Fact check: How long does the green card process take for Mexican nationals?

1. Summary of the results

The green card process for Mexican nationals varies significantly depending on the immigration pathway and category. Based on the most recent data from 2025, Mexican nationals face substantially longer wait times compared to other countries for most family-based green card categories ^[1].

Family-Based Immigration Wait Times for Mexican Nationals:

• F1 (Adult/Unmarried Children of U.S. Citizens): Wait times dating back to September 2017 ^[1] or April 2006 ^[2], showing inconsistency in reporting
• F2A (Spouses/Children of Green Card Holders): Wait times since October 2024 ^[1] or February 2025 ^[2]
• F2B (Adult Children of Green Card Holders): Wait times since January 2017 ^[1] or April 2007 ^[2]
• F3 (Married Children of U.S. Citizens): Wait times since July 2012 ^[1] or June 2001 ^[2]
• F4 (Siblings of U.S. Citizens): Wait times since April 2001 ^{[1] [2]}

Employment-Based Immigration:

• Some categories like EB-1 and EB-5 have no wait or are current for Mexican nationals ^[1]
• EB-2 category advanced by nearly 4 months in recent visa bulletin updates ^[2]

Physical Card Processing:

After entering the U.S. with an immigrant visa, it takes up to 90 days to receive the physical permanent resident card, depending on when the immigrant visa fee was paid ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several critical pieces of context that significantly impact processing times:

• USCIS processing times are generally increasing in FY 2025 ^[1], indicating systemic delays across all categories
• Recent policy changes under the Trump administration have paused some green card applications as part of more aggressive vetting efforts ^[4], which could further extend processing times
• Different employment-based categories have vastly different wait times, with some having no delays while others face multi-year backlogs ^[1]
• Visa bulletin dates show minimal movement for most family-based categories, with little to no advancement in recent months ^[2]

Who benefits from longer processing times:

• Immigration attorneys and legal service providers benefit financially from extended processing periods requiring ongoing legal representation
• Employers may benefit from maintaining foreign workers on temporary visas rather than permanent status
• Political figures who campaign on immigration restriction benefit from demonstrating "tough" enforcement through extended processing times

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself is not misleading but is overly simplistic in assuming a single answer exists for all Mexican nationals. The question fails to acknowledge that:

• Processing times vary dramatically by category - from immediate availability in some employment categories to 20+ year waits in family categories ^{[1] [2]}
• There are conflicting data points between sources regarding specific wait times, suggesting either rapidly changing conditions or inconsistent reporting methodologies
• Recent policy changes may be affecting current processing times in ways not reflected in historical data ^[4]

The sources themselves show inconsistent reporting of wait times, with different dates provided for the same categories between April 2025 and May 2025 publications, indicating either rapid changes in visa availability or potential data accuracy issues in immigration reporting.