F4 Visa – Siblings of U.S. Citizens

A number of documents need to be submitted alongside an F4 Visa application. Scroll down to find out more about these.

Any spouse or minor children of the applicant are also eligible to migrate to the USA on an F4 Visa. Each family member must complete an F4 Visa application.

The F4 Visa has requirements for not just the applicant, but also the sponsoring U.S. citizen, who must meet the following conditions.

The U.S. F4 Visa sponsor must be:

• At least 18 years old
• A U.S. citizen
• Living in the United States with a valid address
• Able to prove the sibling relationship through a birth certificate or adoption papers

There are two main stages when applying for an F4 Visa:

• The petition stage
• The F4 Visa application stage

The whole F4 Visa application process is quite a lengthy, protracted process so to make it easy. Here’s a summary of all the steps involved when applying for this US visa.

1. F4 Sponsor completes the petition
2. USCIS processes the petition, which can take several months.
3. If the petition is accepted, it is passed to the National Visa Center (NVC) which issues U.S. Visas.
4. NVC sends the foreign applicant the approval documents containing instructions about fees and the next steps in the process.
5. Wait for your date to become current
6. Each applicant (if applying with a spouse and/or children) completes the F4 Visa application form, known as form DS-260.
7. Each applicant has a medical examination and has the required vaccinations
8. Required documents are compiled
9. Applicant attends a visa interview at the US Embassy / Consulate in their home country.
10. Applicant receives a sealed packet of documents
11. Travel to the US

If you have any questions about the F4 Visa application process either as a sponsor or an applicant or about any of the other U.S. Visas, please contact our immigration lawyers now on +1 844 290 6312.

Applying for an F4 Visa begins with the US Citizen Sponsor completing the petition form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.

The Sponsor must pay a filing fee of $535. This fee is non-refundable.

Form I-130 is to establish the existence of a relationship with the relatives who wish to immigrate to the United States.

A key part of any U.S. Visa application for permanent residency is the medical examination and vaccinations.

With your F4 Visa application, you will need to include documents that show that the medical examination and vaccinations have taken place, signed by a doctor.

In the package of documents sent to applicants by the NVC, you will be informed about all the medical and vaccination requirements.

Each member of the family wishing to reside in the USA must undergo the required medical examination and vaccinations.

Once your application for an F4 Visa is accepted, you will be invited to attend an interview at a US embassy or consulate in your home country. If your spouse or minor children are also applying, they will also need to attend the interview.

The person interviewing you from the Embassy or Consulate will ask you several questions. If he or she is satisfied, the applicant’s, and any travelling family’s passports, will be stamped with the F4 visa. This will allow you to travel freely to the US.

The Embassy will send you a sealed package which you must take with you when you travel to the US. You must give the package to the immigration official upon arrival in the United States.

You will need to gather together several documents to create your portfolio of evidence for your F4 Visa application. The evidence must show that you and your family fulfil the required criteria for being granted an F4 Visa.

Specifically, the documents you will definitely need to provide are as per the below list. You may need to provide additional documents depending upon your individual circumstances.

• Which documents are needed for an F4 Visa?
• Valid passports (they should be valid for more than six months after entry to the USA)
• A signed form I-864 from your sibling (affidavit of support from the U.S. petitioner).
• Form DS-260 confirmation pages.
• Two photographs for each applicant.
• Birth certificate or adoption documents
• Completed medical examination forms and vaccination documents.
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Birth or adoption certificate (if applicable)
• Court, criminal, or any police records, if applicable
• If divorced, a divorce certificate
• If widowed, a death certificate
• If you served in the military, military records

All F4 application documents must be submitted to the NVC who will then consider your application as to whether all criteria have been met.

F4 Visa fees vary depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances and the Embassy through which they apply.

Here is an outline of the main fees which usually apply:

• I-130 petition application fee
• DS-260 application processing fee
• Fees if any documents need to be translated
• Health examination fee
• Interview fee
• Green card fee
• Income tax examination fee
• USCIS Immigrant Fee. This is payable after you receive your visa and before you travel to the United States

Unfortunately, an F4 Visa can take a very long time before you receive a decision. It can also vary depending on the nationality of the applicant/s.

F4 Visas are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, which means there could be many visa applications to be processed before yours.

Some F4 Visa applications are processed within a year whilst others can take 10+ years to receive an interview date.