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Never mind……

Nope. https://www.uscis.gov/adoption/immigration-through-adoption/orphan-process As above, there's really no way around it. She can petition the parents, but then her siblings would have to wait before they'd get a visa too. I think both will end up being F2B if the ban on Pakistani nationals stays in place until the end of Trump's term, so it'll be at least a decade before they could join their parents.

Plenty of folks on VJ have. You’re lucky as it appears you have assets you can use, but for most that’s not an option so they have to go ahead to get a job and/or establish domicile. Plus of course, there are lots that have never lived with their spouse/child/children as they have only ever been in a long distance relationship, and live apart until the spouse visa is granted and they can join them in the US. A lot of people are facing an even longer separation now thanks to the new visa ban too. You’re also lucky that your spouse is Swedish - so if you did have to be separated she could visit you in the interim, again that’s not an option for a lot as their husband/wife can’t even get a B visa. And the wait for an interview is so much less in Stockholm too. People with a spouse in Nigeria (for example) have to wait ~2 years just for that, and their spouse/child/children may not be able to visit them. So their only option to be together whilst waiting for a visa is to go to Nigeria, but if they’re in a job that only gives them 10 days off a year, that’s one short annual visit together for 4 years or so (and maybe 7 years with the new ban). So you really are in a very lucky position compared to other VJ’ers. But as above, just focus on the I-864 and the other steps ahead. Get your mother fully versed in what being a joint sponsor will entail (we see people pull out at the last moment sometimes whey they realise), start gathering proof of your assets (and if it’s property in the US, proof that it’s rented and you won’t be moving in to it yourselves). Read the website above carefully so you can make sure you understand each step and what will be required. Then you’ll feel more in control of the process and it’ll hopefully go smoothly. Best of luck.

IL - interview letter (except it’s actually sent via email). Basically the next step after being DQ’ed, when the interview is scheduled and you get an email with the date/time for it. CEAC status is what your wife would have now all the way to entering on her visa, it’s for all visa status updates. And the normal steps are ‘At NVC’, then ‘In Transit’ (when it’s being sent to the consulate ready for interview) then ‘Ready’, then all of the visa steps i.e. Approved/Issued. I don’t know what the wait in Seoul was like last year, but if it was as short when she was DQ’ed then she should have had her interview last May-ish. So my concern is that she was sent the IL but missed it somehow, as it’s really overdue. When did you first contact NVC? I’d contact again, but give them a screenshot showing that Seoul only has a month wait for the IL, and you’ve now been waiting 9 months. I’d also submit an expedite request, using their lack of action as grounds for it. may not work but no harm in trying. And if you don’t get a satisfactory response, it’s time to involve your congressman/woman. Best of luck.

It’s the CEAC status that’s relevant now but that’s odd. It should say ‘At NVC’. Have you been checking junk emails? Just wondering if she was given an IL but missed it maybe. I think you definitely need to contact them again and maybe get your congressman/woman involved too. She should have had her visa a long time ago.

No, her Priority Date is current. And it was current back in March 2025 as well, so there was a visa available to her as soon as she was DQ'ed. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2025/visa-bulletin-for-march-2025.html What does your online status say?

That's odd. Her PD is current and if she was DQ'ed nearly a year ago, she should have had an interview a long time ago. Does she have another citizenship? Or she's just Korean? What have NVC said when you've contacted them about it, other than to check the wait time?

For your IV fee you must use the A number on your actual visa.

You’ve been filing your US taxes whilst living in Sweden? People who don’t have a job to go to in the US, or enough assets, use a joint sponsor. I would suggest you read up on this carefully now, as you may need it very soon and you don’t want to be scrabbling around and causing a delay. Good luck.

Everything you'll need is on the website above, it also tells you what you'll need for the interview too. You'll just get a link to that website from NVC anyway, they don't give you a personalised checklist. Good luck.

Never, ever use AI for immigration advice! All the info you need is on the official website, it's a step by step guide that tells you exactly what will be needed (make sure you look at the country specific guidelines too) - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html

Hard to say, as you've not completed your timeline - please do, as then your stats contribute to the quoted times, and it helps others going forwards. 1.5 years is possible if your I-130 is approved fairly soon, a lot depends on how quickly you do things at the NVC stage. If you're ready to go, submit your docs, pay your fees, etc, then it may well be late spring rather than summer. On the plus side, Stockholm is super quick, only 1 or 2 months wait for an interview letter - other countries are 2 years or more just for that stage.

Yes. But which country is he from?

I'd double that time estimate then for a sibling. Definitely apply asap, good luck.

Oh, so you're petitioning an adult child? In which case, definitely no need to worry about the ban for now! The visa application is a long way off.