Family petitions

I-130 Processing Time — Petition for Alien Relative

Where the family-based green card starts. Three queues, six categories, and the official notes that explain why some rows can never move faster. USCIS published data, September 17, 2026.

USCIS published data · September 17, 2026 · refreshed monthly

Estimate my I-130 stage →See the whole journey

The three I-130 queues

Today's published tables route family petitions through three different doors. The National Benefits Center (NBC) pre-processes the modern caseload — most new petitions land here. Service Centers adjudicate another share of petition work. And the field-office queue finishes older, transferred, or locally-filed cases. Same form, three published envelopes — which is why looking up "the" I-130 time without the queue is how people end up misled. For immediate relatives (spouse, parent, child under 21 of a U.S. citizen), the National Benefits Center range is currently 53–58 mo.

Comparison table of the three I-130 queues with current windows
Same form, three published envelopes - your receipt notice names the queue.
I-130 by category and queue — 80% windows in months (September 17, 2026)
Family category National Benefits Center Service Centers All field offices
U.S. citizen for spouse, parent or child under 21 (immediate relative)53–58 mo25.5–34 mo83.5–113 mo
Permanent resident for spouse or child under 2152–56.5 moup to 49.5 mo139–300.5 mo
U.S. citizen for unmarried son or daughter (21+)52.5–55.5 moup to 109.5 mo195–268 mo
Permanent resident for unmarried son or daughter (21+)53.5–56 moup to 76 mo188.5–340 mo
U.S. citizen for married son or daughter53.5–64.5 moup to 151 mo110.5–159 mo
U.S. citizen for brother or sister57–66.5 moup to 177 mo286.5–306.5 mo

The official notes, translated

USCIS attaches two kinds of notes to I-130 rows, and both matter. The statutory note says the category is capped by law — family preference categories (F1, F2, F3, F4) have yearly visa limits, so the published range includes waiting for a visa to exist, not just USCIS's work. No premium processing, no expedite, no attorney fixes that half; the priority date guide explains the second, longer clock. The prioritization note says USCIS is deliberately moving certain petitions first — queue-jumping by design, which makes the remaining rows slower.

What happens after approval

An approved I-130 is a milestone, not a finish line. If the beneficiary lives abroad, the case travels to the National Visa Center for document processing and then to a consulate for the interview — stages that live outside USCIS's published ranges entirely. If they are in the U.S. and eligible, adjustment of status (I-485) may already be possible, and in immediate-relative cases it can be filed in the same envelope as the petition. The green card timeline assembles every leg with current numbers, and the I-485 page covers the field-office stage this petition feeds.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the National Benefits Center range different from the Service Centers range?

They are different queues. Today's tables show family petitions pre-processed at the National Benefits Center and adjudication under the Service Centers heading — the same form, two published envelopes.

What do the category codes (IR, F21, F11...) mean?

They identify who is filing for whom: an immediate relative (spouse, parent or child under 21 of a U.S. citizen) has its own row, and each family preference category (unmarried and married sons and daughters, siblings) has another. The table labels each one in plain language.

My I-130 was approved. Is the wait over?

Not necessarily. Approval ends the petition stage. If the beneficiary is abroad, the case moves to the National Visa Center and then a consulate; if they are in the U.S. and eligible, they may file I-485. The green card timeline page shows both routes with current numbers.

Do statutory limits affect my case?

Family preference categories have yearly limits, so the petition wait and the visa availability wait stack. USCIS marks some I-130 rows with a statutory-constraints note — those ranges reflect limited visa supply, not slow work. The priority date guide explains how the two waits interact.