Question: What is the Visa Bulletin?
Answer: The Visa Bulletin provides us the priority dates for Family Petitions. For example, if you are a United States citizen and you have filed for a green card for your brother, it usually takes 22 years (12 for other countries; 22 for Filipinos) for your brother to be able to come to the United States with a green card. The Visa Bulletin shows you what date the Citizenship and Immigration Service (formerly known as Immigration and Naturalization Service) is working on. If you filed on April 10, 1993, you have to look at the 4th category of the Visa Bulletin for Philippines, and you will see that CIS is currently working on September 8, 1986. There is a seven year difference between these numbers, which means that the estimated time that your brother will be able to come to the United States with a green card through your petition is more or less seven years.
Question: What is the First preference category?
Answer: The First preference category applies to children over the age of 21 of United States citizens. These children must be single. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is September 15, 1993.
Question: What is the Second (A) preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to spouses and unmarried, single children under the age of 21 of Legal Permanent Residents. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is January 15, 2005.
Question: What is the Second (B) preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to children of Legal Permanent Residents that are over 21, but are still single. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is May 1, 1998.
Question: What is the Third preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to married children of United States citizens. If a child of a United States citizen is under 21 but is married, they will fall under this category. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is August 8, 1991.
Question: What is the Fourth preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to brothers and sisters of United States citizens. These beneficiaries will be able to bring their spouses and all unmarried children under the age of 21 with them. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is September 8, 1986.
Question: What if I am a Legal Permanent Resident, and I filed a family petition for my daughter two years ago when she was 23, and she just got married?
Answer: When you filed for your daughter, you filed for her under the Second (B) preference category. If you are still a Legal Permanent Resident at the time your daughter got married, your petition for her will be cancelled. However, if you became a United States citizen before your daughter got married, then your petition for her is still valid, but the preference category will be changed from Second (B) to Third.
Question: What if I filed for my son under the Second (B) category, and then I became a United States citizen? Is it true that it will take my son five years longer to come to the United States only because I became a United States citizen?
Answer: In the past, this was true. However, under Section 6 of the Child Status Protection Act, you can choose to keep your old priority date. You will have to send a letter to the National Visa Center as well as one to the United States Embassy in Manila stating that you wish to keep your old priority dates. Please take note that both petitioner and beneficiary will have to write these letters and the letters must be notarized.
Question: What if I am a United States citizen and I filed for my sister when she was single, and now she is married?
Answer: Your sister will be able to come to the United States with her husband, and any child that they will have (as long as the child is single and is under the age of 21 at the time of emigration).
Question: Can I file for my parents if I am a Legal Permanent Resident? What about my siblings?
Answer: No. If you are a Legal Permanent Resident, you may only apply for spouses and single children. You may not apply for your parents, married children, or siblings.
Question: What is the priority date for a United States citizen filing for parents?
Answer: There is no priority date for spouses, parents, and single children under the age of 21 of United States citizens. This means that it should take less than a year for these individuals to immigrate to the United States (some cases take longer for various issues).
For more information, call Attorney Monica Ganjoo for a consultation.
Ganjoo Law Offices currently offer a consultation with Attorney Monica Ganjoo for only $20. The Staff of Ganjoo Law Offices speak a total of six different languages. For a consultation with Monica Ganjoo, call one of her offices below:
870 Market Street, Suite 340
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 495-3710
111 W. Saint John Street,
Suite 513
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 975-0500
Answer: The Visa Bulletin provides us the priority dates for Family Petitions. For example, if you are a United States citizen and you have filed for a green card for your brother, it usually takes 22 years (12 for other countries; 22 for Filipinos) for your brother to be able to come to the United States with a green card. The Visa Bulletin shows you what date the Citizenship and Immigration Service (formerly known as Immigration and Naturalization Service) is working on. If you filed on April 10, 1993, you have to look at the 4th category of the Visa Bulletin for Philippines, and you will see that CIS is currently working on September 8, 1986. There is a seven year difference between these numbers, which means that the estimated time that your brother will be able to come to the United States with a green card through your petition is more or less seven years.
Question: What is the First preference category?
Answer: The First preference category applies to children over the age of 21 of United States citizens. These children must be single. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is September 15, 1993.
Question: What is the Second (A) preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to spouses and unmarried, single children under the age of 21 of Legal Permanent Residents. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is January 15, 2005.
Question: What is the Second (B) preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to children of Legal Permanent Residents that are over 21, but are still single. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is May 1, 1998.
Question: What is the Third preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to married children of United States citizens. If a child of a United States citizen is under 21 but is married, they will fall under this category. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is August 8, 1991.
Question: What is the Fourth preference category?
Answer: This category belongs to brothers and sisters of United States citizens. These beneficiaries will be able to bring their spouses and all unmarried children under the age of 21 with them. For Filipinos, the priority date for the month of August is September 8, 1986.
Question: What if I am a Legal Permanent Resident, and I filed a family petition for my daughter two years ago when she was 23, and she just got married?
Answer: When you filed for your daughter, you filed for her under the Second (B) preference category. If you are still a Legal Permanent Resident at the time your daughter got married, your petition for her will be cancelled. However, if you became a United States citizen before your daughter got married, then your petition for her is still valid, but the preference category will be changed from Second (B) to Third.
Question: What if I filed for my son under the Second (B) category, and then I became a United States citizen? Is it true that it will take my son five years longer to come to the United States only because I became a United States citizen?
Answer: In the past, this was true. However, under Section 6 of the Child Status Protection Act, you can choose to keep your old priority date. You will have to send a letter to the National Visa Center as well as one to the United States Embassy in Manila stating that you wish to keep your old priority dates. Please take note that both petitioner and beneficiary will have to write these letters and the letters must be notarized.
Question: What if I am a United States citizen and I filed for my sister when she was single, and now she is married?
Answer: Your sister will be able to come to the United States with her husband, and any child that they will have (as long as the child is single and is under the age of 21 at the time of emigration).
Question: Can I file for my parents if I am a Legal Permanent Resident? What about my siblings?
Answer: No. If you are a Legal Permanent Resident, you may only apply for spouses and single children. You may not apply for your parents, married children, or siblings.
Question: What is the priority date for a United States citizen filing for parents?
Answer: There is no priority date for spouses, parents, and single children under the age of 21 of United States citizens. This means that it should take less than a year for these individuals to immigrate to the United States (some cases take longer for various issues).
For more information, call Attorney Monica Ganjoo for a consultation.
Ganjoo Law Offices currently offer a consultation with Attorney Monica Ganjoo for only $20. The Staff of Ganjoo Law Offices speak a total of six different languages. For a consultation with Monica Ganjoo, call one of her offices below:
870 Market Street, Suite 340
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 495-3710
111 W. Saint John Street,
Suite 513
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 975-0500
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