Once you’ve secured legal status in the United States, you might be interested in sponsoring your family members for a green card that allows them to join you. The process can be complicated and nuanced, making it difficult to navigate, so it’s important to research it as much as you can to gain understanding and a sense of direction. That said, one question that often comes up when seeking to sponsor a relative’s green card application is how long the process will take. It’s a good question, so let’s take a closer look.
What are the processing times for family-sponsored green card applications?
It’s inevitable that there will be fluctuations in the wait time for processing green card applications. That said, for those who fall into categories where there is no quota, processing times are faster. This includes children under the age of 21, parents, and spouses. Even for these individuals, though, the wait time can take a year or more. For those who fall into a category with a quota, though, such as siblings, the process can take much longer, oftentimes stretching years.
What affects green card wait times?
There are several factors that can contribute to green card wait times. These include the size of the backlog that immigration officials have to process, inaccuracies or missing information in applications and immigration policy changes. It’s in your best interests, then, to ensure that you’re informed of the status of the law and how to properly fill out the green card application so that you can avoid unnecessary delays.
Find answers to your family immigration questions
You’re bound to have a lot of questions as you start your immigration journey. With the complexities involved, it’s not advisable to navigate he process on your own. Instead, you can secure education and advocacy from your immigration attorney, which may make all the difference in obtaining the immigration outcomes that you want.
