Processing Times: Find Out How Long Your Case Will Take

How long will my case take? The answer to this question can be simple, or a complex calcuation of times added together for completion of many processes in one or more immigration statuses. 

Processing times are something of misnomer. Not only do processing times relate to how long it takes immigration authorities to complete their tasks, but may include waiting in line for your turn to be eligible for a status based on a limited number of immigrant visas available annually. In addition, once your turn comes (when your "priority date is current"), the time it takes one of the government entities involved in your case can vary. It is this time frame that "processing times" include only. If you have a Receipt Notice from immigration that indicates a certain number of days to decide your application, this processing time is a "guestimate" which is more accurately determined by the current processing times available with the office handling your case. Depending on where your case was filed (with a Service Center, District Office, National Visa Center, U.S. Embassy, a State Employment Service Agency, or Department of Labor), you may be able to get each agency's current processing time on the Internet. Some handy links for processing times include those listed below. Feel free to contact us for legal advice about processing times. There's no cost for a first consultation. Please see our Free Initial Consultation form. 

Processing time links:

The official BCIS website provides processing times for District Offices, Service Centers and the National Benefits Center:

https://egov.immigration.gov/graphics/cris/jsps/index.jsp?textFlag=N

The U.S. Department of Labor - labor certification, labor conditiona appliacation and local State Workforce Agency processing times:

http://ows.doleta.gov/foreign/times.asp

Department of State Visa Bulletin priority dates:

http://travel.state.gov/visa_bulletin.html

Sometimes it is necessary to find out when a priority date became available, you you may need to check archives of the State Department Bulletin. Those archives are at:

http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/visa_bulletin/index.html