Green Card: Average Waiting Time by Country

"Family-Based Green Card Wait Times

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, parents): ~14.5 months.

Unmarried children over 21 (F1 category): Several years, depending on country of birth.

Married children of U.S. citizens (F3 category): Several years, depending on country.

Siblings of U.S. citizens (F4 category): Several years, depending on country.

Employment-Based Green Card Wait Times

EB-1 (Priority Workers): Generally current, minimal waiting.

EB-2 (Advanced Degree Professionals): 2 to 25+ years, depending on country.

EB-3 (Skilled Workers and Professionals): 2 to 12 years, depending on country.

EB-5 (Investor Visa): 2 to 11 years, depending on country.

Country-Specific Wait Times

India: EB-2 and EB-3 categories: 18 to 30+ years.

China: Employment-based categories: 6 to 10 years.

Mexico: Family-preference categories: 14 to 24 years.

Philippines: F4 (siblings) category: 14 to 24 years.

Key Takeaways

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens usually have the shortest wait times (~15 months).

Family preference categories and employment-based categories for high-demand countries (India, China, Mexico, Philippines) can take decades.

Check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin regularly for the latest priority dates and country-specific estimates."