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Each case is different and the answers vary according to the migratory history of each person. Here is a general answer to your questions. Please consult with an immigration attorney for personalized legal advice before beginning any procedure.

I am a 21 year old Venezuelan living in Venezuela. My sister lives in New York and last year became an American citizen. This year I plan to go and live with her because she is going to ask me and things here in Venezuela are very bad. Is it possible that paying an immigration lawyer the residency will go faster? Miguel H.

Miguel, family petitions for siblings of U.S. citizens are processed in the order they are filed. Unfortunately, a family petition for a sibling, even if made by a U.S. citizen and approved, has long wait before a visa is available.

Therefore, hiring an immigration attorney cannot help you get this kind of immigration process processed faster. However, hiring an immigration attorney helps the process go smoothly.

Your citizen sister may file a family petition on your behalf if you meet all the requirements, including showing kinship and evidence of your sister's U.S. citizenship.

This is how the process works:

Your sister must file the application on your behalf with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

2. If the USCIS approves the application, the case is assigned family category F4, siblings of U.S. citizens.

3. USCIS sends the application to the National Visa Center for further processing and waiting for an immigrant visa.

To find out how long you have to wait for a visa to become available, you need to check the Visa Bulletin that the U.S. Department of State publishes and updates every month.

According to the March 2016 Visa Bulletin, the Department of State is granting immigrant visas to cases in the F4 family category that were filed before July 1, 2003.

This means that in your case, there is a wait of approximately 13 years for an immigrant visa to be available to you.

Your sister's family petition does not allow you to live legally in the United States while waiting for an immigrant visa.

I understand that the situation in Venezuela is driving you to leave your country, but if you do come and living illegally in the United States, your case will become complicated and you may not be able to obtain permanent residency through your sister's family petition.

Consult with an immigration attorney before beginning any immigration process.