How Long Does It Take USCIS To Process Marriage Green Cards?

In a Nutshell

Five U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) service centers currently process Form I-130. - The current average processing time for U.S. citizens filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary is 18 months. - The current average processing time for legal permanent residents filing Form I-130 for a spouse beneficiary is 28 months. - The current average processing time for Form I-485 across 89 field offices is 21.9 months. Processing times for this form range a lot by field office. The quickest processing time is 12 months (Saint Louis, MO) and the longest is 47 months (Salt Lake City, UT).

Written by ImmigrationHelp News Team. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 31, 2023

Updated March 31, 2023

If you are a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident status and are petitioning to get a marriage green card for your spouse who is living with you in the U.S., you’ll submit two main forms in your application package. As the petitioner, you’ll file Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative. As the beneficiary, your spouse will file Form I-485: Application for Adjustment of Status. You can file both of these forms at the same time. This is called concurrent filing.

Form I-130 Processing Times

Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative is the first form you must file to start the marriage-based green card application process. A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident must file this form on behalf of their foreign spouse. Five USCIS service centers process Form I-130.

Here are the current processing times for Form I-130 for U.S. citizens filing for a spouse beneficiary:

USCIS Service Center	Last Week	This Week	Change?
California Service Center	15 months	15 months	No change
Nebraska Service Center	14 months	14 months	No change
Potomac Service Center	16 months	16 months	No change
Texas Service Center	12.5 months	12.5 months	No change
Vermont Service Center	14 months	14 months	No change
All Field Offices	36.5 months	36.5 months	No change

Here are the current processing times for Form I-130 for lawful permanent residents filing for a spouse beneficiary:

USCIS Service Center	Last Week	This Week	Change?
California Service Center	25 months	25 months	No change
Nebraska Service Center	14.5 months	14.5 months	No change
Potomac Service Center	27.5 months	27.5 months	No change
Texas Service Center	17 months	17 months	No change
Vermont Service Center	37.5 months	37.5 months	No change
All Field Offices	46 months	46 months	No change

Form I-485 Processing Times

Form I-485 is the second form you and your spouse must file to get a marriage-based green card. This is the form that allows your spouse to adjust status, get permanent residency, and become a U.S. green card holder. Several USCIS offices process Form I-485.

Here are the current processing times for Form I-485 by field office:

USCIS Field Office	Last Week	This Week	Change?
Agana GU	20.5 months	20.5 months	No change
Albany NY	23 months	23 months	No change
Albuquerque NM	20.5 months	20.5 months	No change
Anchorage AK	17 months	17 months	No change
Atlanta GA	38.5 months	38.5 months	No change
Baltimore MD	28 months	28 months	No change
Boise ID	19 months	19 months	No change
Boston MA	20 months	20 months	No change
Brooklyn NY	39 months	39 months	No change
Buffalo NY	15.5 months	15.5 months	No change
Burlington VT	16 months	16 months	No change
Charleston SC	24.5 months	24.5 months	No change
Charlotte Amalie VI	22 months	22 months	No change
Charlotte NC	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Chicago IL	21 months	21 months	No change
Christiansted VI	15 months	15 months	No change
Cincinnati OH	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Cleveland OH	14.5 months	14.5 months	No change
Columbus OH	15 months	15 months	No change
Dallas TX	20 months	20 months	No change
Denver CO	21.5 months	21.5 months	No change
Des Moines IA	17 months	17 months	No change
Detroit MI	13.5 months	13.5 months	No change
El Paso TX	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Fort Myers FL	19 months	19 months	No change
Fort Smith AR	18.5 months	18.5 months	No change
Fresno CA	15 months	15 months	No change
Greer SC	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Harlingen TX	15 months	15 months	No change
Hartford CT	15.5 months	15.5 months	No change
Helena MT	18.5 months	18.5 months	No change
Hialeah FL	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Honolulu HI	19 months	19 months	No change
Houston TX	25 months	25 months	No change
Imperial CA	13.5 months	13.5 months	No change
Indianapolis IN	18 months	18 months	No change
Jacksonville FL	20.5 months	20.5 months	No change
Kansas City MO	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Kendall FL	19 months	19 months	No change
Las Vegas NV	32 months	32 months	No change
Lawrence MA	15.5 months	15.5 months	No change
Long Island NY	20.5 months	20.5 months	No change
Los Angeles CA	17 months	17 months	No change
Los Angeles County CA	14.5 months	14.5 months	No change
Louisville KY	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Manchester NH	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Memphis TN	18 months	18 months	No change
Miami FL	25 months	25 months	No change
Milwaukee WI	18 months	18 months	No change
Minneapolis-St. Paul MN	32.5 months	32.5 months	No change
Montgomery AL	19.5 months	19.5 months	No change
Mount Laurel NJ	20.5 months	20.5 months	No change
Nashville TN	18 months	18 months	No change
Newark NJ	28.5 months	28.5 months	No change
New Orleans LA	26 months	26 months	No change
New York City NY	16 months	16 months	No change
Norfolk VA	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Oakland Park FL	25 months	25 months	No change
Oklahoma City OK	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Omaha NE	31 months	31 months	No change
Orlando FL	18 months	18 months	No change
Philadelphia PA	19 months	19 months	No change
Phoenix AZ	15 months	15 months	No change
Pittsburgh PA	18 months	18 months	No change
Portland ME	19 months	19 months	No change
Portland OR	19.5 months	19.5 months	No change
Providence RI	20 months	20 months	No change
Queens NY	31 months	31 months	No change
Raleigh NC	18 months	18 months	No change
Reno NV	17.5 months	17.5 months	No change
Sacramento CA	26.5 months	26.5 months	No change
Saint Louis MO	12 months	12 months	No change
Salt Lake City UT	40 months	40 months	No change
San Antonio TX	16 months	16 months	No change
San Bernardino CA	12.5 months	12.5 months	No change
San Diego CA	15 months	15 months	No change
San Fernando Valley CA	15.5 months	15.5 months	No change
San Francisco CA	22.5 months	22.5 months	No change
San Jose CA	16 months	16 months	No change
San Juan PR	20 months	20 months	No change
Santa Ana CA	15.5 months	15.5 months	No change
Seattle WA	21 months	21 months	No change
Spokane WA	29 months	29 months	No change
Tampa FL	16 months	16 months	No change
Tucson AZ	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Washington DC	17 months	17 months	No change
West Palm Beach FL	17 months	17 months	No change
Wichita KS	18 months	18 months	No change
Yakima WA	22.5 months	22.5 months	No change

