F4 Visa – Siblings of U.S. Citizens

To begin the F4 process, the US-citizen sibling must file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with USCIS. The petition must show that a qualifying sibling relationship exists.

An approved Form I-130 does not grant an immigrant visa or lawful permanent resident status. It establishes the relationship for immigration purposes and gives the beneficiary a priority date for visa processing.

The principal beneficiary’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 may be eligible to immigrate with them as derivative beneficiaries. The US citizen does not file a separate Form I-130 for eligible derivative family members.

Each person applying for an immigrant visa must later complete the required visa application forms and provide the requested documents.

This may include civil documents, a medical examination, police certificates, and financial sponsorship evidence, depending on the stage of the case and the applicant’s circumstances.

The F-4 Visa has requirements not only for the applicant but also for the sponsoring U.S. citizen, who must meet the following conditions.

The F4 petitioner must:

• Be a US citizen
• Be at least 21 years old
• File Form I-130 for their brother or sister
• Provide evidence of US citizenship
• Provide evidence of the qualifying sibling relationship
• Meet the Affidavit of Support requirements at the relevant stage of the case

The F4 process has two main stages:

• The Form I-130 petition stage
• The immigrant-visa processing stage

The US-citizen sibling begins the process by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with USCIS. If USCIS approves the petition, the beneficiary receives a priority date that determines their place in the F-4 visa queue.

F4 is subject to annual numerical limits. The time before an immigrant visa becomes available depends on the priority date, the beneficiary’s country of chargeability, and the Visa Bulletin published by the US Department of State.

The steps below outline the F4 immigrant visa process.

1. The US-citizen sibling files Form I-130 with USCIS
2. USCIS reviews the petition and decides whether to approve it
3. If USCIS approves Form I-130, the petition is sent to the National Visa Center
4. The applicant waits until an immigrant visa number is available under the relevant F4 Visa Bulletin category
5. When the National Visa Center begins processing the case, it provides a case number and instructions for paying the required fees, submitting Form DS-260, and uploading supporting documents
6. The petitioner submits Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, with the required financial evidence
7. Each person seeking an immigrant visa, including eligible derivative beneficiaries, completes Form DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa Application
8. Each applicant submits the required civil documents and other evidence requested by the National Visa Center
9. Each applicant completes a medical examination with an authorized panel physician and meets the applicable vaccination requirements before the visa interview
10. The applicant attends an immigrant visa interview at the US embassy or consulate assigned to the case
11. If a consular officer issues the immigrant visa, the applicant receives a passport containing the visa and may also receive a sealed immigrant packet, depending on the post’s processing arrangements. Any sealed packet must remain unopened
12. The applicant pays the USCIS Immigrant Fee after the immigrant visa is issued and before traveling to the US. This fee covers the cost of producing the Permanent Resident Card
13. The applicant travels to the US before the immigrant visa expires and seeks admission at a US port of entry. A Customs and Border Protection officer makes the final admission decision

If you have any questions about the F-4 Visa application process, either as a sponsor or an applicant, or about any other U.S. Visas, please contact our immigration lawyers now at +1 844 312 4979.

The F4 process begins when the US-citizen petitioner files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with USCIS on behalf of their brother or sister.

Form I-130 asks USCIS to recognize that a qualifying sibling relationship exists between the petitioner and beneficiary. An approved petition does not grant an immigrant visa or lawful permanent resident status. It allows the beneficiary to wait for an immigrant visa number to become available in the F4 category.

The Form I-130 filing fee is $625 when filed online and $535.00 when filed on paper. USCIS filing fees are final and non-refundable, including where USCIS denies the petition or the petitioner withdraws it.

The petitioner must submit evidence of US citizenship and documents establishing the qualifying sibling relationship.

The evidence required depends on the circumstances, including whether the siblings share one or both parents or are related through adoption, a step-parent, or another recognized relationship.

Every person applying for an F4 immigrant visa must complete a medical examination before the visa interview. This includes the principal beneficiary and each eligible derivative beneficiary applying for an immigrant visa.

The medical examination must be completed by a panel physician authorized by the US Department of State. An examination from a doctor who is not an authorized panel physician will not meet the immigrant visa requirement.

Applicants must also meet the applicable vaccination requirements for US immigration purposes, unless a vaccination is medically inappropriate or the applicant qualifies for a waiver.

Applicants should bring available vaccination records to the medical examination for the panel physician to review.

The National Visa Center and the relevant US embassy or consulate provide instructions about the required medical examination, approved panel physicians, and how medical results will be handled.

Depending on the post, the panel physician may either send the results electronically or provide documents for the applicant to bring to the interview.

After the National Visa Center has completed its processing and an immigrant visa number is available, it may schedule the applicant for an immigrant visa interview. The interview takes place at the US embassy or consulate assigned to the case.

The principal beneficiary must attend the interview. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 who are applying as eligible derivative beneficiaries must also attend their own interviews.

A consular officer reviews the application, supporting evidence, medical examination results, and answers provided during the interview. The officer then decides whether the applicant is eligible for an immigrant visa.

