The amount of time it takes to petition for an unmarried child over 21 varies. For a U.S. citizen petitioning for an unmarried son or daughter over 21, the I-130 petition processing time averages approximately 29 to 37 months
. However, the processing times can range from 18 months at the Texas Service Center to 59.5 months at the California Service Center for petitions filed by legal permanent residents
. The I-130 petition for an unmarried child of a U.S. lawful permanent resident 21 or older takes between 52 and 93 months
. Several factors can affect the processing time:
- Backlogs Due to backlogs at USCIS, processing times for I-130 petitions have increased
- Preference Category Unmarried children over the age of 21 are not considered immediate relatives, so they are not given priority, resulting in longer wait times
- Visa Availability Adult sons and daughters must wait for an immigrant visa number to become available after the I-130 petition is approved. Wait times can vary significantly because of per-country caps on the number of visas issued each year. Individuals from China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines may face extended wait times and backlogs
- Service Center The USCIS service center that is processing the petition can also affect processing times
