Is it possible?

[Lola28 0]

Hi everyone!

I've been reading through this website for a while now and finally decided to sign up I am now in the process of becoming a US citizen through marriage and I have some doubts. My sister arrived not that long ago on a student visa to attend college. I am thinking now, what would happen if, after she finishes her studies, she decides she'd like to stay and live here with us? Would she be able to adjust status? Is that an option? This may be a silly question but I'm not very familiar with the whole sibling process. She is not thinking about it right now and actually I'm surprise that I started wondering, but I'd like to know what her options are in case she decides that staying in the US is her best bet.

Thank you very much!

[Cathi 5,795]

adjusting status is not an option for a sibling

[aaron2020 11,651]

  On 1/31/2013 at 7:08 AM, Lola28 said:

Hi everyone!

I've been reading through this website for a while now and finally decided to sign up I am now in the process of becoming a US citizen through marriage and I have some doubts. My sister arrived not that long ago on a student visa to attend college. I am thinking now, what would happen if, after she finishes her studies, she decides she'd like to stay and live here with us? Would she be able to adjust status? Is that an option? This may be a silly question but I'm not very familiar with the whole sibling process. She is not thinking about it right now and actually I'm surprise that I started wondering, but I'd like to know what her options are in case she decides that staying in the US is her best bet.

Thank you very much!

Not an option.

It takes 12 years for a USC to petition a sibling. In 12 years, she could adjust and not before. Being in the US on a student visa does not allow her to skip the wait. She will need to wait outside the US.

If she is Filipina, she waits for 23 years.

Edited January 31, 2013 by aaron2020

[Lola28 0]

Thank you very much for your replies, now we now how it works a little better. Like I said, she is now only thinking about getting her degree up here and going back home. She is not from the Philippines, she was born and raised in Uruguay, South America. And talking about waiting time, I've read in some websites that for siblings, petitions from 2010 are being processed but I also found in some other websites that It's only petitions from 2001. Is that a mistake or it depends on the country? Uruguay is a very small country, right next to Argentina, and the amount of people that immigrates to the US is very low. I wonder if this has any impact or the embassies don't process anything until the rest of the countries catch up?

I'm sorry about all of these questions, I just want to make sure that we know exactly what to do. I don't want her to skip any wait, if she decides to live in the US, she is going to do it the right way. It's a long journey but worth it in the end.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I-130 approval is only the first step. That can happen in two years or 10 years.

Regardless of how fast or slow the I-130 is approved, every sibling of a USC has to wait in the same overall line which takes 12 years total.

2 year to approve the I-130 + 10 years for available visa = 12 years total.

10 years to approve the I-130 + 2 years for available visa = 12 years.

Both wait in the same line, so it doesn't matter how fast or slow the I-130 is approved.

Being from Uraguay does not matter. Only 4 countries have longer wait than every body else.

[Lola28 0]

  On 1/31/2013 at 11:19 PM, aaron2020 said:

I-130 approval is only the first step. That can happen in two years or 10 years.

Regardless of how fast or slow the I-130 is approved, every sibling of a USC has to wait in the same overall line which takes 12 years total.

2 year to approve the I-130 + 10 years for available visa = 12 years total.

10 years to approve the I-130 + 2 years for available visa = 12 years.

Both wait in the same line, so it doesn't matter how fast or slow the I-130 is approved.

Being from Uraguay does not matter. Only 4 countries have longer wait than every body else.

Ok, got it! Thank you very much, Aaron. Your replies were really helpful.

Good luck on your journey!