Prisovery

Hi my dad currently lives in america and has for 30 years. He has just got his citizenship and he will be sponsoring me, my husband and 3 children ages 13,11,3 to live in America. It is both my husband and my dream to be there but I’m so scared it won’t happen. We would be able to sell our house in the uk and buy outright in Florida. My husband is in pharmaceutical sales and I am a self employed hair and makeup artist. I understand I am 3rd preference and we will be hiring an attorney to deal with paperwork etc. She believes she can get us there within 4-5 years as we have no criminal record, worked all our lives etc. I’m worried as my dad is 70 that if he passes away before we will have spend so much money all for nothing. Is it realistic to be able to get there within 4-5 years or is it really going to take 10-12?!!! Anyone who has had family sponsorship recently and can tell me a bit more from there experience I would really appreciate it. Thank you

SanDiegogirl

According to the Visa Bulletin, F3's have a 13 year waiting time, so don't think your lawyer is going to get you to US in 4 to 5 years.(see below)

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...uary-2020.html


Also, is he financially able to sponsor all 5 of you? He would need nearly $40K income per year to do so. (Presume at 70 he is retired)

Prisovery

He is retired. He has been through his financials with attorney so I’m assuming they would have told him if he can’t do it.
I would like to hear from someone who has done it and been sponsored from a relative and how long it actually took them to get out there.
the other option is for my husband (who has a degree) to get a work visa but that would mean I couldn’t work.

christmasoompa

The trouble is, it changes all the time. The people getting their visas recently applied 13 years ago, but it could take you much longer or less time depending on the number of people in the queue ahead of you (expect much longer, there are predictions you can look at online to give you an idea), so hearing from anybody that's recently got their visas isn't much use to you as they applied over a decade ago.

I'd definitely be asking the attorney exactly how she thinks she can get it in 4-5 years when the visa bulletin shows timescales for almost 3 times that. Personally, I'd apply now so you're in the queue, and in the meantime your husband could pursue an employment based visa. Not all employment based visas would mean you couldn't work, it depends on the one he gets.

Pulaski

A lawyer won't accelerate the process, and the current wait time is 13 years and almost certain to get steadily longer. The paperwork is pretty straightforward, so long as you can read and follow instructions, and complete forms that mostly just need biographic data, so I would recommend not using a lawyer.

As you apparently know, if your father dies before the application reaches ​​​​​​the visa issuance stage, the application dies with him, and honestly you need to think very carefully about the financial implications of immigrating to the US if your are already in your 50's as getting work (in your husband's case) that pays well and has health insurance may be tough. And then there is the cost of health insurance to think about after your retire - I could easily envisage a scenario where you end up continuing in self-employed haircare work long after standard retirement age just to fund health care costs, which can be quite considerable.

Prisovery

my Husband is 40 and I am 36.
We have been looking at the different visas for my husband but he is in pharmaceutical sales so I don’t think he would get a visa on that alone as it’s not a highly requested job is it??
I have been following the bulletin and I suppose I just cannot get my head round it taking 13 years?!! i wonder how accurate it is aswell. They told me dad it would take a year for him to get citizenship it took 4 months. I suppose I’m just wishing!!

Noorah101

The visa bulletin is accurate because Dept of State updates it with the most current statistics each month.

You should resign yourselves to it taking 13+ years, and then be happy if it takes maybe 10 - 12. I don't believe there is any way it will happen in 5, but I'm curious to hear the attorneys explaination.

Rene

christmasoompa

The visa bulletin tells you that they are currently working on applications submitted prior to 22nd July 2008. That’s accurate to an exact date, not sure how much more precise you want them to be?!

TexanScot

It's published monthly by the Department of State, so why would it NOT be accurate?

Prisovery

13 years is just such a long time and yes my husband would be 53 by then and I would be 49! Our sons would have been settled down and even had kids if there own perhaps.
its all so frustrating.

Pulaski

Family visas are rationed, there is only a fixed number of them available every year, so it's not a question of "how quickly the paperwork is processed", it's that each month those at the head of the queue are invited to proceed with the next step, if they are able (the sponsor is still willing and able to sponsor them), am if the applicant still wishes to proceed. Given that the number or applications continues to grow it is highly likely that the waiting time will continue to grow too.

The growth in the list is somewhat moderated by people who initially applied and then either the sponsor died, or the applicants ultimately decided not to complete the visa issuance step, so there is always an inherent uncertainty as to how many people in the queue ahead of you may, for one reason or another, drop out of the process and thereby leave "their" visa for the next person in the queue.

Prisovery

so u believe everything u read? I sure don’t but perhaps that’s my sceptical attitude

Prisovery

Thank you for your help. Still waiting to hear if anyone has been through this process. I know it won’t be the same but I would still like to hear from them.

Nutmegger

And do you believe everything an attorney hungry for your money tells you? The timeline you have been directed to is not some internet scam, but factual data.

Pulaski

Visa data is issued by government bureaucrats and subject to the National Audit Office, not by politicians who have a tenuous grasp on facts and are predisposed to spin "facts" for their own purposes.