Green Card Wait Time by Country & Category
Computed from the August 2026 Visa Bulletin · Source: U.S. Department of State
Direct answer
A “wait” here is the gap between the latest official cutoff and today: it shows how far back the priority-date line sits for each country and category. Employment categories (EB-1 through EB-5) and family categories (F1–F4) are listed separately. After a date becomes Current, USCIS adjustment (Form I-485) typically adds 8–18 more months before the green card is granted. These are planning estimates from verified bulletin data, not guarantees.
The single hardest question in U.S. immigration is “how long?” The answer is not one number — it is a different backlog for every country and every visa category, set each month by the Visa Bulletin. The tables below are computed directly from the latest official cutoff: for each cell we measure how many months sit between the published cutoff date and the August 2026 bulletin. “Current” means no priority-date wait; “Unavailable” means no dates are current that month.
Employment-based waits
All Chargeability Areas
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | C | Current |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | C | Current |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | 01SEP24 | ~1 yr 11 mo wait |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01APR22 | ~4 yr 4 mo wait |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | C | Current |
China (mainland-born)
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | 01JUL23 | ~3 yr 1 mo wait |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | 01SEP21 | ~4 yr 11 mo wait |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | 01JAN22 | ~4 yr 7 mo wait |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01MAY19 | ~7 yr 3 mo wait |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | 01DEC16 | ~9 yr 8 mo wait |
India
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | U | Unavailable |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | 01JAN14 | ~12 yr 7 mo wait |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01JAN14 | ~12 yr 7 mo wait |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | U | Unavailable |
Mexico
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | C | Current |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | C | Current |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | 01SEP24 | ~1 yr 11 mo wait |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01APR22 | ~4 yr 4 mo wait |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | C | Current |
Philippines
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| EB-1 (Priority Workers) | C | Current |
| EB-2 (Advanced Degree / NIW) | C | Current |
| EB-3 (Skilled / Professional) | 01AUG23 | ~3 yr wait |
| EB-3 Other Workers | 01DEC21 | ~4 yr 8 mo wait |
| EB-4 (Special Immigrants) | 15OCT22 | ~3 yr 10 mo wait |
| EB-5 (Investor, Unreserved) | C | Current |
Family-based waits
All Chargeability Areas
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | 15DEC18 | ~7 yr 8 mo wait |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | 22JUL26 | 1 mo wait |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | 01JAN18 | ~8 yr 7 mo wait |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | 15MAY12 | ~14 yr 3 mo wait |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | 01SEP09 | ~16 yr 11 mo wait |
China (mainland-born)
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | 15DEC18 | ~7 yr 8 mo wait |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | 22JUL26 | 1 mo wait |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | 01JAN18 | ~8 yr 7 mo wait |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | 15MAY12 | ~14 yr 3 mo wait |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | 01SEP09 | ~16 yr 11 mo wait |
India
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | 15DEC18 | ~7 yr 8 mo wait |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | 22JUL26 | 1 mo wait |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | 01JAN18 | ~8 yr 7 mo wait |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | 15MAY12 | ~14 yr 3 mo wait |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | 01NOV06 | ~19 yr 9 mo wait |
Mexico
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | 01DEC07 | ~18 yr 8 mo wait |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | 22JUL25 | ~1 yr 1 mo wait |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | 15FEB09 | ~17 yr 6 mo wait |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | 01JUL01 | ~25 yr 1 mo wait |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | 08APR01 | ~25 yr 4 mo wait |
Philippines
| Category | Latest cutoff | Priority-date wait |
|---|---|---|
| F1 (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters) | 01MAY13 | ~13 yr 3 mo wait |
| F2A (Spouses & Minor Children of LPRs) | 22JUL26 | 1 mo wait |
| F2B (Unmarried Adult Sons/Daughters of LPRs) | 01JUN13 | ~13 yr 2 mo wait |
| F3 (Married Sons/Daughters of Citizens) | 22FEB06 | ~20 yr 6 mo wait |
| F4 (Siblings of Citizens) | 01AUG07 | ~19 yr wait |
Two waits, not one. The “priority-date wait” above is only the Visa Bulletin backlog. After your date becomes Current, adjustment of status (I-485) typically adds 8–18 months, and consular cases add National Visa Center and interview time. The cutoff itself moves up and down each month (retrogression is common), so treat these as planning estimates, not promises.
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