Typical Process And Waiting Time Period After Submitting Fee’s For US Immigration
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Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only and is not an official source for the immigration process. Please consult with your immigration attorney and official channels, including the sources provided in this article, and conduct your research based on your specific situation.
Note: A glossary of terms concerning the acronyms used throughout this article is provided below.
Here’s the typical process and waiting time (for Filipinos, but generally the same worldwide):
1. Submit Fees & DS-260
- You pay the Affidavit of Support fee and the Immigrant Visa Application fee online.
- You then complete and submit the DS-260 forms for each family member.
📌 Timeline: Immediate (same day to a few days depending on when you finish submission).
2. Upload Civil & Financial Documents
- After DS-260, you must upload required documents to NVC (civil documents like birth certificates, marriage certificate, police certificates, and petitioner’s financials such as Form I-864, tax returns, W-2s).
- This step is crucial—NVC won’t review your case until all required documents are uploaded correctly for each applicant.
📌 Timeline: How long you take to gather/upload the docs. Once uploaded → NVC begins review.
3. NVC Review of Case
- NVC reviews your DS-260 and documents for completeness.
- If something is missing, they’ll issue a checklist and put your case on hold until you fix it.
- Once everything is correct, NVC will mark your case as Documentarily Qualified (DQ).
📌 Typical waiting time: ~2–3 months for review, sometimes longer if backlogs are heavy.
4. Wait for Interview Scheduling
- After DQ, you wait for a visa interview slot at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
- Interview dates depend on:
- Whether your visa category is current under the Visa Bulletin (for family preference cases, there may be years of backlog).
- Embassy appointment availability (Manila sometimes has wait times of 3–6+ months after DQ).
📌 Typical waiting time: If your priority date is current → ~3–8 months after DQ to get an interview notice.
5. Medical Exam & Embassy Interview
- Once you receive the interview appointment:
- Schedule your medical exam at St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLEC) in Manila (about 1–2 weeks before the interview).
- Attend your U.S. Embassy interview.
- If approved, your passports with immigrant visas are usually returned via courier (2–4 weeks).
📌 Timeline: Medical + interview + visa issuance = ~1–2 months.
📋 Timeline for Family Preference Categories (F2A, F3, F4)
(When the petitioner is not a U.S. citizen or the family member is not “immediate”)
| Step | What Happens | Typical Waiting Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I-130 Petition Approved | USCIS approves the family petition. | Varies (months to years) |
| 2. Priority Date Waiting | Wait until your priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin. | F2A: ~2–4 years, F3: ~10–14 years, F4: ~15+ years (for Filipinos, can be longer) |
| 3. Fee Payment + DS-260 Submission | Pay fees and submit DS-260 once your date is current. | Same day to a few days |
| 4. Upload Civil & Financial Docs | Upload supporting documents. | Depends on you |
| 5. NVC Review | NVC checks documents. | ~2–3 months |
| 6. Case Documentarily Qualified (DQ) | NVC marks case ready for interview. | Immediate after review |
| 7. Interview Scheduling (Embassy Manila) | Embassy assigns interview. | ~3–8 months after DQ |
| 8. Medical Exam + Interview | Medical + embassy interview. | 1–2 months |
| 9. Visa Issuance | Embassy issues immigrant visas. | ~2–4 weeks |
Recent real-world reports in 2024–2025 cluster around ~8–12 months from DQ to interview (sometimes a bit faster/slower), then a few weeks for visa printing—so 6 months is possible but optimistic; 8–12 months is more typical.
What real people are reporting (Manila)
- IR-1 Manila, DQ → IL ~9 months; DQ → interview ~11 months.
DQ Jan 6, 2024 → Interview Letter Oct 14, 2024 → Interview Dec 5, 2024; visa issued late Jan 2025. Reddit - IR-1 Manila, DQ → IL ~9 months; arrival in US ~12 months from DQ.
“DQ July 17, 2023 … interview letter Apr 15, 2024 … almost an entire year from DQ to entering the US.” VisaJourney - Crowdsourced Manila estimate: “~10 months average” from DQ to interview.
“10 months have been the average… maybe quicker with the new Visa Application Center.” (community tracking) Reddit - 7+ months after DQ with no interview yet (still within the current norm).
