Sibling Green Card Wait Times Reach 17 Years and 5 Months; February Shows No Progress in Family-Based Filing Dates

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has released the February Visa Bulletin, revealing no updates to the family-based green card final action dates and filing dates. This lack of movement has left many applicants waiting for family-based green cards increasingly frustrated. The filing and final action dates for February remain identical to those of January, effectively a “copy-paste” from the previous bulletin.

For spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders in the U.S., concurrent filing of the I-130 petition and I-485 green card application has not been allowed since September 2023. Applicants must first file the I-130 petition and wait for their priority date to become current before submitting the I-485 application. This change has added to the delays and frustrations for families hoping to reunite.

The February priority dates for applicants within the U.S. are as follows: unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens with priority dates before September 1, 2017; spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders with priority dates before July 15, 2024; unmarried adult children of green card holders with priority dates before January 1, 2017; married children of U.S. citizens with priority dates before July 22, 2012; and siblings of U.S. citizens with priority dates before March 1, 2008.

USCIS has also confirmed these dates for accepting I-485 applications in February, clarifying that “for all family-sponsored preference categories, you must use the Dates for Filing chart in the Department of State Visa Bulletin for February 2025.”

For applicants outside the U.S., interviews for immigrant visas at U.S. embassies are scheduled based on final action dates. These include unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens with priority dates before November 22, 2015; spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders with priority dates before January 1, 2022; unmarried adult children of green card holders with priority dates before May 22, 2016; married children of U.S. citizens with priority dates before July 1, 2010; and siblings of U.S. citizens with priority dates before August 1, 2007.

Currently, spouses and unmarried children under 21 of green card holders are facing a wait of more than three years for visa appointments at U.S. embassies. The wait time for siblings of U.S. citizens to receive a green card has now reached 17 years and 5 months, with those who filed I-130 petitions after 2007 still unable to secure immigrant visas.

According to the February Visa Bulletin, unmarried adult children of U.S. citizens face a wait time of 9 years and 3 months, while unmarried adult children of green card holders face a wait time of 8 years and 8 months. Married children of U.S. citizens face a wait time of 14 years and 6 months.

Applicants from India, Mexico, and the Philippines face even longer waiting periods across most family-based categories due to country-specific limits. These delays continue to exacerbate frustrations for families separated by borders and bureaucracy.