United States of America
United States visa processing times
How long does each United States visa take? Below are the typical decision windows for all 14 routes we track, each sourced directly from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Click any route to see the full breakdown, including what drives the timeline and whether a priority service is available.
| Route | Published timing | Reality check | Sponsor needed? | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-1B Specialty Occupation# Employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)# Intracompany transfer for executives or managers moving to a US office of a related multinational employer. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)# Intracompany transfer for employees with specialised knowledge of the employer’s products, services, or processes. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement# Visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, education, business, athletics (O-1A) or the arts/film/television (O-1B). | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)# Employment-based first-preference green card for individuals with extraordinary ability — self-petitionable. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)# Second-preference green card with a waiver of the job offer and PERM labor certification, where the beneficiary’s work is in the US national interest. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers# Third-preference employment-based green card requiring employer sponsorship and PERM labor certification. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program# Permanent residence through investment in a new US commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time jobs. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| E-2 Treaty Investor# Non-immigrant treaty investor visa for nationals of countries with a qualifying treaty of commerce and navigation with the US. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)# Non-immigrant student visa for academic study at a SEVP-certified institution, with post-study OPT employment authorisation. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | No | 2026-09-10 |
| J-1 Exchange Visitor# Exchange visitor visa covering academic scholars, students, trainees, interns, researchers, au pairs, and other exchange programs. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)# Non-immigrant work visa under USMCA for Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| K-1 Fiancé(e) of US Citizen# Non-immigrant visa allowing the fiancé(e) of a US citizen to enter the US to marry within 90 days and then apply for a green card. | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
| Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A)# Permanent residence for the spouse of a US citizen (IR1/CR1) or lawful permanent resident (F2A preference). | Not published | No central processing clock Delay trigger: No fixed delay point - use route guidance | Yes | 2026-09-10 |
Source authority: USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Processing times are indicative and change without notice — always confirm before applying.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "United States of America processing times dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/us. Latest source check 10 September 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Frequently asked questions
Are these United States processing times official?+
Yes. Every window on this page is the figure published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, shown with the date it was last checked. The figures are indicative rather than guarantees, and the linked source is authoritative on the day you apply.