The F4 visa is a Family Preference visas issued to brothers and sisters of US citizens and if applicable, their spouses and minor unmarried children. It has a cap of 65,000 visas issued each year.
What Are the Requirements of the F4 Visa?
However, the only requirement for the F4 visa is that you have a sibling in the US who is a US citizen. You can be married and have children and they would qualify for the F4 visa too, but it is not a requirement.
To apply for an F4 visa these requirements must be met:
- Have a sibling living in the US who is also a US citizen.
- Be at least 21 years old.
Supporting Documents for the F4 Visa
The file of supporting documents for an F4 visa application must contain the following documents:
- Your valid passports for more than 6 months after your planned entry into the US (your passport, your spouse’s, and minor children’s if applicable)
- A signed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Green Card requirement from the US petitioner (applicant’s sibling)
- Form DS-260 confirmation page
- Medical examination and vaccination documents
- Two photographs per individual according to the Photo Requirements for an American Visa
- Your valid marriage certificate to prove your marriage
- Birth certificates or adoption documents of your children
- Court and criminal records and/or police certificate
- If you have been previously married, you must bring divorce or certificates of death to prove the marriage was officially terminated
- If you served in the military, you must bring your military records
How to Apply for the F4 Visa?
The F4 visa application process must start with the US citizen petitioning for his siblings to join in the US. The petition must be approved so that the siblings and their families can start to apply for the F4 visa. The siblings cannot start their application and will not be eligible if they apply for a F4 visa without an approved petition. This means that application is divided in two parts:
- The US Citizen petitions for their adult sibling along with their immediate family to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
- The sibling and their family must apply to a US Embassy or Consulate in their home country.
Filing the Petition
The petition is filed by sending a complete Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative to USCIS. The petition is then processed by USCIS and they respond within a few months, depending on the workload.
If the petition is approved, then the documents will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). If the petition is denied, the reasons for denial will be given so that the US citizen can then adjust the petition and file it again.
The NVC sends a package of documents and instructions to the applicants in the foreign country. The documents contain your case number and invoice ID number which will be used to apply for the actual visa at the US Embassy as well as pay all the necessary fees.
Applying for the F4visa
The application for a F4 visa is done at the US Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence, and you should go through these steps:
Step 1: File Form DS-260
Form DS-260, Immigrant Visa Electronic Application is the form which all applicants for immigrant visas must submit. This is an online form in which you must state your background information and reasons for immigration. To access it, you must enter your NVC case number so that it can link to your approved petition. When you submit the DS-260 form, you will get a confirmation page and number which you must save to send to the NVC with your other supporting documents.
Step 2: Complete medical examination and vaccination
The NVC will inform you on what medical check-ups and vaccines you and your family need to go through to complete the requirements for the F4 visa. You must visit licensed doctors and get the vaccines as well as fill out the documents signed by the doctor. These documents will be attached as supporting ones when you send them to the NVC.
Step 3: Compile documents file
Your documents file must contain all the necessary documentation which supports your case. You must convince the NVC and US Embassy or Consulate that you and your family fulfill all the requirements and are eligible to get the F4 visa.
Step 4: Attend interview
The NVC makes sure that you have sent all the necessary documents, they will schedule an interview with an official at the US Embassy or Consulate in the home country of the applicant. If your spouse and minor children are also applying with you, they also must accompany you to the interview. The interviewer will ask questions about your background and determine whether you should get the F4 visa.
Step 5: Receive NVC packet and travel to the US
The Embassy will also give you a package which you must bring with you when you first enter the US. You are not allowed to open the package under any circumstances. An immigration official at the US port of entry will open it and determine whether you are allowed to enter the country or not.
How Much Does the F4 Visa Cost?
There are various fees that the petitioner and the applicant must pay throughout the application process for the F4 visa. The amounts vary and are set by USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security and the individual US Embassy or Consulate where you are applying. The main categories of fees that must be paid are as follows:
| Fee Type | Description | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130 Filing Fee | Fee for petitioning an alien relative, paid by the U.S. petitioner. | $535 |
| Form DS-260 Processing Fee | Fee for the immigrant visa application and alien registration. | $325 |
| Medical Examination and Vaccination Fees | Required medical exam and vaccinations, fees vary by country and provider. | $200 – $500 |
| Translation Fees | Cost to translate supporting documents not in English; varies by volume. | $100 – $300 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee | Fee for Green Card issuance after the visa is granted, paid before travel. | $220 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $1,380 – $1,880+ | |
How Long is the F4 Visa Processing Time?
Since the F4 visa has a cap on the number of visas issued each yet, the processing time can be very long. An F4 visa estimated time can range from 1 year to extremes of 10 years, which means that it will take long for you to be able to join your sibling in the US.
Other Types of US Family Based Immigrant Visas
- F-1 visa is given to unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens and their minor children
- F-2 visa is given to the spouse and minor children (F-2A visa), or adult children (F-2B visa) of US Lawful Permanent Residents
- F-3 visa is given to married children of US citizens who will go to the US with their spouses and minor children