How to petition for a sibling (F-4 green card)
A U.S. citizen can petition for a brother or sister — and before anything else on this page, the honest fact that shapes every F4 case: the wait in this category is commonly measured in decades. Here is how the petition works, what the line actually looks like, and how families decide whether to join it. Every claim is cited. General process description, not advice about any individual case.
Who can petition
Only a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old can file Form I-130 for a sibling — permanent residents cannot petition brothers or sisters at all. The relationship is proven through the parents: birth certificates or their equivalents showing at least one common parent, with certified English translations for documents from another country. Under the current G-1055 schedule the I-130 costs $675 on paper or $625 online. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055.
The wait: decades, stated plainly
F4 is the most heavily backlogged category in family immigration. Recent Visa Bulletins have shown F4 cut-off dates two or more decades in the past for the most oversubscribed countries — meaning the people receiving visas now filed their petitions that long ago. The live bulletin at travel.state.gov is the current answer for any particular country; no number printed on this page would stay true. Any honest description of an F4 case starts here, and any service that implies a sibling case moves quickly is telling you something about itself.
Free. About 4 minutes. See your forms and your total cost before you pay anything.
What filing actually does
Filing the I-130 locks the case's priority date — its place in the line. The second stage, consular processing or (where applicable) adjustment of status, opens only when that date comes current under the bulletin. So a sibling petition is a long-horizon act: it secures a position today for a stage that arrives far in the future. Filed early, the date is earlier; that is the whole mechanical argument for filing sooner rather than later, and it is also why the paperwork's accuracy matters — a petition that fails years in costs the family its place.
Deciding with open eyes
Some families file F4 petitions as exactly what they are — a decades-long investment in an eventual reunion — and some conclude the line is too long to be worth joining. That decision belongs to the family, made with the real numbers from the live bulletin in front of them. Long-horizon contingencies — what happens to a petition across decades of life changes — are individualized legal questions for a licensed immigration attorney, as are cases involving criminal history, prior removal proceedings, prior denials, or complex admissibility issues, which this site's assessment flags and refers out.
Know exactly what your case needs. Before you file anything.
Free 4-minute assessment. No card required.
Can a green-card holder petition for a brother or sister?
No — sibling petitions are available only to U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old.
How long is the F4 wait?
Commonly decades. Recent Visa Bulletins have shown F4 cut-off dates two or more decades in the past for the most oversubscribed countries; the live bulletin at travel.state.gov is the current answer for your sibling's country.
Is it worth filing if the wait is that long?
That's the family's decision, made with the real bulletin in front of them. Filing locks today's date for a stage that arrives far in the future — some families want that position secured; some conclude the line is too long.
How is a sibling relationship proven?
Through the parents: birth certificates or equivalents showing at least one common parent, with certified English translations for foreign documents.
What does the sibling petition cost?
The I-130 is $675 on paper or $625 online under the current schedule. Verify current amounts at uscis.gov/g-1055.