G J
May 1, 2026
I-130 filed abroad - How long did your approval take?
Hey everyone, I’m currently living abroad with my spouse and we filed I-130 last year (I am US citizen) and I am curious to hear from others in a similar situation. How long did it take for your approval to come through, and what was your timeline like with the NVC and the consular processing afterwards?
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Nella BMay 1, 2026
hi may I ask what month did you file ? we filed September 2025, same consular processing and still waiting
G JMay 1, 2026
Hi, we also filed in September 2025.
Camila GMay 1, 2026
Hi, I'm in the same situation as you. We applied in April 2025 and haven't received any response from UCIS.
séra retmierMay 2, 2026
we applied in march of 2025 and still waiting..
Manifest LawMay 8, 2026
Standalone spouse I-130s often take many months and sometimes over a year. After approval, the case goes to NVC for fee bills, DS-260, I-864, civil documents, documentarily qualified review, and then consular interview scheduling. NVC’s current case creation page shows how long it is taking to create cases after USCIS sends approvals; as of April 27, 2026, NVC said it was working on cases received from USCIS on April 16, 2026.
- Attorney Rashmi Bishnoi
(All information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney - client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.)
