This article was last updated on October 7, 2026

Summary

This article explains how someone outside the United States can immigrate to the United States through their U.S. citizen sibling. This is called “family-based immigration.” You can find more information on family-based immigration here, and other types of U.S. family reunification here.

Travel Ban Update

There are currently several “travel bans” in place that affect some people’s ability to receive a visa or travel to the United States. The travel bans should not affect the first steps of the immigration process described below, but they may impact you if you are further along in the process. More information about the recent travel bans can be found here.

My sibling is a U.S. citizen. Can they help me immigrate to the United States? 

U.S. citizens can apply for certain relatives to immigrate to the United States. If you have a sibling who is over 21 years old and a U.S. citizen, they can submit an application to start the process of bringing you to the United States.

What is the family-based immigration process?

The process to immigrate to the United States based on your relationship to a U.S. citizen relative involves two different stages.

First, the U.S. citizen must submit an application called the “Form I-130” to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The U.S. government calls this a “petition.” The petition must include documents to prove your sibling is a U.S. citizen, and documents to prove  that you are siblings.

Second, after USCIS approves the petition, you must apply for an immigrant visa through the U.S. Department of State (DOS). When DOS approves your visa, you can travel to the United States. When you arrive, you will be a “Lawful Permanent Resident” (LPR), or green card holder.

How long will it take for me to be approved to travel to the United States through this process?

Immigrating to the United States through a U.S. citizen sibling will take many years. This is because there is a limited number of visas available for this category each year, and a lot more people who apply. For example: in October 2026, sibling-based visas are available for people who started the application process in October 2011. That means people have been waiting around 15 years to get their visas.

How do we submit the USCIS petition (Form I-130)?

The Form I-130 will ask for information about the “petitioner” and the “beneficiary.” Your U.S. citizen sibling is the petitioner. You are the beneficiary. They are “petitioning” (requesting) for you to be allowed to join them in the United States. 

The petitioner is responsible for completing and submitting the I-130 and all related documents to USCIS. They must file a Form I-130, available here. There are two ways to submit the I-130: 1) by mail; or 2) online. You can find more information about both options here.

Preparing and submitting an I-130 will involve:

• Filling out the I-130 form carefully and signing it, according to the form’s instructions. 
• Providing required evidence and documents (see below for more details).
• Paying the filing fee. If you file your application by paper, the fee is slightly higher than if you submit your application online.You should go on the USCIS website, Calculate Your Fees, to get the most current information about the fee for Form I-130.

We also recommend submitting a cover letter that lists the documents you are submitting. It helps USCIS see that you meet all the requirements.

How much does it cost to file an I-130 petition?

Your sibling must pay a filing fee for the I-130 petition. There are different filing fees depending on whether they submit the form electronically or by mail. As of October 2026, the fee is $675 for paper filings, and $625 for online filings. USCIS sometimes changes the fees and the instructions for how to pay them, so your sibling should check this USCIS website for the most updated guidance before they file.

What documents must be submitted with the I-130 application? 

FIRST: Your sibling must prove they are a U.S. Citizen (USC).

The I-130 form will ask your sibling, the petitioner, to submit documents to prove their U.S. citizenship. 

To prove that they are a USC, they must send ONE of these documents with the I-130:

• A copy of their birth certificate showing you were born in the United States
• A copy of their naturalization certificate
• A copy of their certificate of citizenship
• A copy of their Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)
• A copy of their unexpired U.S. passport, or
• An original statement from a U.S. consular officer verifying that they are a U.S. citizen with a valid passport.

SECOND: Your sibling must prove your sibling relationship.

The I-130 form will ask your sibling, the petitioner, to submit documents proving that you are siblings. These documents should include:

• Copies of both of your birth certificates showing that you have at least one parent in common.
• If you have the same father but different mothers: copies of any available marriage certificates between your father and each mother, and divorce certificates if any of your parents were divorced before marrying each other. 
• If your father was not married to either of your mothers, or you and your sibling are related through adoption or a stepparent: additional documents as described in the I-130 instructions to prove your relationship.

