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United States of America · Processing time

Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A): how long does it take?

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USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.

How long does the Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A) take to process in United States?

USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

Source checked against USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens on 10 September 2026.

Typical wait

Not centrally published

from complete application

Government fees

I-130 USD 675 (paper) / USD 625 (online); DS-260 USD 325 (consular); I-485 USD 1,440 (adjustment); I-751 USD 750.

Last checked

10 September 2026

Reality vs official timing

Official clock
No central processing clock
Delay trigger
No fixed delay point - use route guidance
Source checked
10 September 2026

USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens does not publish a central processing time. Use the current USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

What is the 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).

US citizens may sponsor spouses as immediate relatives (IR1 for marriages over 2 years, CR1 for newer marriages with conditional residence). Lawful permanent residents sponsor spouses in the F2A preference category, which is subject to annual numerical limits but has generally remained current in recent years. All categories require a bona fide marriage and a financial sponsor meeting the I-864 support threshold.

  • Sponsorship: You need a job offer or employer sponsor in United States of America.
  • Settlement: This route can lead to permanent residence.
  • Typical permit length: Permanent residence (conditional 2-year CR1 converts to 10-year card via I-751).
  • Indicative government fees: I-130 USD 675 (paper) / USD 625 (online); DS-260 USD 325 (consular); I-485 USD 1,440 (adjustment); I-751 USD 750.

Priority and fast-track options

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

Official source

USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-immediate-relatives-of-us-citizen

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, "Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A) processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/us/spousal-green-card. Last checked 10 September 2026.

Page
https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/us/spousal-green-card
JSON endpoint
https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times

Primary source (1)

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A) take to process?+

USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens does not publish a central processing time for this route. Use the current USCIS — Green Card for Family Members of U.S. Citizens service for the responsible mission, service centre, authority or live processing-time tool before applying.

When does the Not centrally published clock start?+

Because no central processing time is published, there is no fixed start point. Contact the relevant authority once your application is submitted.

Is there a way to speed up the decision?+

The earlier range was removed after an official-source review because it was an editorial estimate, depended on a live/local queue, or combined separate appointment and decision stages.

What makes an application take longer than expected?+

The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.

When should I treat my Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A) application as delayed?+

Because no central processing time is published for this route, there is no fixed point at which it counts as late. If your wait runs well beyond comparable cases, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Duplicate chasing tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.

Next steps

Reviewed by , Editor and lead researcher.