QUESTION
How can I upgrade from f2b to f1 preference?
Asked on Jan 22nd, 2012 on Immigration - California
More details to this question:
I did a petition for my daughter who is in Dominican Republic. She's unmarried and older than 21. I'm now a citizen and I'm requesting an upgrade of category. How long the process will take? I've seen on the visa bulletin that they are currently working for the year 2005. What does that really means?
7 ANSWERS
You can notify the USCIS and/or the NVC, depending on where the case currently is of your new US citizen status and request an upgrade to the new preference category. What you are seeing on the visa bulletin is the date they are currently processing, which means that if you submitted your I-130 on your daughter's behalf if 2005, they would be working on it now (depending on the month.) If you submitting your petition on her behalf in 2007, it means that it will be approximately another 2 years before they get to your case.
Answered on Feb 20th, 2012 at 6:42 PM
Leon Wildes
You can notify the government that you are now a citizen to upgrade to first preference.
Answered on Feb 20th, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Immigration Law Attorney serving Los Angeles, CA
at
Law Offices of Alan R. Diamante APLC
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When your priority date (from the approval notice) makes it to the preference category f1 on the visa bulletin, your daughter can finish the process.
Answered on Feb 20th, 2012 at 10:05 AM
LCA Audits and Investigations Attorney serving Houston, TX
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Fong Ilagan
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The visa bulletin shows the current priority date processing. Compare her priority date to her respective FB preference classification and if the date is current, then she can file for her immigrant visa.
Answered on Feb 17th, 2012 at 9:55 PM
Litigation Attorney serving Pearl River, NY
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Law Office of Bijal Jani
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Once you become a US citizen, you can advise USCIS to upgrade your petition, and send along a copy of your naturalization certificate as evidence of the citizenship.
Answered on Feb 17th, 2012 at 9:24 PM
Intellectual Property Attorney serving Menlo Park, CA
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Sheppard Mullin
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Is your I-130 is still with the USCIS, write to CIS with proof of your USC. If your case is with NVC, write to NVC with proof of USC.
Answered on Feb 17th, 2012 at 9:17 PM
Immigration and Naturalization Attorney serving San Diego, CA
Partner at
Feldman Feldman & Associates, PC
3 Awards
The procedure to upgrade depends on whether your I-130 has been approved or is still pending. If approved you send a copy of your naturalization certificate to the National Visa Center - they should have assigned you a case number; if still pending, the naturalization certificate should be sent to the address on your I-130 receipt with a copy of the receipt and a note requesting the case be upgraded to FB-1. You want to be sure that FB-1 is more favorable for your country before doing this - for the Dominican Republic it is. When did you file the Petition for your daughter. The date on the Visa Bulletin indicates the Priority Date for your case. The Priority Date is the date your I-130 was actually received by USCIS. This should be on your I-130 receipt. If you move it is most important that you notify the agency that has your case of the new address. If your case has been pending for too long and you haven't heard anything, you or someone on your behalf needs to inquire about what is going on so it won't be denied for failure to respond to a request for more evidence.
Answered on Feb 17th, 2012 at 8:03 PM