Brining parent after suspension of immigrant visa processing

[Clong 1]

Hello all, 

 

I was planning to apply for my mother to get a green card, and have been planning this for a long time.  But I found out last week that the US government has suspended processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries.

 

I am wondering whether it is worth it to still submit an application, and get her in line for processing?  Maybe they will keep them in the order that they received the applications, and when/if processing is resumed, we will be better off for having submitted it?

 

Or should I just forget about it until they resume processing?

 

Are there any exceptions or ways around this suspension of processing?

 

I could have her apply for a B1/B2 visa, but she has a job that she can't afford to give up by leaving the country.

 

Thank you for any of your responses!

Edited Friday at 04:38 PM by Clong

[Boiler 48,589]

I would file now, might as well get in line.

[appleblossom 5,707]

2 hours ago, Clong said:

I could have her apply for a B1/B2 visa, but she has a job that she can't afford to give up by leaving the country

 

A B visa is only for visiting, so she wouldn't have to give her job up for that as she'd be returning to Cambodia. Off topic, but if she has a job that she can't afford to give up, can she afford to move to the US and pay for healthcare? It's something to carefully consider if money is tight for her. 

 

But another vote to for just applying now, the I-130 alone will take at least a year or so, by the time she's at the visa stage the ban may have been lifted.

 

Good luck. 

[Clong 1]

On 1/23/2026 at 2:30 PM, appleblossom said:

 

A B visa is only for visiting, so she wouldn't have to give her job up for that as she'd be returning to Cambodia. Off topic, but if she has a job that she can't afford to give up, can she afford to move to the US and pay for healthcare? It's something to carefully consider if money is tight for her. 

 

But another vote to for just applying now, the I-130 alone will take at least a year or so, by the time she's at the visa stage the ban may have been lifted.

 

Good luck. 

Hi, the B1/B2 visa is actually pretty long stay.  She could stay a while and see what it's like to live here.  So it could involve leaving her job if it was a fairly long visit.

 

We'll have to pay for her healthcare while she is here.  

 

So are you saying that the I-130 processing will still continue despite the suspension of processing?  I guess I don't totally understand the process.  Need to read up on it.  It sounds like I-130 is still going on, it's just the next phase of the process that has been suspended?

[Boiler 48,589]

She does not have a B

 

Begs the question how likely someone who will leave their job for a long visit is likely to get one.

[appleblossom 5,707]

1 hour ago, Clong said:

Hi, the B1/B2 visa is actually pretty long stay.  She could stay a while and see what it's like to live here.  So it could involve leaving her job if it was a fairly long visit.

 

We'll have to pay for her healthcare while she is here.  

 

So are you saying that the I-130 processing will still continue despite the suspension of processing?  I guess I don't totally understand the process.  Need to read up on it.  It sounds like I-130 is still going on, it's just the next phase of the process that has been suspended?

She’d be better off just visiting for a couple of weeks and keeping her job. She’s not likely to get a B visa anyway but saying she’ll stay for months and has no job to return to would make it even less likely. 
 

The I-130 is just a petition, the actual visa application comes after that. And it’s the visa she can’t get.