U.S. citizens can sponsor their siblings for immigration. The citizen must be at least 21 years old, and the sibling can be a biological, half-, or step-sibling. Also, the sibling must not be ineligible to immigrate due to a bar to entry (e.g. for previous unlawful presence, criminal convictions, or security concerns).

In addition, the beneficiary-sibling’s spouse and unmarried children can immigrate as well as derivative beneficiaries.

Siblings immigrate through the Fourth Preference Category, which currently has a backlog of ten to 20 years, depending on the country. This is a long time to wait, but for many of our clients these petitions have been the “foot in the door” needed to help them remain in the country if they are here currently. If you are a U.S. citizen and have siblings who would like to gain residency to the United States, contact an immigration specialist today to learn more about how you can help them.