zeogo

I filed a family F4 I-130 petition with the London embassy way back in June, got an email in July telling me that my application was formally received on July 20th 2010, and that I could check http://london.usembassy.gov/dhs/uscis/i130filing.html for approval dates, I've patiently waited 3 months and I can now see that we are way past July 20th, currently on September 1st, yet I haven't heard/received ANYTHING more. Is that normal? Or should I start ringing up? I see the embassy have a phone number but it's £1.20 a minute!! Don't want to phone unless it's necessary.

Ray

F-4 ...have you filed for a sibling

zeogo

Yes, brother/sister relationship.

Ray

Depending on their country you have to wait betwwen nine amd nineteen years before a visa will be available ...
the person cannot wait in the US ...

zeogo

I'm more than aware of the 9 year wait, what I am waiting for is simply the approval of my petition.

Ray

That will probably arrive in the next few years that just means they believe the relationship

Noorah101

Since there is no visa number immediately available for your sibling, there is no hurry for the I-130 to be approved. Your I-130 does not have priority for approval, they give that first to those who have a visa number immediately available, when someone has time, they will get around to approving yours. I don't think you can use that link they gave you to calculate your approval date....your can be approved at any time in the next several years.

Rene

zeogo

Wow that's crazy, it just makes me nervous to sit around for years and not now whether or not the application is in good order or not.

So when checking the USCIS visa bulletin, would I be waiting for the F4 category to move to July 2010?

Noorah101

Yes.

Rene

meauxna

Well, they prioritize the work load based on the visa availability too, so I wouldn't hold too much hope out for your petition being on anyone else's schedule. It also will not make an iota of difference to when a visa is available for you.
There are people with visa numbers available and an urgent need for the petition approval. I wouldn't be surprised or upset if yours is set aside for a quiet time.

It's not an application, it's a petition. All that is required is to prove the citizenship and relationship. If you answered it honestly, there shouldn't be any issue or problem to be nervous about.

meauxna

A wise woman once said to you:

zeogo

So to clarifiy, when my petition is finally approved at some point in the future, will my priority date be July 2010, or will it be the date of when it is approved?

Also as for visa numbers being available, is that not what the 10 year wait is for? And I understand that right now I do not have a solid place in the queue, but when can I expect to have one?

Thanks for the help!

meauxna

The petition submission date = the priority date. (June something 2010 )

The visa number wait is the ten or so years that's been mentioned to you. See the Visa Bulletin for more detail.

You do have a place in the queue. The date your I-130 was submitted, aka your Priority Date.

John Manley

I take it you are living in the U.K. and that the U.S. Consulate has accepted processing for the I-130. Typically, the U.S. citizen has to file at the Service Center with jurisdiction over where he lives in the U.S.

Regardless of where you file, you should not want the I-130 to come too quickly, particularly if your sibling has children who are under 21 years of age. Under the Child Status Protection Act, the longer it takes to adjudicate the I-130, the more protection the children have under CSPA. For your reference, the last 2 of these F4 I-130s I processed took two years to receive an approval.

meauxna

hmm, a very interesting detail and important to bring up.. thank you!

This OP posted previously that they are 19 years old; they haven't mentioned any children of their own.
What makes this one interesting to me is that the USC sibling who filed the petition lives in the UK (hence the London USCIS filing). I wonder how it will all go down exactly, when the time comes.