diff --git a/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/fs-extra-promise-es6-tests.ts b/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/fs-extra-promise-es6-tests.ts
index bdff193912..9e076ff8eb 100644
--- a/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/fs-extra-promise-es6-tests.ts
+++ b/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/fs-extra-promise-es6-tests.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ let buffer: Buffer;
 declare const modeNum: number;
 declare const modeStr: string;
 declare const encoding: string;
-declare const type: string;
+declare const symlinkType: "file" | "dir" | "junction";
 declare const flags: string;
 declare const srcpath: string;
 declare const dstpath: string;
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ stats = fs.lstatSync(path);
 stats = fs.fstatSync(fd);
 fs.link(srcpath, dstpath, errorCallback);
 fs.linkSync(srcpath, dstpath);
-fs.symlink(srcpath, dstpath, type, errorCallback);
-fs.symlinkSync(srcpath, dstpath, type);
+fs.symlink(srcpath, dstpath, symlinkType, errorCallback);
+fs.symlinkSync(srcpath, dstpath, symlinkType);
 fs.readlink(path, (err: Error, linkString: string) => {
 });
 fs.realpath(path, (err: Error, resolvedPath: string) => {
diff --git a/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/index.d.ts b/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/index.d.ts
index 2b7dacd108..125fa51679 100644
--- a/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/fs-extra-promise-es6/index.d.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export function fstatSync(fd: number): Stats;
 export function link(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, callback?: (err: Error) => void): void;
 export function linkSync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string): void;
 export function symlink(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: string, callback?: (err: Error) => void): void;
-export function symlinkSync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: string): void;
+export function symlinkSync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: fs.symlink.Type): void;
 export function readlink(path: string, callback?: (err: Error, linkString: string) => void): void;
 export function realpath(path: string, callback?: (err: Error, resolvedPath: string) => void): void;
 export function realpath(path: string, cache: string, callback: (err: Error, resolvedPath: string) => void): void;
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export function statAsync(path: string): Promise<Stats>;
 export function lstatAsync(path: string): Promise<Stats>;
 export function fstatAsync(fd: number): Promise<Stats>;
 export function linkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string): Promise<void>;
-export function symlinkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: string): Promise<void>;
+export function symlinkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: fs.symlink.Type): Promise<void>;
 export function readlinkAsync(path: string): Promise<string>;
 export function realpathAsync(path: string, cache?: string): Promise<string>;
 export function unlinkAsync(path: string): Promise<void>;
diff --git a/types/fs-extra-promise/fs-extra-promise-tests.ts b/types/fs-extra-promise/fs-extra-promise-tests.ts
index 61549a55ad..441e62b884 100644
--- a/types/fs-extra-promise/fs-extra-promise-tests.ts
+++ b/types/fs-extra-promise/fs-extra-promise-tests.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ let buffer: Buffer;
 declare const modeNum: number;
 declare const modeStr: string;
 declare const encoding: string;
-declare const type: string;
+declare const symlinkType: "file" | "dir" | "junction";
 declare const flags: string;
 declare const srcpath: string;
 declare const dstpath: string;
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ stats = fs.lstatSync(path);
 stats = fs.fstatSync(fd);
 fs.link(srcpath, dstpath, errorCallback);
 fs.linkSync(srcpath, dstpath);
-fs.symlink(srcpath, dstpath, type, errorCallback);
-fs.symlinkSync(srcpath, dstpath, type);
+fs.symlink(srcpath, dstpath, symlinkType, errorCallback);
+fs.symlinkSync(srcpath, dstpath, symlinkType);
 fs.readlink(path, (err: Error, linkString: string) => {
 });
 fs.realpath(path, (err: Error, resolvedPath: string) => {
diff --git a/types/fs-extra-promise/index.d.ts b/types/fs-extra-promise/index.d.ts
index b4ac5be133..a7222b9d5d 100644
--- a/types/fs-extra-promise/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/fs-extra-promise/index.d.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
 /// <reference types="node" />
 
 import * as stream from 'stream';
-import { Stats } from 'fs';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as Promise from 'bluebird';
 import { CopyFilter, CopyOptions, ReadOptions, WriteOptions, MoveOptions } from 'fs-extra';
+import Stats = fs.Stats;
 
 export * from 'fs-extra';
 
