Other Immigration Law Don't want kids to become ward of the state

[gulfwarvet1991]

I have a problem that maybe someone could help me with. My wife and I have been married for twelve years. She is a Filipino immigrate. We have two daughters. This is the problem, now that I'm older this is really bothering me. I have no family of my own that is living. Her family is in the Philippines. I do not want something to happen to me or my wife and my children become ward of the state. How can we get her sister over here the quickest? We are told that is she petition her sister, it can the take as long as 12 years. Is this true? Thanks for time and answers.

 

[NYClex]

It is very important to think about this, who will take care of the children when something happens to the parents. It should also be laid down in a will.

Now the immigration aspect:

Your wife first needs to be a U.S. citizen. As a legal permanent resident (Green Card Holder) she cannot sponsor an immigrant visa for her sister.

As an American citizen she can. But there is only a small number of such visa available every year and there is a huge backlog of applications. It can indeed take forever until such a visa will be issued. The bad news is: For beneficiaries from the Philippines the cut off date right now is March 1982, no kidding, so it is actually 22 years. In other words: people from the Philippines who applied 22 years ago are right now getting their visa.

Of course your sister in law also has to meet the general qualifications for eligibility.

But if you seriously think about this you should apply as soon as you can. Realistically though she would not get a visa until your kids are adults.