Bringing my Mother and siblings.

[Maty 0]

Hi Fellow Vjers..

Got a few questions for some of you who have gone through the same process.

1. I will be a USC on 2012, and I want to know the usual time frame to petition my mother. Do I need a lawyer for this or I can do this myself just when I had filed for my own applications?

2. She is currently living in with someone with plans of getting married, can I petition her soon-to-husband?

3. I would like to know which one is faster, for my mom to petition my sisters or for me to petition them? Should my mom wait for her to become a USC or she can already file while she is an LPR?

Two of my sisters are already married. Can they still be petitioned by my Mother? If yes can my mom petition their spouses?

Thanks for your time reading my questions. In the meantime I will do some research.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hi Fellow Vjers..

Got a few questions for some of you who have gone through the same process.

1. I will be a USC on 2012, and I want to know the usual time frame to petition my mother. Do I need a lawyer for this or I can do this myself just when I had filed for my own applications?

You can do it yourself. Read the Guides and educate yourself and you can do it on your own. You cannot file for your mother as an LPR. You can file for her after you become a USC. It takes about a year for a USC to petition for a parent.

2. She is currently living in with someone with plans of getting married, can I petition her soon-to-husband?

Probably not. You can only petition for a step-parent if the marriage to your mother occurred before your 18th birthday. If the marriage occurred after your 18th birthday, your mom would have to become an LPR and then petition for her husband. That would be an F2a case which takes about 5 years to process and get a visa.

3. I would like to know which one is faster, for my mom to petition my sisters or for me to petition them? Should my mom wait for her to become a USC or she can already file while she is an LPR? Two of my sisters are already married. Can they still be petitioned by my Mother? If yes can my mom petition their spouses?

It depends. You can only petition for your sisters if you are a USC. You cannot petition for them while you are an LPR. You become a USC in 2012. You file for them. It will be 23 years before they are eligible for visas. It does not matter if they are married or not. Their spouses and children under the age of 21 at the time visas become available (2035?) are eligible for visas.

Your mother as an LPR cannot file for your married sisters. She has to wait until she is a USC before she can file for them. Assuming that your mother arrives in 2013 (one year after you can petition for her) and she becomes a USC in 2018 (the first year she is eligible to become a USC), it would take 18 years for her to petition for her married daughters in the F3 category. So your sisters would not be eligible for visas until 2036. Spouses and children under the age of 21 in 2036 would be eligible for visas.

Your mother as an LPR can file for unmarried children. That would take 11 years. Those children cannot be married at any time during the wait. So in 2013, your mother comes to the US and files for her unmarried children. It would be 2024 before they can get visas. Any unmarried grandchildren under the age of 21 in 2024 from those unmarried children will be eligible for visas. If the children get married, the petition is automatically revoked and no one can get a visa if your mom is still an LPR.

Thanks for your time reading my questions. In the meantime I will do some research.

Edited October 4, 2009 by aaron2020

[aaron2020 11,651]

I understand your desire to help your family get visas to immigrate to the US. Your husband cannot petition for anybody in your family because a USC cannot petition for any in-laws. You need to tell your family that it will take probably 26-27 years for you to petition for them. There is no quicker way for them to immigrate to the US through you. Even if you petition for them, some of their children may not be able to immigrate with them as the children will be over the age of 21 by 2035. Sorry.

Edited October 4, 2009 by aaron2020

[Jamaican JNR 2]

Hi Fellow Vjers..

Got a few questions for some of you who have gone through the same process.

1. I will be a USC on 2012, and I want to know the usual time frame to petition my mother. Do I need a lawyer for this or I can do this myself just when I had filed for my own applications?

2. She is currently living in with someone with plans of getting married, can I petition her soon-to-husband?

3. I would like to know which one is faster, for my mom to petition my sisters or for me to petition them? Should my mom wait for her to become a USC or she can already file while she is an LPR?

Two of my sisters are already married. Can they still be petitioned by my Mother? If yes can my mom petition their spouses?

Thanks for your time reading my questions. In the meantime I will do some research.

1. Your husband cannot petition for in-laws. You are currently a greencard holder, therefore you cannot petition you mom or your sisters.

2. You in your current status cannot petition for her husband, unless... you are a USC and your mom got married to him before your 16th birthday.

3. When you turn USC, your petition for your mom should take approx. 6 - 9 months. You can petition for your sisters, however it will take approx. 10 - 11 years. Your mom can however, petition for them when she turns USC, but your sisters will be in a different category because they are married. USC Mom to petition for children over 21 but unmarried = 4 - 6 years. USC Mom to petition children over 21 and married = 6 - 9 years.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hi Fellow Vjers..

Got a few questions for some of you who have gone through the same process.

1. I will be a USC on 2012, and I want to know the usual time frame to petition my mother. Do I need a lawyer for this or I can do this myself just when I had filed for my own applications?

2. She is currently living in with someone with plans of getting married, can I petition her soon-to-husband?

3. I would like to know which one is faster, for my mom to petition my sisters or for me to petition them? Should my mom wait for her to become a USC or she can already file while she is an LPR?

Two of my sisters are already married. Can they still be petitioned by my Mother? If yes can my mom petition their spouses?

