Form I-130 processing time
I-130 U.S. citizen filing for unmarried son/daughter 21 or older
Processing time trend
Months to decision
FY diamonds are USCIS-published yearly national averages. Weekly points average our daily snapshots. Daily points are individual USCIS snapshots from the last 30 days.
Summary · Updated 2026-06-23
As of 2026-06-23, USCIS reports a 216 Months to 216.5 Months processing time for Form I-130 U.S. citizen filing for unmarried son/daughter 21 or older cases handled by All Field Offices. This range represents the time to complete 80% of these cases. If your filing receipt is dated before July 2, 2008, you may submit a case inquiry to USCIS.
How long does I-130 U.S. citizen filing for unmarried son/daughter 21 or older take?
USCIS currently publishes a range of 216 Months to 216.5 Months for Form I-130 U.S. citizen filing for unmarried son/daughter 21 or older cases handled by All Field Offices, as of . This is the time to complete 80% of cases of this type at this office — your case may resolve faster or slower than the published range.
Can I submit a case inquiry?
USCIS accepts case inquiries when your receipt date is older than the published inquiry date. For I-130 U.S. citizen filing for unmarried son/daughter 21 or older at All Field Offices, that date is currently July 2, 2008. If your filing receipt is dated before that, you can submit a service request through your USCIS online account.
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How to read the chart
The chart combines four data sources, oldest to newest: USCIS-published fiscal-year averages from FY2014 (including the current partial year), drawn from USCIS's Historic Processing Times page; weekly averages computed from our daily snapshots; and daily snapshots for the most recent 30 days. A flat line means the published range was unchanged in our snapshots, not that nothing is happening on individual cases.
Source & methodology
All processing-time figures on this page come directly from USCIS's official Processing Times tool. We snapshot the published ranges every weekday and store the time series for trend analysis. Historic fiscal-year medians come from USCIS's Historic Processing Times page. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency.
Frequently asked questions about I-130
Who can I file an I-130 for?
US citizens can petition for: spouse, unmarried children under 21 (Immediate Relative), parents (if petitioner is 21+), unmarried adult children 21+ (F1), married children of any age (F3), and siblings (F4). Lawful Permanent Residents can petition for: spouse and unmarried children (F2A) and unmarried adult children 21+ (F2B). LPRs cannot petition parents, married children, or siblings.
Does I-130 approval mean my relative gets a green card?
No. I-130 only establishes the qualifying relationship and creates a priority date. After approval, the beneficiary either files I-485 (if in the US and visa is current) or proceeds through consular processing (if abroad). Wait time depends on Visa Bulletin category and country of birth.
What is the Visa Bulletin?
A monthly publication from the US Department of State that lists priority dates becoming current for preference-category cases (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4, EB-1 through EB-5). Immediate Relatives (IR) are exempt — they don't wait on the bulletin.
Why does country of birth matter?
Federal law caps the number of visas any single country can use to 7% of the worldwide total per year. For countries with high demand (India, China, Mexico, Philippines), this creates multi-year or multi-decade backlogs in preference categories. Spouses can sometimes 'cross-charge' to the partner's country if it's more current.
What evidence do I need for a spouse-based I-130?
Marriage certificate, both partners' identity documents, divorce decrees from any prior marriages, and substantial evidence of bona fide marriage: joint bank accounts, joint lease/mortgage, joint utility bills, joint insurance, photos together across time, affidavits from people who know you as a couple, and similar comingled-life evidence.
What happens after I-130 approval if my relative is abroad?
USCIS forwards the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC contacts the petitioner and beneficiary to collect the immigrant visa application (DS-260), civil documents (birth, marriage, police clearance, etc.), and the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). After NVC review, the case ships to the US embassy in the beneficiary's country for an interview.
What's an Affidavit of Support?
Form I-864 is a legally enforceable promise by the US-citizen or LPR petitioner that they have sufficient income (typically 125% of federal poverty guidelines) to support the beneficiary. If the petitioner's income is insufficient, a 'joint sponsor' can also file an I-864.
What if the petitioner dies before the case is complete?
Under INA §204(l), the case may continue if the beneficiary was residing in the US at the time of the petitioner's death and meets certain other requirements. Otherwise, the I-130 is typically revoked. Substitute sponsors may step in for the Affidavit of Support.
Helpful guides
Other I-130 case types
- Permanent resident filing for a spouse or child under 21
- Permanent resident for unmarried son or daughter 21 or older
- U.S. citizen filing for a brother or sister
- U.S. citizen filing for a married son or daughter
- U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, parent, or child under 21
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