We asked immigration attorney Kenneth WHITE, President of the American-Canadian legal corporation "White & Associates," to answer the reader's question.
- The right to family reunification applies to those who have US citizenship or permanent resident status (this concerns reunification of parents and children). In your case, if your sister is a US citizen, she has the right to file for family reunification.
With such a filing, there are no quotas for completing formal procedures (submitting an application to the immigration service, an interview at the embassy). Unfortunately, processing documents for siblings takes years. But when your turn comes, your family members will also have the right to reunification and obtaining status. In the meantime, you are entitled to receive a green card.
Also, if your sister files for reunification, you will be required to indicate when applying for any other US visa that your sister has filed for family reunification. It is clear that this will hinder you in obtaining tourist, business, and student visas.
If under Ukrainian law you are considered married, you indicate – married but living separately; if divorced, you indicate – divorced. Any change in marital status must be reported to the embassy.
_