Spouse, parent or child of a US citizen, living abroad
IR-1, CR-1, IR-2 and IR-5 visas.
USCIS decides the I-130 petition
Most likely 11–22 months after you file
Your US citizen relative files Form I-130 with USCIS. See I-130 processing times.
How we worked this out
Based on USCIS’s median time of 13.0 months for I-130 (Immediate Relative) 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.
NVC creates your case
Most likely 2–46 days after you file
USCIS sends the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC), which emails you your case number. See NVC wait times.
How we worked this out
On October 26, 2026, NVC was taking 9 days to create cases after USCIS sent them, by its own timeframes, which it updates weekly.
USCIS usually takes a few weeks after the approval to send the case on, which no published timeframe covers, so this counts up to a month for it.
You pay the fees and submit your documents
Fill in the DS-260 and upload your documents on CEAC.
NVC reviews your documents
Most likely 41–97 days after the step before
NVC checks documents in the order they came in. When it accepts all of yours, your case is documentarily complete. See NVC wait times.
How we worked this out
On October 26, 2026, NVC was reviewing documents submitted on August 18, 2026: a 69-day queue, by its own timeframes.
If NVC asks you to correct a document, your case goes back in line when you submit it again.
Interview at your consulate
Choose your consulate above to see its queue
NVC schedules interviews in the order cases became documentarily complete. See consulate interview queues.
Visa and travel
Your passport comes back with the visa within weeks. Pay the USCIS immigrant fee; the green card comes by mail after you enter the US.
Newest numbers: USCIS: Apr–Jun 2026; NVC: October 26, 2026; consulate queues: October 7, 2026. Your case can take longer: a request for evidence or a background check can add months.