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.
Quick facts: The fastest route is the TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico) at 1 days – 4 weeks. The slowest is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program at 18 months – 4.9 years.
| Route | Typical wait | Reality check | Sponsor needed? | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)# Non-immigrant work visa under USMCA for Canadian and Mexican citizens in listed professions. | 1 days – 4 weeks | Official window only Delay trigger: After 30 days | Yes | 2026-07-01 |
| E-2 Treaty Investor# Non-immigrant treaty investor visa for nationals of countries with a qualifying treaty of commerce and navigation with the US. | 2 weeks – 4 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 4 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| 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. | 2 weeks – 4 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 4 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| J-1 Exchange Visitor# Exchange visitor visa covering academic scholars, students, trainees, interns, researchers, au pairs, and other exchange programs. | 2 weeks – 3 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 3 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| H-1B Specialty Occupation# Employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. | 2 months – 8 months | Official window with caveat Delay trigger: After 8 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)# Intracompany transfer for executives or managers moving to a US office of a related multinational employer. | 2 months – 8 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 8 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)# Intracompany transfer for employees with specialised knowledge of the employer’s products, services, or processes. | 2 months – 9 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 9 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| 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). | 2 months – 6 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 6 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)# Employment-based first-preference green card for individuals with extraordinary ability — self-petitionable. | 6 months – 18 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 18 months | No | 2026-06-01 |
| 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. | 6 months – 2.5 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 2.5 years | No | 2026-06-01 |
| 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. | 6 months – 18 months | Official window only Delay trigger: After 18 months | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| 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). | 7 months – 2.5 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 2.5 years | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers# Third-preference employment-based green card requiring employer sponsorship and PERM labor certification. | 12 months – 3.3 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 3.3 years | Yes | 2026-06-01 |
| EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program# Permanent residence through investment in a new US commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time jobs. | 18 months – 4.9 years | Official window only Delay trigger: After 4.9 years | No | 2026-06-01 |
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. Last verified 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest United States visa to get?+
Among the 14 routes we track, the TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico) has the shortest published decision window at 1 days – 4 weeks. Processing times are indicative and depend on case complexity, so always confirm the current figure on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Which United States visa takes the longest to process?+
Of the routes we track, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program carries the longest published window at 18 months – 4.9 years. Permanent-residence and family routes typically sit at the slower end, while short-term and points-tested routes tend to be quicker.
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.