Friday, July 12, 2013

Now Is the Time for Permanent Residents to Seek Visas for Their Children and Spouses | Ronald Shapiro - JDSupra

SEE - Now Is the Time for Permanent Residents to Seek Visas for Their Children and Spouses | Ronald Shapiro - JDSupra


FILIPINO GREEN CARD HOLDERS IN USA SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF THIS IMMIGRATION ARTICLE.


"x x x.

If you are a permanent resident of the U.S. (a “green card” holder) and want to obtain a visa to bring your foreign spouse or children under the age of 21 to live with you, then NOW is the time to do it.
The F2A visa is a “family second preference” visa specifically allocated to spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents. Until recently, there was a backlog of applications in this category of up to 699 days (nearly two years) to move into priority status. But the government has now indicated that as of August, the F2A category will be “current,” meaning that petitions to sponsor family members who fall into this category can be processed immediately.
Furthermore, the category is flashing “current” for relatives who wish to come from countries with specified allotments, such as China, India, Mexico, or the Phillipines, as well as for relatives who wish to enter the U.S. from any of the countries that have no F2A allocations.
This is a rare opportunity and will not last forever. The F2A category is expected to remain “current” for all countries for at least a few months after August, but that is impossible to predict with certainty, and many experts are predicting that the window of opportunity will begin closing some time later this year.
x x x."