Thanks for your time reading my questions. In the meantime I will do some research.

1. Your husband cannot petition for in-laws. You are currently a greencard holder, therefore you cannot petition you mom or your sisters.

2. You in your current status cannot petition for her husband, unless... you are a USC and your mom got married to him before your 16th birthday.

3. When you turn USC, your petition for your mom should take approx. 6 - 9 months. You can petition for your sisters, however it will take approx. 10 - 11 years. Your mom can however, petition for them when she turns USC, but your sisters will be in a different category because they are married. USC Mom to petition for children over 21 but unmarried = 4 - 6 years. USC Mom to petition children over 21 and married = 6 - 9 years.

maraandres is from the Philippines. The wait time is much longer than for people from other countries. The timelines that I provided are for Filipinos. The timelines given here by Jamaican JNR is for people not from the Philippines, Mexico, India and mainland China.

[Maty 0]

I have no intention to file my petition now as I understand that I have to wait for my citizenship.

I will file on 2012, and it was good to know that it will take less than a year to petition my Mother. So Thank you all for your quick response. Its just a little unclear if by then I can petition her husband as well or my mom will have to wait until she is also a USC to petition her husband.

With regards to my sisters immigrating, I am trying to find out which one is faster, Me filing the petition or my Mom filing the petition. The way understand it based from the responses, once I got my citizenship then I can file the petition to my married sisters and their spouses? But will be shorter if I wait until my Mom gets her citizenship and let her file the petition.

Thanks a lot for all your responses. More research is needed indeed.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I have no intention to file my petition now as I understand that I have to wait for my citizenship.

I will file on 2012, and it was good to know that it will take less than a year to petition my Mother. So Thank you all for your quick response. Its just a little unclear if by then I can petition her husband as well or my mom will have to wait until she is also a USC to petition her husband.

Since you are over the age of 18 and your mother's marriage to her husband will be after your 18th birthday, you cannot petition for her husband. Once she becomes an LPR, she can petition for her husband. It will take 5 years for her husband to get a visa.

With regards to my sisters immigrating, I am trying to find out which one is faster, Me filing the petition or my Mom filing the petition. The way understand it based from the responses, once I got my citizenship then I can file the petition to my married sisters and their spouses? But will be shorter if I wait until my Mom gets her citizenship and let her file the petition.

For your married sisters, it's probably best that you petition for them. It will take 23 years after you become a USC. They will not be eligible for visas until 2035. If your mother files for them after she gets her citizenship, it would be 18 years + 5 years to become a USC + 1 year to become an LPR = 2036 before your sisters can get visas through your mom. Will your mother be alive in 2036? If she is not, the petition for your sisters will automatically be revoked. It will be 26-27 years before your sister can immigrate to the US through you or your mother. These are the fastest ways for your sisters to immigrate to the US through you. There is nothing you can do to speed this up. Lots of other Filipinos waiting ahead of your family.

Thanks a lot for all your responses. More research is needed indeed.

Edited October 4, 2009 by aaron2020

[Maty 0]

I have no intention to file my petition now as I understand that I have to wait for my citizenship.

I will file on 2012, and it was good to know that it will take less than a year to petition my Mother. So Thank you all for your quick response. Its just a little unclear if by then I can petition her husband as well or my mom will have to wait until she is also a USC to petition her husband.

Since you are over the age of 18 and your mother's marriage to her husband will be after your 18th birthday, you cannot petition for her husband. Once she becomes an LPR, she can petition for her husband. It will take 5 years for her husband to get a visa.

With regards to my sisters immigrating, I am trying to find out which one is faster, Me filing the petition or my Mom filing the petition. The way understand it based from the responses, once I got my citizenship then I can file the petition to my married sisters and their spouses? But will be shorter if I wait until my Mom gets her citizenship and let her file the petition.

For your married sisters, it's probably best that you petition for them. It will take 23 years after you become a USC. They will not be eligible for visas until 2035. If your mother files for them after she gets her citizenship, it would be 18 years + 5 years to become a USC + 1 year to become an LPR = 2036 before your sisters can get visas through your mom. Will your mother be alive in 2036? If she is not, the petition for your sisters will automatically be revoked. It will be 26-27 years before your sister can immigrate to the US through you or your mother. These are the fastest ways for your sisters to immigrate to the US through you. There is nothing you can do to speed this up. Lots of other Filipinos waiting ahead of your family.

Thanks a lot for all your responses. More research is needed indeed.

You are absolutely right, it will be better for me to file the petition by 2012 for my siblings. My mother is only 53 years of age, sad to know that it will take about 27 years to petition my married sisters. I thought will take about 11 years.

Anyways, they will visit early next year (Spring) and by then my sisters will decide if America is for them. They all have B2 visa valid for 10 years.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Unfortunately, it takes longer for Filipinos to petition for family than for other people. The reason is that there are lots of Filipinos who petition for family in disproportionate numbers versus other groups.

Once you are a USC, you can petition for your sisters in the F4 family preference category. From the visa bulletin, you can see that in those with petitions filed before Dec. 1, 1986 are only now eligible for visas in the F4 category from the Philippines. http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin...letin_1360.html