Bringing Syrian mother and brother to U.S.

[Antoine2012 0]

Hi, I'm a U.S. Citizen and I'm desperately trying to figure out the best approach to bring my Syrian mother and brother as quickly as possible. They have escaped to nearby Lebanon but they were told they'll be sent back within weeks, house destroyed and brother received personal death threat if he returns. I contacted my senator, the State department, the U.S. Embassy, and even reached high ranking officials within USCIS. I've talked to an immigration lawyer and not sure what the best route to take, I had two I-130 filed and ready to be mailed when I was told that I should instead have them seek refugee status through UNHCR. My senator's office is very willing to help but they don't know how. Attorney said it's best to file I-130 and hope for the best. The State department deferred to USCIS and said they should ask UNHCR for refugee referral. I'm wondering if anyone has any good advice on how best to pursue this or been in a similar situation?

[ceadsearc 516]

Your mother is an immediate relative so you could get her here in under a year but your brother would take 10 years if you file. If your mom comes and files it could take an extra 2-10 years or more depending on his age from her arrival.

You might look into the requirements for refugee status.