I-130 sent for illegal immigrant spouse

[martinez4]

My husband came to the us illegally when he was 16 and we got married last year in 2010 and have 2 young children. we decided to apply for his visa so we can do things the right way. we turned in his petition in october 2011 and have a receipt notice. so far so good? we havent received anything since but we do know the processing time is 5 months. does that meant they should have a decision of whether it is approved or not by 5 months? and also, if it is approved, how long does it usually take until the interview and visa appointment from the time you get an approval notice? is it necessary for one to hire an attorney or is it just as easy to do it yourself since we dont have a difficult case. does having an attorney mean everything is quicker and more likely an approved visa?

[immihelp]

Hiring an attorney does not make the processing quicker.

You will have to just wait to hear from them.

Processing times vary all the time.