Other family: siblings, adult children, relatives of green card holders
F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4.
USCIS decides the I-130 petition
USCIS’s median: 43.3 months, then you wait for your priority date
Your relative files Form I-130 with USCIS. The day USCIS receives it is your priority date: your place in line. See I-130 processing times.
How we worked this out
USCIS’s approval is only the first step. When your relative can immigrate depends on the priority date.
The next step counts from your priority date, not from this decision.
Your priority date becomes current
Choose your category and country of birth above
You wait in line by your priority date, often for years. See Visa Bulletin dates.
In the US: USCIS decides the I-485
Most likely 6–12 months after you file
In the US, you file the I-485 once the Visa Bulletin lets you, usually with the I-765 and I-131. See I-485 processing times.
How we worked this out
Based on USCIS’s median time of 7.0 months for I-485 (Family) cases (Apr–Jun 2026 data), and on how far real waits landed from the median in past quarters: about half landed in the most likely range and 8 in 10 in the wider one.
Newest numbers: USCIS: Apr–Jun 2026; Visa Bulletin: November 2026. Your case can take longer: a request for evidence or a background check can add months.