How long a green card takes is the question behind most immigration searches, and the honest answer is that it depends on which steps your path includes. Each step has its own agency, its own queue and its own published data. The government's figures for each step are public, and they are the best place to start.
As of October 29, 2026, this guide lays out each stage with the most recent official numbers, and explains why the slowest part is often not a processing step at all.
- In August 2026, PERM applications averaged 303 days at DOL analyst review.
- I-140 petitions completed in April to June 2026 had a median processing time of 3.9 months.
- Employment-based I-485s completed in the same quarter had a median of 6 months.
- Immediate relative I-130s had a median of 13 months; other relative I-130s, 43.3 months.
- EB-1A and EB-2 NIW skip PERM, removing the longest DOL step.
- An I-485 for a preference category cannot be approved until a visa number is allocated.
What are the stages of an employment-based green card?
| Stage | Agency | Recent figure |
|---|---|---|
| Prevailing wage determination | DOL | PERM requests filed in June 2026 being processed (as of 9/30/2026) |
| PERM labor certification | DOL | 303-day average at analyst review (August 2026) |
| I-140 petition | USCIS | 3.9-month median (April to June 2026) |
| Visa Bulletin wait | State Dept. | None to many years, by category and country |
| I-485 adjustment of status | USCIS | 6-month median, employment-based (April to June 2026) |
Sources: DOL FLAG, Processing Times; USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3.
How long does the DOL stage take?
Most of a year, at least. DOL's FLAG site reports that, as of October 21, 2026, PERM analyst review was working on cases filed in January 2026, and audit review on cases from December 2025. It notes that "these dates reflect the month and year in which cases were filed and are currently being adjudicated." For August 2026, it reports an average of 303 days at analyst review, adding that "OFLC is reporting the average processing time for all PERM applications for the most recent month" (DOL FLAG, Processing Times).
Before PERM can be filed, the employer needs a prevailing wage determination. As of September 30, 2026, DOL was processing PERM wage requests received in June 2026 (same). Recruitment also has to happen before filing. Our PERM process step by step guide covers each piece.
How long does the I-140 take?
USCIS reports a 3.9-month median for I-140s completed in April to June 2026, with 203,204 pending at the end of June (USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3).
Premium processing is available for an extra fee. The regulation sets "15 business days" for EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-2 petitions not involving a national interest waiver, and "45 business days" for EB-1C multinational managers and NIW petitions (8 CFR 106.4, eCFR).
Why is the visa wait often the longest part?
Because it is set by annual limits, not processing speed. A preference applicant needs an available visa number, and "a visa is available to you when your priority date is earlier than the cut-off date shown for your preference category and country of chargeability" in the Visa Bulletin (USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates).
The regulation adds that "an application for adjustment of status, as a preference alien, shall not be approved until an immigrant visa number has been allocated by the Department of State" (8 CFR 245.2(a)(5)(ii), eCFR). For categories with no backlog for your country, the wait can be zero. For heavily oversubscribed ones, it can be the bulk of the timeline. Our overview of the green card backlog in 2026 explains which categories are most affected.
How long does the I-485 take?
USCIS reports a 6-month median for employment-based I-485s and a 7-month median for family-based I-485s completed in April to June 2026. Related applications filed with the I-485 had their own medians: 6.4 months for adjustment-based work permits (I-765) and 5.8 months for advance parole (I-131) (USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3).
How do self-petition paths compare?
They skip the DOL stage entirely. EB-1A requires no job offer, since "neither an offer for employment in the United States nor a labor certification is required for this classification" (8 CFR 204.5(h)(5), eCFR), and the NIW waives the job offer and labor certification. That removes the prevailing wage and PERM steps. Your timeline becomes the I-140, any visa wait, and the I-485. Our guides to EB-1A processing time and NIW processing time go into each.
How long does a family green card take?
| Petition | Median, April to June 2026 |
|---|---|
| I-130, immediate relative (spouse, parent or unmarried child under 21 of a U.S. citizen) | 13 months |
| I-130, all other relatives | 43.3 months |
| I-485, family-based | 7 months |
(USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3)
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are among the immigrants "who are not subject to the worldwide levels or numerical limitations" (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)), so they do not wait for a Visa Bulletin date. Other family categories do. When a visa is immediately available, "you may file your Form I-485 together with your Form I-130" (USCIS, Form I-485 Instructions).
What can add time to a case?
