F4 Visa: How to Sponsor a Sibling for a Green Card

If you are a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old, you can sponsor a sibling for a green card by filing Form I-130 under the F4 family fourth preference category. The wait is the defining feature of this path. Based on the April 2026 Visa Bulletin, USCIS is currently processing F4 petitions filed around June 2008 for most countries, and as far back as April 2001 for applicants born in Mexico.¹ That translates to roughly 18 to 25 years depending on your sibling’s country of birth. Filing early locks in a place in line, and for adult siblings this is the only immigration path available.

Who Can File and Which Siblings Qualify

Only U.S. citizens can sponsor a sibling, and the citizen must be at least 21 at the time of filing.² Green card holders cannot. If you are a permanent resident planning to naturalize, you file the petition once you become a citizen. There is no workaround or waiver.

The F4 category covers more than full biological siblings. Each type has its own proof requirements:

Full siblings share both biological parents, established by birth certificates showing the same mother and father.
Half-siblings share one biological parent, established by birth certificates showing at least one common parent.³
Step-siblings qualify only if both of you were under 18 when the marriage that created the relationship took place.⁴
Adopted siblings qualify only if the adoption was finalized before the adopted child turned 16.³

The step-sibling age rule trips up many families. If your parent married your step-parent when either of you was already 18 or older, USCIS will not recognize you as siblings for immigration purposes no matter how close the relationship.

Filing Form I-130

Form I-130 asks for biographical details for both you (the petitioner) and your sibling (the beneficiary), including full legal names, dates of birth, addresses, and marital history.⁵ You can file online through the USCIS portal or by mailing a paper form to a designated Lockbox. Online filing is faster, confirms receipt immediately, and lets you track the case in real time.

The filing fee is $625 online or $675 on paper.⁶ USCIS adjusts fees periodically, so check the fee calculator before you file.

Documents You Submit With the Petition

You need proof of your U.S. citizenship. Any one of the following works: a U.S. birth certificate issued by a civil authority, a valid U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship.⁵ If using a naturalization or citizenship certificate, make sure the document number and issuance date are clearly legible on the copy.

You also need proof of the sibling relationship. The core evidence is birth certificates for both of you showing the shared parent or parents. For step-siblings, add the marriage certificate of the parent and step-parent, plus records ending any prior marriages (divorce decrees or death certificates). For adopted siblings, include a certified copy of the final adoption decree.³

If birth certificates are unavailable because the country of birth does not maintain reliable vital records, USCIS accepts secondary evidence such as religious records, school records, or census documents. If even those are unavailable, submit two or more sworn statements from people with firsthand knowledge of the birth, identifying the parents and circumstances.⁷ Include a written explanation of why primary records are unavailable. USCIS may request DNA testing to verify a biological relationship, which typically costs $230 to $525.

Every document in a language other than English must include a certified English translation, with the translator certifying in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate the language.⁸ Professional translation of legal documents generally runs $20 to $40 per page. Submit photocopies unless USCIS specifically requests originals.

The Priority Date

Once USCIS accepts the petition, you receive Form I-797, Notice of Action, confirming the filing date and assigning a receipt number.⁹ Keep this notice. Your filing date becomes your sibling’s priority date, which determines their place in the visa queue. Because F4 waits stretch into decades, the earlier you file, the sooner your sibling reaches the front.

If USCIS sends a Request for Evidence during review, respond within the stated deadline. Missing that deadline can result in denial.

Understanding the Wait

Federal law caps F4 at 65,000 visas per year, plus any unused visas that fall down from the three higher family preference categories.¹⁰ Demand far exceeds supply, so the backlog spans decades. The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin showing which priority dates are currently being processed.

As of the April 2026 Visa Bulletin, the Final Action Dates for F4 are:¹

Most countries: June 8, 2008 (about 18 years)
China (mainland born): June 8, 2008 (about 18 years)
India: November 1, 2006 (about 19.5 years)
Philippines: February 1, 2007 (about 19 years)
Mexico: April 8, 2001 (about 25 years)

If your sibling was born in Mexico and you filed today, they would likely wait roughly 25 years for a visa to become available. The dates move forward unevenly, sometimes by weeks, occasionally by months, and can retrogress (move backward) if demand spikes.

