Bringing a brother or sister from Guatemala to the United States is a family petition with its own rules. Only some petitioners qualify, the sibling’s spouse and children can come along, and USCIS needs to see two birth certificates that share a parent. This page covers who can file, who comes along, and what proves the relationship. For the steps it shares with other family petitions, such as RENAP certificates, mailing addresses and the Guatemala City interview, it links to the existing guides. It is not legal advice. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative of a recognized organization. Our notario fraud guide explains how to verify one.
Quick summary:
- Who can file. Only a US citizen aged 21 or older. Green card holders cannot petition siblings.
- The category. Siblings are F4, so they wait for a visa number in the Visa Bulletin. See our Visa Bulletin guide for the current dates.
- Who comes along. The sibling’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 come on the same petition, with no separate I-130 for them.
- The proof. Your birth certificate and your sibling’s, showing at least one common parent. Add marriage records for half-siblings through the father and for step-siblings, and the adoption decree for adopted siblings.
- Cost. One I-130 per sibling: $675 on paper or $625 online (G-1055, edition 10/16/26).
- While you wait. USCIS says a pending I-130 gives the sibling no way to enter the US.
Who can file and who comes along
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can petition a sibling? | A US citizen who is at least 21 | USCIS sibling page; I-130 instructions; 8 U.S.C. 1153(a)(4) |
| Can a permanent resident petition a sibling? | No | USCIS sibling page |
| Which category? | F4, fourth preference: brothers and sisters of US citizens | USCIS family preference page |
| One petition for several siblings? | No. A US citizen must file a separate I-130 for each eligible relative | I-130 instructions |
| Does the sibling’s spouse need a separate I-130? | No | USCIS sibling page |
| Do the sibling’s unmarried children under 21 need one? | No | USCIS sibling page |
| On what terms do they come? | Same status and same place in line, if accompanying or following to join | 8 U.S.C. 1153(d) |
Children who age out while waiting. For a derivative child, the statute calculates age in a specific way (8 U.S.C. 1153(h)). It takes the child’s age on the date a visa number became available for the parent, minus the number of days the petition was pending, if the child seeks permanent residence within one year. If the result is 21 or more, the petition converts to the appropriate category and keeps the original priority date. Ask your representative how this applies to a particular nephew or niece.
Proving you are siblings
USCIS’s core rule is a copy of your birth certificate and a copy of your sibling’s birth certificate, showing that you have at least one common parent. What else you send depends on how you are related:
| You and your sibling | What to add to the two birth certificates |
|---|---|
| Same mother and father | Nothing else listed by USCIS, unless the last row of this table applies |
| Same mother, different fathers | Nothing else listed by USCIS: the two birth certificates show the common mother |
| Same father, different mothers (paternal half-siblings) | The marriage certificates showing your father was married to each mother, plus documents showing that any prior marriages of your father or either mother were legally ended |
| Related through a stepparent | Documents showing that prior marriages of the natural parent and the stepparent ended, plus the marriage certificate of the stepparent to the natural parent. USCIS says age restrictions for the definition of stepchild apply |
| Related through adoption | The adoption decree showing the adoption took place before the adopted sibling turned 16 |
| Same father, and either of you was not legitimated before 18 | The I-130 instructions refer you to their additional evidence items on legitimation and on a bona fide parent-child relationship |
If your name or your sibling’s name has changed, include proof, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption decree or court judgment.
USCIS also asks you to prove you are a US citizen. Send a copy of one of these:
- valid US passport
- US birth certificate
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- naturalization certificate
- certificate of citizenship
The Guatemalan birth certificates. If you and your sibling were both born in Guatemala, both birth certificates are RENAP certifications. Your parents’ marriage records are RENAP certifications too. The State Department’s rules for Guatemalan civil documents are set out in our parent-petition guide. That guide also covers translating the certificates for USCIS. To order the certificates, see RENAP birth certificates. For the translation, there is a RENAP translation template for USCIS.
The wait, and what can end the petition
- The queue. F4 cases wait for a visa number. Our Visa Bulletin guide for Guatemalan family petitions explains how to compare your priority date with the cut-off and tracks the current F4 dates.
