Immigration Law Firm Toronto: How long should you wait for US visas?

 The immediate relatives of a US citizen do not have to worry about numerical limits, waiting periods, and visa availability. However, there is still a several-month wait as the State Department and the USCIS process the visa application. Immigration law firm Toronto will explain to you how long you need to wait for your turn.

How long do relatives have to wait?

Preference relatives wait for many months, sometimes years, before they can apply for a visa or green card. However, even with the long wait, only a given percentage in the preference category qualifies for green cards or visas.

That means if many people present petitions for family visas from specific countries - this often happens with Mexico, the Philippines, India, and China – the family members will have to wait longer than other people from other countries. This is because of the annual limits on how many visas and green cards are to be issued for each country.

What is the Average Waiting Period for Different Relatives?

First Preference ( F1)

As noted by the immigration law firm Toronto, the first preference category consists of adult (over 21 years) unmarried children of US citizens. The average wait in this category is six years. However, citizens of the Philippines have to wait for at least nine years while Mexico waits for 23 years.

Second Preference (F2A and F2B)

This consists of children and spouses of a permanent resident. For a long time, the waiting time for category 2A has been 2 to 22 years, based on country of origin. Luckily as of now, there is no waiting time in this category. In category2B, all unmarried children over 21 years have a waiting time of 6 years for almost all countries, except the Philippines, 10 years, and Mexico, 22 years.

The US citizen, with the help of an immigration law firm Toronto, should start the process of invitation. A family member cannot enter the United States before completing various petitions and subsequent applications and having them fully approved.