The Visa Bulletin contains two charts. The Final Action Dates chart shows when a visa can actually be issued. The Dates for Filing chart shows when your sibling can begin assembling documents with the National Visa Center, usually a few months earlier. If your sibling plans to adjust status inside the United States, USCIS decides each month which chart applies to adjustment filings, so check the USCIS website when the priority date gets close.

The Affidavit of Support

Before your sibling can receive a visa, you must file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. It is a legally binding contract in which you promise to financially support your sibling so they do not become dependent on public benefits.¹¹ Courts have enforced these obligations against sponsors who later changed their minds.

Your household income must be at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size, counting you, your dependents, and the relatives you are sponsoring. For 2026, a sponsor in the continental United States with a household of two needs a minimum annual income of $27,050. A household of four needs $41,250.¹² Thresholds are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

If you fall short, you have two options. A household member living with you can file Form I-864A to combine their income with yours. Alternatively, a joint sponsor (any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who meets the 125% threshold independently) can file a separate I-864 on your sibling’s behalf. The joint sponsor need not be related to your sibling, but they must qualify on their own income alone.¹¹

Your financial obligation lasts until your sibling becomes a U.S. citizen, earns credit for roughly 40 qualifying quarters of work (about 10 years), dies, or permanently leaves the country and abandons their green card.

Your Sibling’s Spouse and Children

Your sibling’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 can immigrate alongside them as derivative beneficiaries without needing separate I-130 petitions.¹³ Derivatives share the same priority date and visa category. They can travel together or follow to join later, but the family relationship must still exist at the time they immigrate. Children born to your sibling after the I-130 is approved but before the visa is issued can also be added: your sibling gives the child’s birth certificate and the I-130 approval notice to the consular officer during the visa process.

A derivative can lose eligibility during the wait in three ways:

Aging out. A child who turns 21 may no longer qualify, though the Child Status Protection Act can preserve eligibility (below).
Marriage. If one of your sibling’s children marries, they no longer meet the legal definition of “child” for immigration purposes.
Divorce. If your sibling and their spouse divorce before the spouse immigrates, the spouse loses the qualifying relationship.

The Child Status Protection Act

Given F4 waits of 18 to 25 years, children listed as derivatives will almost always turn 21 before a visa becomes available. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) can freeze a child’s age using this formula:¹⁴

CSPA age = age when visa becomes available minus the time the I-130 was pending

The “age when visa becomes available” is calculated using the child’s age on whichever date is later: the I-130 approval date or the first day of the month when the Visa Bulletin shows a visa is available under the Final Action Dates chart. “Pending time” is the number of days between filing and approval of the I-130. If the resulting CSPA age is under 21, the child still qualifies.

There is a critical action requirement. The child must “seek to acquire” permanent resident status within one year of a visa becoming available. This can be satisfied by filing Form DS-260, paying the NVC processing fee, filing Form I-485, or being listed on an Affidavit of Support filed with the NVC.¹⁵ Missing this one-year window can cost the child CSPA protection entirely, though exceptions exist for extraordinary circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. If a visa retrogresses before the year is up, the child gets a new one-year window when it becomes available again.

If CSPA does not save an aged-out child, they drop out of the F4 petition. You could then file a new I-130 for them as an adult sibling in their own right, but that restarts the multi-decade wait.

Finishing the Process: NVC, Consulate, or Adjustment

After USCIS approves the I-130, the case transfers to the National Visa Center, where it sits until a visa number approaches availability. When your sibling’s priority date is close to becoming current under the Dates for Filing chart, the NVC contacts them with instructions to pay fees and submit documents.

