I-130 Processing Time 2026: What Families Need to Know

I-130 Processing Time:

According to USCIS, as of September 2026, 80% of I-130 petitions are completed within 80 months, which equates to about 6.8 years.  For example, if your receipt date is October 11, 2023, the earliest you can submit questions is December 4, 2023. If you have your receipt number, please check your I-130 case status on USCIS.gov to get them most updated information about your specific case.

Factors That May Cause Delay:

USCIS receives and processes thousands of I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, every year. They receive nearly 50,000 to 80,000 completions and receipts per month. There is a severe backlog built over the years that has not recuperated.

Pending I-130, now what?

While your I-130 petition is pending, you should keep a close eye on the case status using the receipt number (usually three letters and ten number – IOE---------- or SRC----------), report any change of address to USCIS, and respond to any RFEs asked for by USCIS. Failure to respond will almost certainly result in the denial of your immigration application.