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ export function statAsync(path: string): Promise<Stats>;
 export function lstatAsync(path: string): Promise<Stats>;
 export function fstatAsync(fd: number): Promise<Stats>;
 export function linkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string): Promise<void>;
-export function symlinkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: string): Promise<void>;
+export function symlinkAsync(srcpath: string, dstpath: string, type?: fs.symlink.Type): Promise<void>;
 export function readlinkAsync(path: string): Promise<string>;
 export function realpathAsync(path: string, cache?: { [path: string]: string }): Promise<string>;
 export function unlinkAsync(path: string): Promise<void>;
diff --git a/types/fs-extra/index.d.ts b/types/fs-extra/index.d.ts
index adf236955b..153b285ae1 100644
--- a/types/fs-extra/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/fs-extra/index.d.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 
 /// <reference types="node" />
 
-import { Stats } from "fs";
+import * as fs from "fs";
+import Stats = fs.Stats;
 
 export * from "fs";
 
@@ -206,8 +207,9 @@ export function rmdir(path: string | Buffer): Promise<void>;
 export function stat(path: string | Buffer, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException, stats: Stats) => any): void;
 export function stat(path: string | Buffer): Promise<Stats>;
 
-export function symlink(srcpath: string | Buffer, dstpath: string | Buffer, type: string, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
-export function symlink(srcpath: string | Buffer, dstpath: string | Buffer, type?: string): Promise<void>;
+export function symlink(srcpath: string | Buffer, dstpath: string | Buffer, type: fs.symlink.Type | undefined, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
+export function symlink(srcpath: string | Buffer, dstpath: string | Buffer, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
+export function symlink(srcpath: string | Buffer, dstpath: string | Buffer, type?: fs.symlink.Type): Promise<void>;
 
 export function truncate(path: string | Buffer, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
 export function truncate(path: string | Buffer, len: number, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
diff --git a/types/node/index.d.ts b/types/node/index.d.ts
index f7519cb076..070c668e11 100644
--- a/types/node/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/node/index.d.ts
@@ -3470,7 +3470,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: string | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
+    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: symlink.Type | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous symlink(2) - Create a new symbolic link to an existing file.
@@ -3489,6 +3489,8 @@ declare module "fs" {
          * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
          */
         export function __promisify__(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): Promise<void>;
+
+        export type Type = "dir" | "file" | "junction";
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3498,7 +3500,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): void;
+    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: symlink.Type | null): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous readlink(2) - read value of a symbolic link.
diff --git a/types/node/v8/index.d.ts b/types/node/v8/index.d.ts
index 77d756300f..bc4fa2d749 100644
--- a/types/node/v8/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/node/v8/index.d.ts
@@ -3371,7 +3371,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: string | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
+    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: symlink.Type | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous symlink(2) - Create a new symbolic link to an existing file.
@@ -3390,6 +3390,8 @@ declare module "fs" {
          * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
          */
         export function __promisify__(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): Promise<void>;
+
+        export type Type = "dir" | "file" | "junction";
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3399,7 +3401,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): void;
+    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: symlink.Type | null): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous readlink(2) - read value of a symbolic link.
diff --git a/types/node/v9/index.d.ts b/types/node/v9/index.d.ts
index e8b48fe0ad..1c9e01cc01 100644
--- a/types/node/v9/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/node/v9/index.d.ts
@@ -3453,7 +3453,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: string | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
+    export function symlink(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type: symlink.Type | undefined | null, callback: (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => void): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous symlink(2) - Create a new symbolic link to an existing file.
@@ -3472,6 +3472,8 @@ declare module "fs" {
          * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
          */
         export function __promisify__(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): Promise<void>;
+
+        export type Type = "dir" | "file" | "junction";
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3481,7 +3483,7 @@ declare module "fs" {
      * @param type May be set to `'dir'`, `'file'`, or `'junction'` (default is `'file'`) and is only available on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
      * When using `'junction'`, the `target` argument will automatically be normalized to an absolute path.
      */
-    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: string | null): void;
+    export function symlinkSync(target: PathLike, path: PathLike, type?: symlink.Type | null): void;
 
     /**
      * Asynchronous readlink(2) - read value of a symbolic link.