Filing I-130 for mother & future change of plans

[The Bloomies 7]

Hello all,

 

As of two weeks ago, I’m finally a US citizen. I know many people wait longer, but as you all know, the process of immigration and dealing with USCIS is arduous even in the best of circumstances! I’ve already registered to vote and applied for my passport so the next thing to cast my mind over is potentially sponsoring my mum.
 

There’s no rush to sponsor her because she’s not in a position right now to move to the US, nor is she sure she wants to given cost of medical, etc. (Although being extra cautious is pretty typical of her and I don’t think that’s a direct reflection of her genuine interest.) Plus, she has a fairly good set up right now—she lives part of the year in the U.K. and part of the year in Dubai so throwing the US in, although an option longterm, might not be in her immediate plans.
 

That being said, it wouldn’t hurt to start the process in case things are different in a few years given how long USCIS takes to process anything. Apart from the cost, what would the drawbacks be to starting the application now? I’m mainly concerned that it might affect her ESTA and I’m also interested in learning if the process of interviewing, etc. can be postponed if in a year’s/two years’ time she’s still not ready.
 

And, lastly, I just wanted to thank everyone for the help they’ve given over the last few years. I’m not a big poster, but a regular reader and it’s astounding how much knowledge you all have on this process. I’m glad that we opted to not pay a lawyer throughout our journey—the information here is invaluable!

[Dashinka 24,494]

You can start the process and if the I130 is approved and moves to NVC, you can let it simmer there indefinitely by accessing the case at least once a year.  I do not think it would impact ESTA, but others may know better.

 

Good Luck!