US EB-1A green card: typical processing times

The processing time for an EB-1A green card depends on several factors. Correctly completed forms and supporting documents matter, and so does the service center where the petition was filed. Below is a general overview of processing times for EB-1A petitions.

As a rule of thumb, expect a decision on the petition in about 8 months, and another 6 months until the visa or green card is issued. During the COVID-19 pandemic there were at times significant delays.

According to the current Visa Bulletin from the US State Department, the final action dates for first-preference employment-based immigrant petitions (including EB-1A) are current for most nationalities. That means USCIS reviews EB-1A petitions without any wait for a visa number. Applicants from China and India face especially long waits, because so many petitions come from those countries. For all other nationalities, petitions are usually processed faster.

To improve your chances, read our tips & hacks for the EB-1A green card; what the category requires in detail is explained on the page about the EB-1A green card category. For an overview of all requirements, see our hub on the EB-1A green card.

In short

• Processing time depends on correctly completed forms, your documents and the service center handling the petition.
• As a guideline, this page cites around eight months to a decision and another six months until the green card.
• According to the Visa Bulletin, the first preference category has no wait for a visa number for most nationalities; applicants from China and India wait longer.

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