F1 vs F2B - which visa is faster?

The F2B Visa is a Family Preference Visa that grants a Green Card to unmarried adult children of existing Green Card holders in the US.

This is compared to the the F1 Family Preference Visa is for unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens – a subtle but key difference that impacts on the demand and Green Card processing.

There are fluctuating timescales for the F1 and F2B visas so you may wish to seek advice on which one could be the best option for your current circumstances.

At the present time, the processing of the F2B visa is quicker than for the F1 visa. However, this situation can often change depending on the progress of the visas so it is worth keeping up to date with the situation in the Department of State’s monthly visa bulletin.

Which route is faster also depends on the status of your sponsor and whether they are an American citizen or an American Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). A US citizen is classed as the highest individual status, while a permanent resident remain a citizen of their birth/home country.

If your sponsor is a LPR there is the possibility they could be deported and there are restrictions on how many family members they are able to sponsor.

US Immigration Services will update the visa category from F2B to F1 if the petition is filed by a LPR who is granted citizenship before the visa is processed. However, it is important to note that this change is optional and can be reversed – which is relevant if the F2B timescales are shorter.

Many US visas do not have a set timescale for processing and they can change almost on a daily basis due to changing demand and quota caps.

Under the quota system, there are 23,400 F1 visas made available per annum and 114,200 F2 visas (of which 70 per cent or 79,940 are F2A and 30 per cent or 34,260 are F2B).

In addition, no single country is allowed to have more than seven per cent of the total applications for the year.

Once your sponsor has filed Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) it will join the wait queue and it can take a considerable time to reach the top of this. Once, it does you are able to submit an application for either a F1 or F2B visa.

Waiting to be approved to move to the US can be a very long and stressful process – for both unmarried children and their parents. Unfortunately, there are not guarantees on how long it takes to process a visa or on a priority date can change.

It also depends on individual circumstances and it is not unheard of people wanting several years to be granted permission to move to the US. However, in most cases the average waiting time can be around two years.

Therefore, it is vital that you ensure you complete your application correctly and ensure you provide all required paperwork to avoid any additional delays. If you are unsure what is required that it may be helpful to seek the advice of an immigration law expert.

Under certain circumstances it is possible to switch visa category once the process has started and this could help to reduce waiting times for family members. As mentioned if the sponsor becomes a citizen then the application will be automatically switched from the F2B to F1 route.

This is because F1 visas are for the unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens and their minor children, while F2B visas are for the unmarried children of a green card holder (LPR).

However, it is important to consider this change on the potential waiting times – especially if the F1 category is facing lengthy delays.

Therefore, is is possible to file a formal request with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to keep to the original route, and retain the original priority filing date.