How Long Does It Take to Get a United States Visa?
The average United States visa application will be processed within 3 to 5 weeks.
How long does it take to get an H-2A visa?
Generally, it’s recommended that U.S. employers file the USCIS petition at least 60 days before they need the foreign worker . Priority is given to H-2A visa applications because the U.S. government recognizes that agricultural work is seasonal.
How Long Does It Take to Get an ESTA?
If you are a citizen of one of 38 countries on the Visa Waiver Program list, then you should be eligible to apply to enter the U.S. through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
When Do I Get My Passport Back?
Your passport will remain at the U.S. embassy or consulate after your interview. Once your application has been approved or denied, your passport will be returned to you.
How long does it take to get a visa for a religious worker?
The R-1 visa has one of the longest visa approval times in the United States. Religious workers seeking to work in the United States may need to wait 8 to 9 months for their visa application to be completed. Employers stateside have the option to pay an extra fee for premium processing. With premium processing, your visa should also be approved or denied within 2 weeks, although the final application can take 2 to 3 months to process.
What is a T visa?
The T visa is one of the most unique visas offered by the United States, and little information is available about processing times for U.S. T visas. The T visa is designed specifically for victims of human trafficking and their immediate family members. As with other emergency visas, the T visa should be processed in a relatively short period of time.
What happens if you are refused a visa?
If your visa application required you to apply for a waiver of ineligibility, then your visa application will likely take longer.
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Use our online system to apply for selected visas or check visa details. Get help to use our online services.
Information for visa applicants outside of New Zealand
Visa processing for most applicants outside of New Zealand is still on hold. This is because people who are not New Zealand citizens or residents are unlikely to meet the current entry requirements. Immigration New Zealand is not able to legally grant a visa to people who are unlikely to meet the entry requirements.
Check your status online
If you applied online, you can check the status of your application and find out if we need more information from you.
Average processing times
Find out how many calendar days it has taken us to process applications for our most common visas in the 3 months to 1 February 2022. For applications that take more than 90 days we have rounded that number to the nearest month. For example, if applications take 110 days, we say it takes 4 months.
How long does it take to get a student visa?
The US student visa (F-1 visa) is one of the fastest visas to process. In fact, the study permit is often processed directly before your embassy interview. The interview is the last step of the application process. By the end of the interview, the consular officer should tell you whether or not your application was approved. Some F-1 visa applications will take several days to process, in which case your approval will come several days after the interview.
How long does it take to get a green card?
6-33 months. Being the most long-term US visa, you can expect the processing time for permanent residence to be more lengthy than most other visas. According to USCIS, an application for permanent residence (Form I-485) will take anywhere from 6 months to 33 months to process depending on the factors listed above. Learn more about US Green Card.
What Factors Play a Role in USCIS Processing Times?
The processing time for a US visa depends mainly on which visa you are trying to get. There are also a handful of other components that tend to have an effect on how long it will take your visa to process:
What is the fastest visa to get?
The US student visa (F-1 visa) is one of the fastest visas to process. In fact, the study permit is often processed directly before your embassy interview. The interview is the last step of the application process. By the end of the interview, the consular officer should tell you whether or not your application was approved.
Why is the US immigration process taking longer than normal?
Note: As of March 2020, United States processing times may take longer than normal due to the effects COVID-19 has had on US immigration offices. Visit our page on the latest impacts Coronavirus has had on US immigration in order to stay up-to-date on this topic. There are several reasons including these COVID-19 restrictions that have caused US immigration application backlogging.
How long does it take to get an I-130?
On average, the I-130 (family sponsorship visa) filed by your sponsor takes between 6 to 12 months to be processed. The USCIS processes the petition on a first-come, first-served basis. Your sponsor can expedite the process by submitting the form as early as possible.
Do visas require additional processing?
Keep in mind that some visa applications may require additional, administrative processing, which could add even more time to the estimate (you should be informed when you apply if additional processing is required for your situation).
How long does it take to get a visa after an interview?
However, the U.S. State Department advises that you wait at least 180 days after your interview (or after you submit additional documents) before asking the embassy about your visa unless you have an emergency like a death or serious illness in your immediate family.
What is the first step in the J-1 visa process?
The first key step in the J-1 visa application process is getting your Form DS-2019. You’ll need this document before you can schedule an interview and get final approval for your J-1 visa.
What is a waiver request?
Request from a U.S. governmental agency — A U.S. government agency submits a request stating that you need a waiver so you can work on an agency project.
Do you need to complete additional applications for J-1 visa?
However, some J-1 visa holders will need to complete additional applications for a few special processes:
How long does it take to get a student visa?
By the end of the interview, the consular officer should tell you whether or not your application was approved. Your student visa in the United States will on average take 3 days to a few weeks long.
How long does it take to get an immigration assessment?
Fill out the FREE Immigration Assessment form and get a response within 24 hours to see if you’re eligible.
Is there a premium processing time for student visas?
Unfortunately, there isn’t premium processing available for student visas in the United States as it is only for work-related visas. Luckily, the processing time isn’t long at all!
Do You Need Help Applying for Your Study Visa Application?
If so, Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals, and consultants who work for VisaPlace Legal an award-winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.
How long does it take to get an Australian visa?
The Aussie immigration system is complex, application fees are expensive, and in some cases, visas can take over two years to be processed. Here's how long you can expect to wait when applying for an Australian visa.
When will the Australian government start granting visas for skilled migrants?
In November 2019 , the Australian government will be launching two new Skilled Regional Provisional visas for skilled migrants. Since there is a very high demand for skilled individuals in regional Australia, visas in the Migration Programme will receive priority processing.
How long does it take for USCIS to process a petition?
Within two to three weeks of submitting the form, the USCIS will send the petitioner (U.S. citizen) notice of receipt to confirm that it has received the petition. The USCIS will review the form and may also notify the petitioner if they need additional information and documentation to process the petition.
How long does it take to get married on a K-1 visa?
Has the K-1 visa been issued? At this point, the foreign fiancé (e) is able to enter the U.S. and has 90 days from the point of arrival to get married to the U.S. sponsor. From there the foreign-born spouse can prepare for an adjustment of status to permanently work and live in the country.
What is a fiancé visa?
Fiancé (e) visas are issued to the fiancé (e) of a citizen in order for them to enter into the country and subsequently get married. In order to establish this classification, the U.S. citizen in the relationship must file an I-129 Petition for Relative or Fiancé (e) with USCIS.
How long does it take to get an I-129F?
Both the receipt of notice and adjudication of the I-129F form takes around 5-7 months. However, it could be longer, especially if the petition is not filed correctly or there are certain missing items. It is best to pay attention to details when filing the form so you can avoid unnecessary delays.
Can I get a fiancé visa if I'm already married?
This process can take several months for an i-130 approval and an additional year for an approved immigrant visa. Notice that these processes are in fact very different so you cannot apply for a fiancé (e) visa if you are already married. An immigration attorney can better explain your options if you’re in this situation.
Can a foreign fiancé get a K-1 visa?
If after the visa interview, the consular officer is convinced that the foreign fiancé (e) qualifies for the visa, then the K-1 nonimmigrant visa will be granted. Once the visa has been approved, the foreign fiancé (e) can then start preparing to travel to the U.S.
Does an approved visa guarantee entry?
However, it is important to know that the approved visa doesn’t automatically guarantee entry. The foreign fiancé (e) will still have to seek admission at the port of entry. At the airport or border, a Customs and Border Protection officer will run decide whether to admit the foreign fiancé (e) or otherwise.