If any document is not in English, your sibling should also send an English translation of the document. The translation must include a statement from the translator saying they are fluent in both languages.

What if we do not have a required document? 

If you do not have these documents, you have a few options:

• You should try to get them. For example, you or your sibling may be able to go to an embassy and ask for copies, or ask family or friends for help.
• You can see if USCIS will accept a different document instead. The Department of State lists alternative forms of documents on this website.
• You can get a letter from a government office or embassy saying that you cannot get the document. 
• You should also try to get other documents like:

• A religious record: A copy of a document from a religious organization like a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue. It should show that a religious ceremony happened (like a baptism) within two months after birth. It must include the date and place of birth, the date of the religious ceremony, and the names of the parents.
• A school record: A copy of a letter from an educational authority, like a school. It should show the date the child entered school, the child’s date of birth or age at that time, place of birth, and names of the parents.
• A census record: Government records showing the names, place of birth, date of birth, or the age of the person listed.

• You can get two or more written statements from people who were alive at the time of the event you need to prove (birth, marriage, divorce, or death) and have “personal knowledge” of it. For example: an uncle who went to your parent’s wedding, or a grandmother who visited when you were born. 
  • These people do not need to be U.S. citizens or live in the United States, but they must be able to provide a detailed explanation of what they know and how they know it.
  • The statements must follow the additional guidance explained in the I-130 instructions.

What happens after the I-130 is submitted?

After your sibling submits the form and other required documents, USCIS will send your sibling, the petitioner, notices and letters in the mail. Sometimes they will also send them to the petitioner by email. It is very important to save all of these communications.

The first document they receive will probably be called a “receipt notice.” This document confirms that the application has been received by USCIS. It will have a case number (called a “receipt number”)  and something called a “priority date.” This is an important date to keep track of because it will help determine when you can finally apply for a visa. We explain this in more detail below. 

Sometimes, USCIS will send a letter asking your sibling, the petitioner, to send them more documents. This is called a Request for Evidence (“RFE”). The RFE will tell them what is missing and give a deadline to submit them. USCIS may also suggest that you and your sibling get a DNA test. This is a blood test that can prove that you and your sibling are really related. It is very important that you respond by the deadline listed, or your case can be denied for not answering the request.

USCIS can take a long time to make a decision on an I-130 petition. Sometimes it can take five years or more. 

After the I-130 is approved, how do I apply for an immigrant visa?

After the I-130 petition is approved, the next step is for you to apply for an immigrant visa through a U.S. embassy or consulate. However, you cannot apply for a visa until a visa is available to you – meaning that it is your “turn” to receive a visa. This can take a very long time. Right now, the wait time for siblings can be 15 years or more. 

When will it be my turn to apply for a visa?

Your wait time for a visa in this category is based on the date your sibling submitted the I-130 petition. As mentioned above, their I-130 receipt notice will list something called a “priority date.” This is generally the date that USCIS received the petition. 

The State Department has a “visa bulletin” website that explains when you can apply for a visa based on your priority date. The visa bulletin is updated every month. You should try to check the visa bulletin at least every few months after your I-130 application is approved. However, the visa bulletin can be confusing to read. To find the information that is most relevant for you:

• Look for the chart labeled “DATES FOR FILING FAMILY-SPONSORED VISA APPLICATIONS” (or “Chart B”).
• In Chart B, look for the row labeled F4, which is the visa category for siblings of U.S. citizens. You will see different dates listed in this row. 
• If you are from China, India, Mexico, or the Philippines, you must look at the date listed for your specific country. For everyone else, you should look at the date in the column labeled “All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed.” 

You can apply for your visa when your priority date is the same or earlier than the date listed in Chart B. 

Example: Jane’s sister submitted an I-130 application for her on October 15, 2011. This is also what is listed as her “priority date” on the I-130 receipt notice. Jane and her sister are originally from Kenya. They see that the visa bulletin (below) for category F4 lists the date November 1, 2011. This means that Jane can now move forward with the visa application process.

When a visa is available, the National Visa Center (NVC) will send an email to you, the beneficiary of the approved I-130. Sometimes, the NVC will also email the petitioner. The email from the NVC will include a visa case number and an “invoice number.” It will also give you instructions for next steps to apply for your visa. 

