mussi89

Hi,

New to the forum I've been thinking about moving to the US, specifically California, and I was just wandering the best route to apply for a Green Card.

A little background, my sister is a US citizen and has been living there for a couple of years and I am over 21. I was on the USCIS site and found two ways to apply for a GC either while in the US (I-130) or applying outside the US (Consular Processing). I really don't understand the difference between the two.

I'm really looking for advice, people who have completed the process and some good banter as why the US/UK is better than the other.

lansbury

Your sister maybe able to file an I-130 for you to start the process going, she will file that in the USA. Not sure how long the wait is at the moment for a sibling I-130 to be approved, but it is going to be a long wait. Once that is approved you can apply for a visa.

A quick check shows the current wait time for the sibling I-130 approval is 10 - 12 years

jibsymalone

Are you sure your sister is a citizen and not just a legal permanent resident? A couple of years to get full citizenship seems a short period of time even coming over on a fiancee / K1 visa? if she is not an actual citizen she is still not able to directly help you, yet at least.

jibsymalone

about 10 years i think?

jibsymalone

If you really want to move to the US and quickly and are single, then your easiest route is going to be finding a US spouse. other than that you must prepare to be in it for the long haul.

mussi89

WOW that long.

mussi89

Yeah sorry more than a couple of years (felt like that), It's been about 9 years.

mussi89

Yeah thinking about that too, I visited last year and there was a girl. Too early for marriage though.

christmasoompa

Yep. Obviously your time will vary depending on how many people are ahead of you in the 'queue', but to give you an idea you can look at your category (F4) in the Visa Bulletin - http://travel.state.gov/content/visa...uary-2014.html

So the people being processed now applied 12 years and 4 months ago.

HTH, good luck.

mussi89

That's pretty crazy and amazing, thank's.

jibsymalone

yes but it is still an option, and if she is THE girl then you will hopefully know/realise this well before the 10+ (the 10 year number is fluid too, it can shorten or grow longer depending how long they are taking to process all the cases before yours) years it takes to get a greencard through your sister.

ian-mstm

There is only one route to a green card - someone needs to sponsor you. Whether that someone is a family member or a company... one way or the other, someone needs to start the process on your behalf.


As others have already noted, you're looking at a 12-13 year wait... but it's only time. You don't have to do anything except wait. You don't need to qualify in any other manner... all you have to do is wait. The day you enter the US with your immigrant visa (the end result of your sister filing an I-130 petition to start the process) you will immediately become a US permanent resident (= green card).

If you want to get to the US sooner, then you're going to have to find someone whose sponsorship will get you there sooner. Start here. You'll first need a visa that will allow you to live/work in the US. Keep in mind that some visas can lead to a green card, others don't. Read first, then research the visas, then ask questions about what you've read and researched.

Ian

mussi89

Thank Ian for that wiki and came up with an idea that if my sister can apply for my parents, which I googled and found that it takes around six months to get a GC. Then my parents can apply for a GC for me as an unmarried child over 21.

Noorah101

Your parents wouldn't be getting a GC, they'd be getting Immigrant Visas. Once they use the Immigrant Visas to enter the USA, they then become US PRs (i.e. they get green cards). It probably takes more like 8 - 10 months for the Immigrant Visa process.

They can file an I-130 towards your Immigrant Visa, yes. Not GC. Like them, once you use your Immigrant Visa to enter the USA, you then become a US PR (i.e. you get a green card).

But do your parents WANT to live in the USA??

Rene

Hotscot

Or are you going to do it through rendition?