If the consular officer issues an immigrant visa, it is placed in the applicant’s passport. The applicant must travel to the US before the visa expires and seek admission at a US port of entry.

An immigrant visa does not guarantee admission. A US Customs and Border Protection officer decides whether to admit the traveler upon arrival at the port of entry.

Some applicants receive a sealed immigrant packet to carry to the US. If a sealed packet is issued, it must not be opened and must be presented to a Customs and Border Protection officer at the first US port of entry.

Other cases are processed electronically. In those cases, the immigrant visa records are available electronically to Customs and Border Protection, and the applicant does not need to carry a sealed packet.

F4 immigrant visa applicants must submit supporting documents during National Visa Center processing and bring the required original documents or certified copies to the immigrant visa interview.

Each applicant must follow the instructions in the documents issued by the National Visa Center and the US embassy or consulate assigned to the case.

The documents required depend on the applicant’s age, marital history, country of residence, nationality, and personal circumstances.

Documents issued in a language other than English may need to be accompanied by a certified translation, depending on the embassy or consulate’s instructions.

Which Documents Are Needed for an F4 Visa?

F4 applicants may need to provide:

• A valid passport for each applicant, valid for at least six months beyond the intended date of entry to the US, unless a country-specific agreement provides an exception
• The Form DS-260 confirmation page for each person applying for an immigrant visa
• Two identical color photographs for each applicant that meet the US immigrant visa photo requirements
• A copy of the biographic data page of each applicant’s current passport
• Birth certificates for the principal beneficiary and each derivative beneficiary, where available
• Adoption, custody, or other family-status documents where relevant
• Marriage certificates for applicants who are married
• Divorce, annulment, or death certificates showing the legal termination of each prior marriage, where relevant
• Police certificates where required under the Department of State’s country-specific rules
• Certified court and prison records for an applicant who has been convicted of a crime
• Military records for an applicant who has served in the military
• Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, from the US-citizen petitioner, with the required financial evidence
• A Form I-864 and financial evidence from a joint sponsor, where a joint sponsor is required
• Medical-examination records, handled in line with the panel physician’s and the embassy or consulate’s instructions

The Department of State requires each immigrant visa applicant to submit a copy of the biographic data page of a valid passport. Applicants aged 16 or over may need police certificates from countries where they have lived, in accordance with the Department of State’s criteria and country-specific guidance.

Applicants must bring their interview appointment letter, passport, photographs, and original or certified copies of civil documents uploaded during National Visa Center processing to the visa interview.

How Documents Are Submitted

Applicants complete Form DS-260 and submit the requested civil and financial documents through the Consular Electronic Application Center during National Visa Center processing.

The National Visa Center reviews whether the required materials have been provided before it can arrange an interview when an immigrant visa number is available

The National Visa Center does not decide whether the applicant qualifies for an immigrant visa. A consular officer reviews the case at the interview and decides whether the applicant is eligible for visa issuance.

Medical examination results are handled separately. The applicant must attend an examination with an authorized panel physician, who will explain whether the results are sent electronically or must be taken to the interview in a sealed envelope.

F4 visa costs include government filing and processing fees, as well as possible third-party expenses.

Government fee amounts are set by USCIS and the US Department of State, while medical examinations, translations, police certificates, and civil-document costs can vary by country and provider.

The table below sets out the key F4 visa costs.

The USCIS Immigrant Fee is payable after the applicant receives an immigrant visa and before they travel to the US. It covers USCIS processing and the production of the Permanent Resident Card, also called a Green Card.

F4 visa processing timeframes can be long because the category is subject to annual numerical limits. The total timeframe includes USCIS processing of Form I-130, the wait for an F4 immigrant visa number, and the National Visa Center and embassy or consulate stages

After USCIS approves Form I-130, the beneficiary receives a priority date. The priority date is the place in the F4 visa queue and is normally the date USCIS received the petition.

An applicant can move forward only when an immigrant visa number is available. The Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin each month, showing visa availability by family-preference category and country of chargeability.

F4 waiting periods can differ substantially depending on the beneficiary’s country of chargeability. The F4 category is subject to an annual allocation of 65,000 visa numbers, plus any numbers not required by the first three family-preference categories. Country-based limits can also affect when a priority date becomes current.

Once the priority date is current or close to current, the National Visa Center can request fees, Form DS-260, and supporting documents. After the case is documentarily complete, the National Visa Center works with the relevant US embassy or consulate to arrange an interview

The National Visa Center schedules available interview appointments in first-in, first-out order for documentarily complete cases.

For F4 applicants, the priority date must also be current before an interview can be scheduled. The National Visa Center cannot predict when a visa number or interview appointment will become available.

How to Check Progress

Applicants can check the following sources during the F4 process:

• The USCIS case-status tool for Form I-130 updates
• The USCIS processing times tool for estimated petition adjudication timeframes
• The monthly Department of State Visa Bulletin to check F4 priority-date movement
• The National Visa Center correspondence and case-status information after USCIS transfers the approved petition

The Department of State advises applicants to check the Visa Bulletin because the NVC holds preference-category cases until an interview can be scheduled.