Submitting Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is the first step to bringing your family members to the United States. This petition initiates the process and, once approved, allows your loved one to apply for their Green Card. The processing times for IR visas vary from case to case. Factors such as USCIS backlogs, errors in the application documents, and your relative’s country of origin all impact the processing time for this immigrant visa category. Historical data from the USCIS indicates that it takes between 8 months to one year to process this visa.