When your family is separated by borders, the wait to see them again can feel endless. If you are a U.S. citizen, you may have family members overseas whom you hope could join you in the United States.
Naturally, you might wonder if there is a way to help your loved ones reach the country faster. Sponsoring your family members is one of the main ways to do this and this blog will explain how.
How citizenship creates faster paths for families
Being a U.S. citizen can make it easier for you to bring family members to the country. One of the main benefits applies to what immigration law calls “immediate relatives.”
These include your spouse, your parents (if you are at least 21 years old) and your unmarried children under 21. These family members usually do not have to wait for a visa number to start their green card application, though you will still go through standard steps such as filing petitions, background checks and adjustment of status, which can take some time.
Other family relationships fall into preference categories that have yearly limits. These include your unmarried adult children, married children of any age and your siblings. Because visas in these categories are limited each year, the wait can stretch from several years to over a decade depending on the type of relationship and your family member’s country of origin.
Where you live matters less than you think
You might wonder if living in a place like Hawaii affects how fast the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes your applications. Most immigration applications go through centralized service centers, so your location usually does not determine how quickly USCIS processes your I‑130 petition.
USCIS moves cases between service centers to balance workload and staffing rather than keeping them tied to one region. This means your I‑130 petition could move between different facilities while it is being processed.
Review times depend much more on the type of visa and how busy the service center is than on where you live. For example, I‑130 petitions you file for immediate relatives currently take about 10 to 15 months depending on workload and the service center handling your case.
When certain situations allow for quicker processing
While the standard immigration process can take months or longer, certain situations may allow you to request expedited processing, such as:
- A serious financial loss to you or a family member that is urgent and not caused by filing delays
- An emergency or urgent humanitarian situation, such as serious illness, death or threats to safety
- A nonprofit organization in the U.S. that depends on a family member for a critical role supporting its social or cultural mission
- A government official requesting expedited processing for public safety or national security reasons
An expedited request does not guarantee that USCIS will approve your petition. It simply means the agency will try to reach a decision faster than normal processing times.
Preparing strong applications from the start
The quality of your first application has a big impact on how smoothly your immigration process goes. Spending time to prepare complete and accurate documents helps you avoid delays from requests for additional evidence or corrections.
You must include key documents such as proof of your U.S. citizenship, evidence of your relationship to the family member you are sponsoring and civil documents such as birth certificates or marriage certificates. You need a separate Form I-130 for each family member you sponsor.
Financial requirements also matter. As a sponsor, you will need to show that your income meets at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for the size of your household. If your income is not enough, you can use assets or find a joint sponsor to meet the requirement.
Bringing your family to the United States can take a lot of time and effort but knowing the steps and requirements can help you feel less anxious. During this journey, partnering with an immigration attorney can help answer any questions you may have about the process and provide further guidance as you move along.