How to check your F2B visa status

The F2B Visa is a Family Preference Visa which leads to a Green Card to unmarried adult children of Green Card holders in the United States. Those who are successful in their application will be permitted to live in the US for up to five years.

To track the status of your F2B application you will need to find out your priority date that was included on Form I-797 – this was provided when you filed your Form I-130 (Petition for an Alien Relative).

The next step is to locate your applicable preference category. If you have filed a F2B visa application and you are checking the F2B visa status, this means you are the unmarried son or daughter of a lawful permanent resident (LPR) in the US.

To find out the status you will need to refer to the current visa bulletin issued by the Department of State. Make sure you are using the relevant table to find the date for your family preference category – you will need to ensure you are looking for the information for your home country.

This date that needs to be compared to your priority date on Form I-797. If the priority date is before the date on the visa bulletin then the status of your visa is current. This means you can apply for your green card by completing Form I-485.

If the dates is after the visa bulletin then your immigrant visa is not available yet and you must continue to work. The Immigration Services will not let you know when your immigrant visa is available – you must ensure you check the visa bulletin to keep track of the status of your visa.

The F2B visa application can be a complicated process and you should consider seeking advice from professional immigration lawyers to ensure your best chance of becoming a green card holder without any unnecessary delays.

The application process is as follows:

1. The sponsor completes the petition form and submits it to USCIS
2. National Visa Center (NVC) receives accepted petition form and supporting documents
3. NVC sends a package to the beneficiary which will then explain the next steps of the process
4. A visa application slot becomes available and the F2A visa application process begins
5. The adult child completes and files Form DS-260
6. The applicant collects the required documents together. The medical examination is taken and vaccinations are given.
7. The applicant attends the visa interview at a US embassy or consulate
8. Applicant receives NVC packet and travels to the US

The waiting times for a family-based green card can vary considerably as it will depend on the specific visa you have applied for as well as the country you have applied from.

For example, those applying from a foreign country such as China, India, Mexico or the Philippines tend to have significant waiting times. However, as there is no exact times then it can be hard to give any set timescales.

Instead, applicants are advised to keep checking the next visa bulletin to see the status of immigrant visas in the F2B category.

You may find the waiting time reduced if your sponsor becomes a US citizen while you are waiting for your final action date as you would be able to apply for a relative visa. This form of visa has a much shorter application process and the waiting times are considerably quicker.

Total Law can help ensure your application is completed by one of our expert immigration attorneys, maximizing your chances of a successful outcome.

We can also review the annual F2B Visa bulletin to check the availability of the permit.