A request for evidence is the most common delay you can influence. When USCIS asks for more evidence, the RFE "will indicate the deadline for response, but in no case shall the maximum response period provided in a request for evidence exceed twelve weeks, nor shall the maximum response time provided in a notice of intent to deny exceed thirty days." The clock on the agency side also stops: "any time limitation imposed on USCIS for processing will be suspended as of the date of request" (8 CFR 103.2(b)(8)(iv), (b)(10)(i), eCFR). Premium processing works the same way: if more evidence is needed, "the 15-, 30-, or 45-day premium processing time period will stop and reset" (USCIS, How Do I Request Premium Processing?). Premium processing also guarantees an action within the timeframe, which can be an RFE, not an approval.
At DOL, an audit has a similar effect. FLAG's queue figures show audit review working on older cases than analyst review, so a PERM application selected for audit generally takes longer. A complete filing, with evidence that matches the regulation's wording, is the most reliable way to avoid both.
How should you read these numbers?
As medians for completed cases. USCIS defines its figures this way: "The number of months presented is the median which is the time it took to complete 50% of all the cases processed in the quarter" (USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3). Half of decided cases took longer, and cases waiting for a visa number are not reflected. Our guide to USCIS processing times explains the difference between these data and the online case processing tool.
What this means for you
- Map your own path: which of the stages above actually apply to you.
- Check your category and country in the current Visa Bulletin, since that wait may outweigh everything else.
- Consider whether a self-petition path that skips PERM fits your profile.
- Use premium processing where it shortens a step you control.
- Treat medians as a midpoint, not a promise.
Where to start
Our free evaluation at /evaluate/ shows whether EB-1A or the NIW could remove the PERM stage from your timeline, and Frank, our AI assistant at /frank, helps you build the evidence. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 29, 2026.
- DOL FLAG, Processing Times. PERM analyst and audit review queues (as of 10/21/2026); 303-day average (August 2026); prevailing wage queue (as of 9/30/2026).
- USCIS, Quarterly All Forms data, FY 2026 Q3 (April to June 2026). I-140, I-485, I-130, I-765 and I-131 medians and pending counts.
- 8 CFR 106.4 (eCFR, current text). Premium processing timeframes.
- USCIS, Visa Availability and Priority Dates. When a visa is available.
- 8 CFR 245.2(a)(5)(ii) (eCFR, current text). No approval before a visa number is allocated.
- 8 CFR 103.2(b) (eCFR, current text). RFE response periods; suspension of processing time limits.
- USCIS, How Do I Request Premium Processing?. Premium clock stops and resets after an RFE.
- 8 U.S.C. 1151(b) (INA 201(b)). Immediate relatives not subject to numerical limits.
- USCIS, Form I-485 Instructions. Filing the I-485 with the I-130.
- 8 CFR 204.5(h)(5) (eCFR, current text). EB-1A needs no job offer or labor certification.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a green card take?
It depends on the category. An employment-based case through PERM involves a prevailing wage request, recruitment, PERM review averaging 303 days in August 2026, an I-140 and an I-485, plus any Visa Bulletin wait. A spouse of a U.S. citizen has no visa wait, and USCIS's median for immediate relative I-130s was 13 months in April to June 2026.
How long does a green card take through an employer?
Well over a year before any visa wait, if you add up the government's figures for each step. DOL was processing PERM prevailing wage requests from June 2026 and PERM applications filed in January 2026 as of October 2026. USCIS's I-140 median was 3.9 months and its employment-based I-485 median was 6 months. Backlogged categories add years on top.
What is the fastest way to get a green card through work?
Categories that skip PERM and have no visa backlog for your country are fastest. EB-1A and the EB-2 NIW do not need a labor certification, and premium processing gets the I-140 a decision or RFE within 15 or 45 business days. Whether a visa is immediately available depends on your category and country of birth in the current Visa Bulletin.
Why does my case take longer than the posted median?
A median is the time it took to complete half the cases decided in a period, so half took longer. It also only covers cases USCIS could decide. A preference-category I-485 cannot be approved until the State Department allocates a visa number, so backlogged cases stay pending well beyond the national median.
How long does a marriage green card take?
For the spouse of a U.S. citizen, USCIS reported a 13-month median for immediate relative I-130s and a 7-month median for family-based I-485s in April to June 2026. If a visa is immediately available, as it is for immediate relatives, the I-485 can be filed together with the I-130. Spouses of permanent residents are in a preference category and may also face a Visa Bulletin wait.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
