Assess each file's readiness and actual funding dependencies. A separate principal application does not automatically have to await the parents' case, but shared documents or funds can affect both. Schedule a review before significant payments and when further information is requested.
Build the family calendar around decisions, not hopes
Parents want to file this year while their 22-year-old completes a degree. Record the preferred dates, eligibility issues still to resolve, and each person's financial commitments. An applicant abroad need not already hold U.S. status to apply; any U.S. presence, work, or travel nevertheless needs its own lawful basis. The US$15,000 fee is non-refundable and no residence date is guaranteed.
Processing expectations are stated in the official program material, and there is no reliable independent basis for predicting timelines. A family might be able to travel only during a school break, but that preference does not set the consular timetable. Check the actual case and applicable travel instructions before relying on a permanent relocation date. Keep relocation, employment, and school decisions conditional until the needed documents are actually issued. The mistake is booking travel or sending gifts around an unsupported age-protection promise.