Historical Form I-485* Processing Times: 2018-2022

Historical USCIS processing times for adjustment of status applications have been relatively consistent. In the last five years, the average median processing time for an adjustment of status application (Form I-485) was 10 months.

	FY 2018	FY 2019	FY 2020	FY 2021	FY2022
Form I-486: for all family-based adjustment applications	10.6 months	10 months	8.8 months	9.9 months	11 months

*USCIS does not track historical data for Form I-485 by eligibility category or family relationship. The above data is for Form I-485 for all family-based adjustment of status applications, which includes spouses, parents, and children (immediate relative or family member).

Form I-765 Processing Times

When you submit Form I-485 to adjust your status, you can also apply for a work permit (also called an employment authorization document or EAD). To do so, you need to file Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization. If you file both forms at the same time, you do not have to pay an additional filing fee for Form I-765. Prior to 2022, most applicants received their work permits 4–6 months after submitting their forms to USCIS. Current wait times are considerably longer, ranging from 11–19 months.

Here are the current processing times for marriage green card applicants who file Form I-765 at the same time as their Form I-485 to adjust status:

USCIS Service Center	Last Week	This Week	Change?
California Service Center	18.5 months	18.5 months	No change
National Benefits Center	11.5 months	11.5 months	No change
Nebraska Service Center	17 months	17 months	No change
Texas Service Center	16.5 months	16.5 months	No change
Vermont Service Center	15 months	15 months	No change

Historical I-765* Work Authorization Application Processing Times: 2018–2022

USCIS processing times for work permit applications have been climbing in recent years. In the last five years, the average median processing time for a work authorization application (Form I-765) was 3.6 months. Times have ranged from less than one month to 9.2 months, with the longest waiting period in the last five years being in 2022.

	FY 2018	FY 2019	FY 2020	FY 2021	FY2022
Form I-765 based on pending I-485	0.9 months	2 months	2.5 months	3.2 months	9.2 months

*USCIS does not track historical data for Form I-765 by eligibility category or family relationship. The above data is for Form I-765 file concurrently with any family-based adjustment of status application, which includes spouses, parents, and children.

How Long Will My Marriage Green Card Application Take?

The entire marriage green card timeline can take 10–38 months. Several factors influence wait times, including processing delays — such as the continued backlog due to the pandemic — and staffing or budget issues at a given service center or field office. Aside from submitting your forms, you’ll need to submit supporting documents, undergo a medical examination, biometrics appointment, and a green card interview.

If you’re wondering what’s happening with your marriage green card case, you can check your case status online using the receipt number from your application receipt notice. Our Learning Center contains several articles that can help you understand your case status.

If your application is outside normal processing times, you can contact USCIS to ask for additional information. If you still have questions or need legal advice, we can connect you to an immigration lawyer through our $24/month Ask an Attorney program.