What is the waiting time for an immigrant visa after the National Visa Center or the foreign service post receives the approved petition?
Several factors influence how long the process may take. Immigrant visa numbers are made immediately available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, so processing will begin upon receipt. However, preference visas (see The Preference System) are limited in number, and processing will not begin until the priority date on the petition is available. Long waits may occur for preference visas because each year more people apply for them than can be satisfied under the annual limit. Certain categories, such as the family fourth preference, are heavily oversubscribed. For more information, see Immigrant Visa Numbers.
Several factors influence how long the process may take. Immigrant visa numbers are made immediately available for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, so processing will begin upon receipt. However, preference visas (see The Preference System) are limited in number, and processing will not begin until the priority date on the petition is available. Long waits may occur for preference visas because each year more people apply for them than can be satisfied under the annual limit. Certain categories, such as the family fourth preference, are heavily oversubscribed.
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