At the NVC stage, fees include $325 per person for immigrant visa application processing and $120 for domestic review of the Affidavit of Support.¹⁶ Each applicant files Form DS-260, the electronic immigrant visa application, on the State Department’s website.¹⁷

Your sibling also collects civil documents, including police clearance certificates from every country where they have lived for more than six months (country of nationality) or more than 12 months (any other country) starting from age 16.¹⁸ Police certificates expire after two years, so timing matters. U.S. residents do not need a U.S. police certificate.

Each applicant also completes a medical examination performed by a U.S. embassy-approved panel physician. Cost varies by country but typically ranges from $180 to $700 or more and is not covered by insurance.¹⁹

When the case is complete and the priority date is current under the Final Action Dates chart, the NVC schedules an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your sibling’s country. The consular officer verifies the family relationship and checks for grounds of inadmissibility, including health, criminal history, and security concerns. Officers also evaluate whether the applicant is likely to become a public charge based on factors like age, health, education, skills, and financial resources, along with the Affidavit of Support.²⁰

If approved, the officer places an immigrant visa in your sibling’s passport. Your sibling then has a limited window, usually six months, to enter the United States. After inspection by Customs and Border Protection, they become a lawful permanent resident. The physical green card is mailed to a U.S. address once your sibling pays the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee online.²¹

Adjustment of Status for Siblings Already in the U.S.

If your sibling is already physically present in the United States and their priority date is current, they may be able to skip consular processing and file Form I-485 to adjust status domestically.²² The I-485 can be filed after the I-130 is approved and a visa number is immediately available. Your sibling must be physically present in the United States when they file.

Adjustment is not available to everyone. Siblings who entered without inspection, overstayed a visa, or worked without authorization may face bars that force them back to consular processing. There are narrow exceptions, and this is where the F4 process gets complicated enough to justify consulting an immigration attorney.

If You Die During the Wait

Over 20-plus years, the death of the petitioning U.S. citizen is a real risk. Federal law provides two potential safety nets.

Under INA Section 204(l), the beneficiary can continue pursuing the visa if they were living in the United States when the petitioner died and continue to reside there at the time of adjudication.²³ This covers the principal beneficiary and derivative family members. The death of the sponsor does not eliminate the need for a valid Affidavit of Support, so the beneficiary typically has to find a substitute sponsor willing to assume the financial obligation.

For beneficiaries living outside the United States, humanitarian reinstatement of the approved petition is a discretionary option through USCIS, but it is not guaranteed. If your health or age makes it possible you may not survive the wait, document the family situation and discuss contingency plans with an immigration attorney.

Costs to Budget For

The process involves fees at multiple stages spread across many years. The major ones:

Form I-130 filing fee: $625 online or $675 paper⁶
NVC immigrant visa processing fee: $325 per applicant¹⁶
Affidavit of Support review fee: $120
Medical examination: $180 to $700+ per person, varies by country
USCIS Immigrant Fee: $235 per person, for green card production²¹
Certified translations: roughly $20 to $40 per page
Police clearance certificates: fees vary by country

For a sibling with a spouse and two children, the per-person fees (NVC processing, medical exams, and the immigrant fee) apply to each family member. Total out-of-pocket cost for a family of four can easily exceed $4,000, not counting attorney fees or travel to the consular interview. USCIS adjusts fees periodically, so confirm current amounts on the USCIS fee calculator before paying anything.

1
U.S. Department of State. Visa Bulletin For April 2026
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Bringing Siblings to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents
4
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 102.8 – Family-Based Relationships
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 4 – Documentation and Evidence
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 4 – Documentation
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797 – Types and Functions
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1153 – Allocation of Immigrant Visas
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Affidavit of Support
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 2 – General Eligibility Requirements
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
15
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 502.1-1(D) – Child Status Protection Act
16
U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
17
U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application – Frequently Asked Questions
18
U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs. Step 7 – Collect Civil Documents
19
U.S. Department of State. Medical Examinations FAQs
20
Federal Register. Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
21
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule
22
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-485, Instructions for Application to Register Permanent Residence
23
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 9 – Death of Petitioner or Principal Beneficiary