A: The immigration process depends on whether it’s a family-based case or an employment-based case. USCIS publishes processing times on its website at UCIS.gov and then National Visa Center also has processing times. As well, as the department of states has processing times too which are posted on the visa bulletin.
The U.S. Immigration process can be a very difficult and tedious journey for you or your loved one’s. So much so, that the answer to this often asked question will be quite different depending on individual circumstances.
The immigration and naturalization laws as well as the procedures are difficult and hard to navigate for most individuals. Also, the demand for U.S. immigration requests is so high that it creates a huge delay in processing cases. Depending on the visa you are eligible for, and the country you are immigrating from—the time it can take can vary from a year to sometimes more than 10 years.
You Need An Immigration Attorney To Navigate The Immigration Process
Due to the complexity of the system, the obstacles you may encounter, and the length of time the process can take—you need an immigration attorney. It’s a huge risk to attempt to take on such a complex process on your own. An immigration attorney deals with multitudes of cases daily, so they know the system inside and out. It’s so easy to make a mistake on your own that can severely delay your application or even get it denied.
Factors That Can Delay Your Visa Application
The immigration process is already complex and tedious as it is. However, there can be delays when applying for an immigrant visa. Typically, three main factors are responsible for a delay in your application.
Case Overload
This is the most common cause of all delays—there are simply too many visa applications coming in for caseworkers to handle. The workforce of the involved departments, both state and federal, have struggled to keep up with the demand. Depending on the number of applications submitted before yours, the processing time could vary from a few months to a few years.
Insufficient Information
Another reason that applications are delayed is that USCIS may need more information after your application is initially reviewed. That information can often be missing documentation, or the USCIS just confirming circumstances are the same since your initial filing.
Limits And Quotas
The United States government has implemented a limit on the number of visas issued in certain categories per year. Some categories are based on country of origin, type of visa (family, employment, or other), and other criteria. For example, currently, applications from a single country cannot exceed more than 7% of the total number of immigrants each fiscal year. This means that new applicants from countries that make up a disproportionate of all visa applications can face an exceptionally long delay.
Let Serrano Law Firm Guide You On Your Path To Citizenship
At Serrano Law Firm, we have extensive experience in helping individuals and their loved ones make their American dream a reality. Contact us if you are seeking to immigrate to the United States—we want you here!
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