What tips should I keep in mind?

Wait times are estimates based on historical Visa Bulletin trends and can change. EB-1 is generally the fastest employment-based category. India and China have the longest backlogs for employment-based categories.

Green Card Wait Time Estimator

Estimate how long you will wait for a green card based on your category, country of birth, and priority date.

Visa Category(Your petition category)

Country of Birth(Some countries have longer backlogs)

Years Already Waiting(How many years since your priority date)

Results

Visualization

How It Works

Green card wait times vary dramatically based on your visa category and country of birth. Employment-based categories (EB-1 through EB-5) and family preference categories (F1 through F4) each have annual per-country limits that create backlogs, especially for India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines.

The Formula

Remaining Wait = Total Estimated Wait - Years Already Waited
Progress = (Years Waited / Total Wait) x 100%

Variables

Category — Your visa petition category (EB-1 to EB-5 or F1 to F4)
Country — Country of birth, which determines per-country visa limits
Priority Date — The date your petition was filed, establishing your place in line

Example

An EB-2 applicant born in India who has waited 3 years has an estimated total wait of 12 years, leaving approximately 9 years (108 months) remaining.

Tips

Wait times are estimates based on historical Visa Bulletin trends and can change.
EB-1 is generally the fastest employment-based category.
India and China have the longest backlogs for employment-based categories.
Family-based F4 (siblings) can take 15-24 years depending on country.
Monitor the monthly Visa Bulletin from the State Department for updates.