence, i.e., not subject to any grounds of inadmissibility. A separate application for permanent residence must be applied for individually, with fees paid and supporting documents provided. All applicants, no matter how old, must submit to or undergo a medical exam by a doctor authorized by the USCIS. The medical will check for communicable diseases. The doctor may also delve into past illegal substance use and even conduct a drug test.
While sibling sponsorship is a valuable option for family reunification, U.S. citizens may also have the opportunity to sponsor other family members for a green card. Immediate relatives—such as spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents—benefit from more favorable visa availability and are not subject to the same annual caps as siblings and other family members.
Depending on the movement of the visa bulletin, it might be faster for a U.S. citizen to apply for a parent and then the parent to apply for the child. This is particularly the case, and generally faster adjudication for a minor child under 21. For example, a U.S. citizen who wishes to bring parents and younger siblings to the U.S. may accomplish this goal faster through the petition for the parents, and when a parent obtains residence, that parent immediately files for the child.
More than one petition may be filed, as long as it is legitimate. As a result, a sibling petition can be filed as well as a parent petition.
A sibling petition offers an opportunity for family reunification, though it faces challenges and lengthy wait times. Despite the obstacles, it is a legitimate means to bring loved ones and their families to the United States. Filing a petition means opening possibilities.
Obtaining a Green Card for a sibling of a U.S. citizen is a complex and time-consuming process, with wait times often stretching over a decade for most countries and even longer for citizens of Mexico, India, China, and the Philippines.
Despite the challenges, this process remains a vital pathway for family reunification, allowing siblings and potentially their family to join their U.S. citizen and build a life together in the United States. Even if over a decade passes, that original petition may allow a pathway for not only the sibling, but also the sibling’s family members.
Due to the complexity of immigration law and the constantly evolving regulations that govern the sibling Green Card process, consulting with an immigration attorney can help ensure that all paperwork is submitted correctly and that the process moves smoothly, minimizing the risk of delays.
Our New York-based immigration lawyers have successfully helped countless families navigate the intricacies of family-based petitions and reunite with their loved ones.
Contact us for assistance: Call (212) 944-9420 or email [email protected].
This article is provided for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice nor does it create an attorney–client relationship with Oltarsh & Associates, P.C. or any of its lawyers, employees and/or agents. Laws and policies change, and information here may not reflect the most current legal developments. You can contact us about your specific situation.
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