Our CR1 Spousal Visa Timeline

Last Updated on August 6, 2022

I understand that circumstances can differ depending on lots of different factors. This is our experience of the I 130 petition for the CR1 Spousal Visa, which we started in September 2015. I have included the whole CR1 Visa timeline of our process with links to helpful tips on the types of evidence we provided for the various forms etc.

The applicant (my husband) is: living in the USA, and is a USA citizen by birth.

I am obviously his Spouse (which ‘fast tracks’ me), born and living in the UK.

Disclosure: Please note some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking and it comes at no extra cost to you! As always, opinions are my own.

Want to get all my visa tips and advice in one place?

“Between England & Iowa: My Guide To The USA CR1 Spouse Visa Process & The Journey To A 10yr Green Card” guide book is available worldwide on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats!

CR1 VISA PROCESSING TIME

CR1 Visa Timeline

SEPT

18/9/15 – I 130 petition posted to the dropbox in Chicago

21/9/15 – I 130 petition received

23/9/15 – Email notification received, letting us know we’ll be getting a receipt with our case number within 7-10 days

29/9/15 – Form I-797 notice of receipt received in the mail, allowing us now to sign into the uscis.gov website using our receipt number to keep track of our application status

FEB

8/2/16 (I 130 approval time for spouse = 141 days) – USCIS approved our I 130 petition (email notification)

11/2/16 – NOA1 received in the mail

18/2/16 – USCIS sent application to the National Visa Centre (NVC)

MARCH

10/3/16 – NVC Welcome Letter received in the mail (USA) with our NVC case number

11/3/16 – AOS Fee paid and Choice of Agent submitted online

22/3/16 – NVC Welcome Letter received in the mail (UK)

23/3/16 – IV fee invoice received via email

25/3/16 – IV fee paid online

30/3/16 – IV form (DS260) filled in and submitted online

APRIL

14/4/16 – AOS pack mailed to NVC

18/4/16 – NVC received AOS Pack

MAY

3/5/16 – Email received from NVC saying pack was received and there’s currently a 30 day processing wait

25/5/16 – Email received from the NVC saying they have now got in touch with the London Embassy and are awaiting an interview date for me

26/5/16 – Embassy interview date given for 6th July

31/5/16 – Medical booked for 14th June

JUNE

14/6/16 – Medical at Knightsbridge Doctors in London

JULY

6/7/16 – Interview at the American Embassy, London. VISA GRANTED

11/7/16 – Email saying that the London Embassy has sent my passport to the courier

12/7/16 – Visa pack arrived by courier, containing a sealed pack to be handed to immigration in America, my passport and 2 information sheets

16/7/16 – Green Card fee paid online

AUG

11/08/16 (330days) – Arrival in USA

22/08/16 – Social Security Number received in post

SEPT

29/09/16 – Green Card arrives in mail

Spouse visa USA processing times = 330 DAYS

One of the questions that I get asked the most is ‘how long does it take to receive your passport back after the interview’. As you can see in my CR1 visa timeline, my passport took 6 days to come back after my interview at the embassy, but they do say that it could take up to 14 days, so bare this in mind if you plan on booking flights! I suggest not booking flights though until after the visa is granted.