The Department of State asked the National Visa Center (NVC) at Portsmouth, New Hampshire to report the totals of overseas applicants on the waiting list in the various immigrant categories that have waiting times (F1, F2, F3 and F4).
The figures in the NVC report show the number of immigrant visa applicants, and their eligible dependents, on the waiting list in the various preference categories.
Immigrant visa issuances during fiscal year 2013 are limited to no more than 226,000 in the family-sponsored preferences. Spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21 years, and parents of U.S. citizens are classified as Immediate Relatives and are not subject to numerical limitation.
Of the 12 countries with the highest number of people on the waiting list FY 2013, Mexico is first, followed by the Philippines and India. Vietnam is fourth on the list with a total of 267,000 applicants waiting for processing. It is interesting that China comes in 5th place, with 241,000 waiting applicants.
Immigrant Waiting List for Family-sponsored Preferences.
Family FIRST Preference: The worldwide Family FIRST preference numerical limitation is 23,400. This is for the adult unmarried children of US citizens. Vietnam has 7,700 people in this category waiting for processing.
It is likely that increasing numbers of petitioners will be naturalized and F2B petitions will be converted to Family FIRST preference. There will be increasing future demand in the FIRST preference that could result in slower advances in this category.
Family SECOND Preference: The F2A category is for spouses and minor children of Permanent Residents. There are no figures available in this report for applicants in Vietnam. In the F2B category, unmarried, over 20 years old children of permanent residents, the waiting list far exceeds the annual limit. Vietnam is 8th on the list of the top ten countries, with 8,700 applicants waiting for processing.
Family THIRD Preference, married children of US citizens: Vietnam is in third place among the top ten countries with the highest F3 waiting list, with 72,200 persons waiting to be admitted to the US.
Family FOURTH Preference, married siblings of US citizens: Vietnam is again fourth on the list of top ten countries, with 174,800 applicants. The waiting period in this preference is now more than eleven years for most countries.
The biggest worry for families in the Third and Furth preference is how old their children will be when the visas become available for the family. In most cases, if the children are under 25 years old, there is no need to worry because they will be eligible for CSPA processing. Those children who are older may need to wait in Vietnam until their parents reach America and file F2B petitions for them. Fortunately, for sponsors living in California and some other western states, it looks like these petitions will get the priority date of the parents’ F3 or F4 petitions. This means that the aged out children will be able to reach the US about a year after the rest of the family.
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Q.1. Is it possible to request any kind of expedited visa interview for children who will soon turn 21 years of age?
A.1. It may be possible to request timely processing for such cases, but the visas cannot be issued until the applicants’ priority date becomes current. Thus, even if they are interviewed before their case becomes current, they cannot get the visas until it is actually current.
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Q.2. What happens if an adult, single child of a US citizen marries before he becomes eligible for visa processing?
A.2. The child’s category moves from F1 to F3, with a much longer waiting time.
ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com
Immigration Support Services - Tham Van Di Tru
9070 Bolsa Ave., Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388
47 Phung Khac Khoan, P. Da Kao, Q1, HCMC (848) 3914-7638
The figures in the NVC report show the number of immigrant visa applicants, and their eligible dependents, on the waiting list in the various preference categories.
Immigrant visa issuances during fiscal year 2013 are limited to no more than 226,000 in the family-sponsored preferences. Spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21 years, and parents of U.S. citizens are classified as Immediate Relatives and are not subject to numerical limitation.
Of the 12 countries with the highest number of people on the waiting list FY 2013, Mexico is first, followed by the Philippines and India. Vietnam is fourth on the list with a total of 267,000 applicants waiting for processing. It is interesting that China comes in 5th place, with 241,000 waiting applicants.
Immigrant Waiting List for Family-sponsored Preferences.
Family FIRST Preference: The worldwide Family FIRST preference numerical limitation is 23,400. This is for the adult unmarried children of US citizens. Vietnam has 7,700 people in this category waiting for processing.
It is likely that increasing numbers of petitioners will be naturalized and F2B petitions will be converted to Family FIRST preference. There will be increasing future demand in the FIRST preference that could result in slower advances in this category.
Family SECOND Preference: The F2A category is for spouses and minor children of Permanent Residents. There are no figures available in this report for applicants in Vietnam. In the F2B category, unmarried, over 20 years old children of permanent residents, the waiting list far exceeds the annual limit. Vietnam is 8th on the list of the top ten countries, with 8,700 applicants waiting for processing.
Family THIRD Preference, married children of US citizens: Vietnam is in third place among the top ten countries with the highest F3 waiting list, with 72,200 persons waiting to be admitted to the US.
Family FOURTH Preference, married siblings of US citizens: Vietnam is again fourth on the list of top ten countries, with 174,800 applicants. The waiting period in this preference is now more than eleven years for most countries.
The biggest worry for families in the Third and Furth preference is how old their children will be when the visas become available for the family. In most cases, if the children are under 25 years old, there is no need to worry because they will be eligible for CSPA processing. Those children who are older may need to wait in Vietnam until their parents reach America and file F2B petitions for them. Fortunately, for sponsors living in California and some other western states, it looks like these petitions will get the priority date of the parents’ F3 or F4 petitions. This means that the aged out children will be able to reach the US about a year after the rest of the family.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.1. Is it possible to request any kind of expedited visa interview for children who will soon turn 21 years of age?
A.1. It may be possible to request timely processing for such cases, but the visas cannot be issued until the applicants’ priority date becomes current. Thus, even if they are interviewed before their case becomes current, they cannot get the visas until it is actually current.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.2. What happens if an adult, single child of a US citizen marries before he becomes eligible for visa processing?
A.2. The child’s category moves from F1 to F3, with a much longer waiting time.
ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com
Immigration Support Services - Tham Van Di Tru
9070 Bolsa Ave., Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388
47 Phung Khac Khoan, P. Da Kao, Q1, HCMC (848) 3914-7638
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