- No visit visa route through the petition. USCIS says there is no avenue for a sibling to enter the United States before immigrating on the basis of a pending I-130. It adds that the beneficiary of a pending or approved immigrant visa petition is, in most instances, not eligible for a nonimmigrant visa, although exceptions may apply.
- If the petitioner dies. Under 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(i)(C), the approval is automatically revoked on the petitioner’s death if it occurs before the beneficiary’s journey to the United States begins or, for a beneficiary applying for adjustment of status, before the adjustment decision becomes final. The exception: USCIS may decide, as a matter of discretion for humanitarian reasons, that revocation is inappropriate. It may do so only if the beneficiary asks for reinstatement and a relative of the kind listed in INA 213A(f)(5)(B) is willing and able to file an affidavit of support as a substitute sponsor.
- If the beneficiary dies. The approval is also revoked on the beneficiary’s death within the same time window (8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(i)(B)).
- Other relief may exist. These are the regulation’s rules only; ask your accredited representative about any other relief that may apply after a death.
Filing, fee and the Guatemala City stage
- Fee. The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26) lists the I-130 at $675 for paper filing and $625 online.
- Mailing addresses. For paper filing addresses, see the parent-petition guide and the USCIS I-130 addresses page.
- The interview. When a visa number is available, the case moves to the immigrant visa stage. See our immigrant visa interview guide for Guatemala City. The petitioner’s financial sponsorship is covered in the Affidavit of Support (I-864) guide.
Petitioning a son or daughter instead? The category rules are different. See petitioning your child in Guatemala. Before you plan travel, check our page on the 2026 US immigrant visa pause and Guatemalans for the current status of that policy.
Sources
- USCIS, Bringing Siblings to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents (last reviewed 04/01/2011)
- USCIS, Form I-130 instructions (edition 04/01/24); Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants (last reviewed 07/08/2025); Form G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/16/26)
- 8 U.S.C. 1153(a)(4), (d) and (h), United States Code, 2024 edition (GPO, govinfo.gov)
- 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3), eCFR (version of October 19, 2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a green card holder petition a brother or sister?
No. USCIS says you must be a US citizen and at least 21 years of age to petition a sibling, and that permanent residents may not petition to bring siblings to live permanently in the United States. A green card holder would first need to naturalize.
Can my brother's wife and children come on the same petition?
Yes. USCIS says you do not need to file a separate Form I-130 for your sibling’s spouse or unmarried children under 21. Under 8 U.S.C. 1153(d), they receive the same status and the same place in line if they accompany or follow to join your sibling.
What happens if my nephew turns 21 while the F4 case waits?
For a child who comes as a derivative, 8 U.S.C. 1153(h) takes the child’s age on the date a visa number became available for the parent, minus the days the petition was pending, if the child seeks residence within one year. If that adjusted age is 21 or more, the statute converts the petition to the appropriate category and keeps the original priority date. How this applies to a specific nephew or niece is a question for your representative.
My brother and I have the same father but different mothers. What do I send?
Both birth certificates, plus the marriage certificates showing your father was married to each mother, and documents showing that any earlier marriages of your father or either mother were legally ended. If either of you was not legitimated before age 18, the I-130 instructions point to additional evidence items.
What happens to the petition if I die before my sibling immigrates?
Under 8 CFR 205.1, the approval of a family petition is automatically revoked on the death of the petitioner if the death occurs before the beneficiary’s journey to the United States begins or, for a beneficiary applying for adjustment of status, before the decision on that application becomes final. The exception: USCIS may decide, as a matter of discretion for humanitarian reasons, not to revoke it. It may do so only if the beneficiary asks for reinstatement and a qualifying relative is willing and able to file an affidavit of support as a substitute sponsor.
How long does a sibling petition take?
Siblings are the fourth family preference (F4), so they wait for a visa number in the Visa Bulletin. USCIS also says there is no way for your sibling to enter the United States on the basis of a pending Form I-130. Current F4 cut-off dates are in our Visa Bulletin guide for Guatemalan family petitions.