Case DQ’d May 2023—no interview as of Jan 2024 (forum thread). VisaJourney - General Manila watchers: “DQ + ~8 months” approximation (subject to waves/expedites). Reddit
“DQ July 17, 2023 … interview letter April 15, 2024.” VisaJourney
“DQ Jan 6, 2024 … interview Dec 5, 2024 … visa issued Jan 30, 2025.” Reddit
Evidence table (recent Manila IR/CR examples)
| Case | DQ Date | Interview Letter | Interview | DQ → IL | DQ → IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reddit IR-1 (Manila) | Jan 6, 2024 | Oct 14, 2024 | Dec 5, 2024 | ~9.3 mo | ~11.0 mo Reddit |
| VisaJourney IR-1 (Manila) | Jul 17, 2023 | Apr 15, 2024 | (noted shortly after) | ~9.0 mo | ~9–11+ mo (to entry) VisaJourney |
| Reddit crowd estimate | — | — | — | — | “~10 months average” (anecdotal) Reddit |
| Forum check-in | May 2023 | — | (waiting Jan 2024) | — | 7–8+ mo and counting VisaJourney |
DQ and after the interview
- From DQ to interview: Manila reports in 2024–2025 point to ~8–12 months for most IR/CR cases, sometimes a bit quicker or slower depending on “wave” releases of interview letters. Reddit+2Reddit+2VisaJourney
- From fees/DS-260 to DQ: The NVC review pace is currently fast (they show what submission dates they’re reviewing—lately within ~1–3 weeks). That means the gating factor is usually the DQ→Interview wait at Manila, not NVC review. NVC
- After interview: If approved, passport/visa return is typically ~2–4 weeks (users often report a couple of weeks to VOH/collection). Reddit
Official tools you can use alongside community reports
- NVC Timeframes page (to see how quickly NVC is reviewing uploaded docs right now). NVC
- State Dept. IV Scheduling Status Tool (shows which DQ month the NVC is currently scheduling for a given post, including Manila). Travel.state
Bottom line (Manila, Filipinos’ experiences lately)
- Planning number for IR/CR: ~8–12 months from DQ to interview, + ~2–4 weeks to get the visa back. That makes ~9–13 months from DQ to visa in hand for many recent cases. Reddit+1VisaJourney
- Your original “6–12 months” is not impossible, but the center of gravity in 2024–2025 looks closer to ~8–12 months for Manila. Build your plans around that range and you’ll be aligned with what real applicants are experiencing.
📖 Immigration Acronyms & Terms (U.S. Immigrant Visa, Manila/Philippines)
- USCIS → U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- The U.S. agency that receives and approves family petitions (Form I-130).
- NVC → National Visa Center
- The office that processes immigrant visa cases after USCIS approval. Collects fees, DS-260 forms, and supporting documents before forwarding to the embassy.
- DS-260 → Online Immigrant Visa Application
- The main visa application form each immigrant must fill out online via the CEAC system.
- CEAC → Consular Electronic Application Center
- The State Department’s online portal where you pay NVC fees, submit DS-260s, and upload supporting documents.
- I-130 → Petition for Alien Relative
- The form a U.S. citizen or green card holder files to start the family immigration process.
- I-864 → Affidavit of Support
- A financial form the petitioner (and sometimes joint sponsors) must submit to prove they can support the immigrant(s).
- DQ → Documentarily Qualified
- Status given by NVC once they have reviewed and accepted all forms and documents. Case is now waiting for an interview appointment.
- IL → Interview Letter
- The email/letter from NVC scheduling your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
- IV → Immigrant Visa
- A visa for permanent immigration to the U.S. (different from nonimmigrant/temporary visas).
- IR / CR → Immediate Relative / Conditional Resident
- IR visas are for spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens.
- CR visas are the same, but “conditional” if the marriage is less than 2 years old at the time of entry (visa valid for 2 years, then you must file to remove conditions).
- F2A / F3 / F4 → Family Preference Categories
- F2A: Spouses & unmarried children (under 21) of U.S. green card holders.
- F3: Married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens (plus their spouses/children).
- F4: Brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens (plus their spouses/children).
- These categories are subject to yearly visa caps, so they have long waiting times for the priority date to become current.
- Priority Date (PD) →
- The date USCIS received the I-130 petition. Determines your place in line for a visa.
- Visa Bulletin →
- A monthly publication from the U.S. Department of State that shows which priority dates are being processed for each visa category and country (important for Filipinos because of long backlogs).
- SLEC → St. Luke’s Extension Clinic
- The only U.S. Embassy–approved medical clinic in Manila for immigrant visa applicants.
- VOH → Visa on Hand
- Informal term used by applicants when they have received their passport back from the embassy with the immigrant visa stamped inside.
- US Embassy Manila →
- The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, located in Manila. All Filipino immigrant visa applicants are interviewed here.