If the visa bulletin shows that it is your turn to apply for a visa but you have not received an email from NVC, you should contact NVC to ask for help.

What is involved in applying for an immigrant visa?

For the visa application process, you will be called the “principal applicant.” To complete this process, you will need to:

• Create an online account using the instructions found in your NVC letter.
• Pay visa application fees online through a U.S. bank account.
• Submit a Form I-864 “Affidavit of Support.” This is a document signed by your sibling that promises to support you financially when you arrive in the United States. If they do not have enough money to make this promise, they may need to find an additional sponsor to help them.
• Submit your sponsor’s financial documents.
• Fill out an online visa application form called the DS-260.
• Gather and submit copies of all required documents, such as birth certificates and marriage certificates.
• Schedule and attend an interview at an embassy or consulate.
• Complete medical exams.

What if I am not ready to apply for a visa?

In general, you must apply for your visa within one year of when you are notified that your visa is available. If you do not apply within a year, your approved I-130 petition could be canceled. This can also happen if you pause the process and stop communicating about your case for over a year. If your petition is canceled, you will lose your priority date. You will need to start the process all over again from the very beginning with a new I-130.

For this reason, it is very important that you respond to the NVC letter when you receive it and follow the instructions closely. If you are facing personal circumstances outside your control that make it difficult to apply or travel right away, you must communicate with NVC and/or the embassy or consulate in charge of your application to let them know. You may be permitted to delay certain steps of the process as long as you stay in touch. 

Can my children and spouse join me in the United States?

You are allowed to bring your spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old with you when you immigrate through this process. You will need to fill out a separate DS-260 application form for each person so that they can receive their own visas.

What if my child was under 21 years old when we submitted the I-130, but they are over 21 now?

The U.S government understands that some children will turn 21 years old before they can be granted a visa. Therefore, Congress passed a law called the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The CSPA allows for some children to still be included in the application even after they turn 21 years old. Under the CSPA, there is a special formula used to determine your child’s “CSPA Age,” which is not the same thing as their real age. For sibling-based family immigration cases, the formula is:

 Child’s age at time of visa availability - Pending time = CSPA Age

Your child’s age at time of visa availability is their age on the first day of the month when the Visa Bulletin says a visa is available to you in the “Final Action Dates” chart (Chart A in the Visa Bulletin). Pending time is the time between when the I-130 application was filed and when it was approved.

If your child’s CSPA Age is under 21, they can still receive a visa to come with you to the United States – even if their real age is over 21. However, they must remain unmarried no matter their age.

Example: Jane’s sister filed an I-130 for her on October 15, 2011. It was approved on December 15, 2015. Jane has recently been notified that a visa is finally available to her. At the time of the initial I-130 submission, Jane’s daughter Mary was a young child. Now Mary is an adult, and Jane wants to know if Mary can still come with her.

According to the Visa Bulletin, a visa first became available to Jane in September 2026. On September 1, 2026, Jane’s daughter Mary was 24 years and 2 months old. This is her age at the time of visa availability. Based on the difference between the filing date and the approval date, it took USCIS 4 years and 2 months to approve the I-130. This is her pending time. To calculate Mary’s CSPA Age, we must subtract her “pending time” from her “age time of visa availability. 24 years and 2 months - 4 years and 2 months = 20 years old.

Since Mary’s CSPA Age is frozen at 20 years old, she can still receive a visa as long as she remains unmarried and she applies for her visa within a year of when it became available.

Asking for help

You or your relative may want to ask an immigration attorney for help with this process. Here are a few resources:

Help from IRAP

• Information about asking for help from IRAP is here.
• If you are in Jordan, you can ask for IRAP Jordan’s help using this form. If the form is closed, you can check back at a later date.

Help from other organizations

• A list of free immigration legal service providers in the United States is available here. These attorneys are not affiliated with IRAP.
• A list of private immigration attorneys in the United States is available here. Please note that private immigration attorneys may charge a fee for their services. These attorneys are not affiliated with IRAP.