Bringing Wife's Family from Ukraine to US

[jeff928 0]

Hi everyone -

My wife was adopted from Ukraine about 10 yrs ago. She has a sister (28 yrs old) and niece (8 yrs old) still living in Ukraine. We have tried on two different occasions to get them a tourist visa to visit us here in America (once was for our wedding). Both times they have been denied within minutes after their arrival at the interview (makes us just feel like we are throwing money away trying).

Is there any hope in trying again? She has a decent job and a house and has been married for 3 yrs now. Is there no chance of them getting a tourist visa due to a "flight risk" (especially given the turmoil in Ukraine/Russia these days)?

Would our best hope be to file the I-130 and wait 10-15 years to allow them to immigrate here? Any other (decent) options?

Thank you so much for your help in advance!

[Boiler 43,396]

Niece will probably age out but if her sister wishes to immigrate to the US then sooner you file the better.

[jeff928 0]

What does it mean to "age out"? I'm assuming it means she'd be over 18 or 21 (or whatever) by the time she'd get approved.... but by then her application wouldn't be valid or something? (sorry, we've been trying to research as much as we can, but realize we have only scratched the surface)

[Boiler 43,396]

She is likely to be over 21. There is a fudge factor depending on how long the I 130 takes to be approved.

By then the niece may have her own life anyway.

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

For the tourist visa: Have they travelled anywhere else? Tourist visa approval chances seems to go up a lot for those that have travelled to Europe or other countries a couple of times, then returned to the Ukraine.

For bringing them over permanently: you may not be able to. If your wife was adopted into a US family, then there is no petitionable relationship with her biological sister anymore.

[PK and PK 13]

I think if your wife was adopted, she is no longer legally part of her old family and can no longer sponsor her older parents and siblings. Also regardless of this, since her sister is not an immediate relative, there are yearly quotas on how many are allowed to immigrate per year so there is a long waiting time. If there is turmoil in Ukraine, that maybe a reason why they are not giving tourist visas. Because people will come to the US on a tourist visa and then request asylum/refugee status. Also young people in general have a hard time getting tourist visas because they are most likely to overstay. I've seen this happen to many people.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

If she was legally adopted her family for immigration purposes is no longer immediate family.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Transborderwife