Updated November 1, 2026

CR-1 visa processing time: every stage, and where each wait is posted

A CR-1 spouse visa moves through three queues: USCIS decides Form I-130, the National Visa Center (NVC) collects fees and documents, then an embassy interviews your spouse. No agency publishes one total time. Each queue posts its own wait, so your total is the sum of three numbers. As of October 26, 2026, NVC document review alone took about 69 days.

The stage you control most is NVC: a complete, correct document package is what moves your case to the interview queue.

What are the CR-1 visa stages?

How long does the I-130 take?

USCIS posts the current I-130 time on its processing times tool at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. Choose Form I-130, then the office named on your receipt notice, and read the figure for a spouse of a US citizen.

For a sense of scale, USCIS also publishes national medians by fiscal year. For immediate relative I-130s, which include spouses of US citizens, the median was 14.4 months in fiscal 2025 and 12.8 months in fiscal 2026 (October 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026). That's the time it took to finish half the cases, so many take longer. Your office's current figure in the tool is the one to plan with.

• No premium processing. Form I-130 isn't on the premium processing list in USCIS Form G-1055, so you can't pay to speed it up.
• Fee: $675 on paper or $625 online, per Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26).
• Upgrading from a green card petition. If you filed as a permanent resident and later naturalized, the State Department says to send NVC proof of citizenship (your passport biodata page or naturalization certificate) to upgrade the case to immediate relative. Children then need their own petitions.

How long does the NVC take?

The NVC updates its timeframes page weekly with three dates. Here are two snapshots, so you can see how much they move:

The day counts are our math from each snapshot. Document review went from under a month in July to more than two months by late October, which is why getting documents right the first time matters: a resubmitted document has to be reviewed again.

Don't let the case sit. Under INA 203(g), the State Department terminates a petition if the applicant doesn't apply within one year of the notice that a visa is available. It can be reinstated within two years only if the delay was beyond your control.

How long from documentarily complete to the interview?

NVC schedules interviews by the date each case became documentarily complete, post by post. The State Department's IV Scheduling Status Tool shows, for each embassy, the month of completed cases it's now scheduling. Spouses of US citizens use the Relative Visa column. In the October 7, 2026 version we read, posts ranged widely:

Read it like this: if your case became documentarily complete in May 2026 and your post shows Jan-2026, cases from February to May are still ahead of you. The months update monthly, so check the live tool for your post. Our visa wait time checker covers nonimmigrant appointment waits by post, a separate queue.

What can you do to avoid delays?

• Submit complete documents once. The State Department says some cases are delayed because applicants don't follow instructions, and some because the sponsor can't meet the Affidavit of Support rules. The US citizen must live (be domiciled) in the US and be at least 18 to sign Form I-864, with few exceptions.
• Book the medical exam early. Every applicant needs a panel physician exam and the required vaccinations before the visa can be issued.
• Bring originals. The interview needs originals or certified copies of civil documents, legible photocopies, translations, and two 2 x 2 photos. Our visa photo requirements guide covers the size rules.
• Expect possible administrative processing. The State Department notes that some cases need more processing after the interview. Our 221(g) guide explains the refusal sheet and next steps.

CR-1 or IR-1: why the entry date matters

The State Department says that if you've been married less than two years when your spouse enters the US, permanent residence is conditional (CR-1). Otherwise it's IR-1. Conditional residents get a 2-year green card and must file together to remove the conditions in the 90 days before the second anniversary of entry, the expiration date on the card.

A worked example (our dates, using those rules). You married on June 1, 2025. The visa is issued on April 10, 2027, so it's generally valid until about October 10, 2027. If your spouse enters on May 15, 2027, you've been married less than two years, so residence is conditional and the green card expires May 15, 2029, with the joint filing window opening about February 14, 2029. If your spouse enters on June 5, 2027, you've been married more than two years, so it isn't conditional.

What does a CR-1 cost?

That's $1,355 in government fees with a paper I-130, or $1,305 online, before the medical exam (our math). USCIS says the green card is mailed to the US address you gave, and to use its help form if it hasn't arrived within 90 days of paying the fee or entering.

CR-1 or K-1?

If you aren't married yet, the K-1 fiancé(e) visa is the other route: your partner enters, you marry within 90 days, and then they apply for a green card inside the US. Our K-1 visa processing time guide lays out that timeline, and K-1 visa requirements covers who qualifies. The K-1 interview questions guide shows the kind of relationship questions spouse interviews also ask.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.