F4 – Siblings of Adult U.S. Citizens
Home / F4 – Siblings of Adult U.S. Citizens
Key Forms & Process
The process begins by filing Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with proof of your U.S. citizenship and proof of the sibling relationship (birth certificates showing at least one common parent). You must also provide your own birth certificate and your sibling’s birth certificate. If you have half-siblings, we include the common parent’s marriage certificate. After USCIS approval, the case waits at the National Visa Center (NVC) until a visa number becomes available based on the Priority Date (the date USCIS received your I-130). Once the date is current in the monthly Visa Bulletin, we submit Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Application) for your sibling, their spouse, and each unmarried child under 21. We also file Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support). The family then attends interviews at the U.S. embassy. Upon approval, all receive immigrant visas and enter as lawful permanent residents.
What We Handle at ZubaidaLaw
Our legal advocates manage the extremely long-term process: filing the I-130 to secure the earliest possible priority date (every month counts), tracking the Visa Bulletin for years, notarizing all family documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees if applicable, death certificates of parents, translations), and preparing each family member for embassy interviews. We also handle “derivative” issues: if a niece or nephew turns 21 during the wait, we calculate CSPA (Child Status Protection Act) eligibility. If the sponsoring U.S. citizen passes away during the wait, we explore humanitarian reinstatement. If the sibling divorces or remarries, we advise on how it affects their F4 status.
Call us at 865-382-2900 to check your sibling’s priority date, estimate their F4 wait time based on their country of birth, and start the petition today – the earlier you file, the sooner the wait begins.
It's a family-based, fourth-preference immigrant visa for brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens (age 21+). Approximately 65,000 visas are available annually for the F4 category worldwide.
It depends on your sibling's country of birth (as of 2025 estimates):
Rest of world: 12–16 years
Mexico: 20–25 years
Philippines: 20–24 years
India: 15–20 years
We track the monthly Visa Bulletin for exact cutoff dates.
Your sibling's spouse and their unmarried children under 21 (your nieces/nephews) qualify as derivatives and receive visas at the same time. The entire family immigrates together.
Yes. You must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old to file Form I-130 for a sibling. Green card holders cannot sponsor siblings.
Birth certificates for you and your sibling showing at least one common parent. For half-siblings, also provide the common parent's marriage certificate. If a parent is deceased, provide a death certificate.
If they divorce before receiving the green card, they may still qualify as an F4 sibling (spouse derivative is removed). Remarriage during the wait creates a new spouse derivative, but we must update USCIS and may cause delays.
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) may protect their age. We calculate CSPA age = (age at visa availability) – (pending I-130 time). If under 21, they still qualify as a derivative.
I-130 (petition), DS-260 (visa application for each family member), I-864 (affidavit of support), plus civil documents (birth certificates, sibling's marriage certificate, nieces/nephews' birth certificates, police certificates, medical exams).
125% of Federal Poverty Guideline. The household size includes you + your sibling + their spouse + their children. For example: you (1) + sibling (1) + spouse (1) + 2 children (2) = household of 5 (approx. $40,000+ in 2025). A joint sponsor can help.
Yes. We provide full notarization services for birth certificates, marriage certificates, affidavits of relationship, translated foreign documents, and all supporting evidence for your F4 petition – even during the long, multi-year wait.
