USCIS Processing Times 2026 - Every Form Tracked

The 2026 USCIS backlog - scale of the crisis

USCIS ended FY 2025 with 11.6 million pending cases - a 23 percent increase over the FY 2024 close. Within that number, 6.28 million cases are classified as backlogged, meaning they have been pending longer than the agency's own published processing-time goal. The frontlog of unopened mail tripled from 60,000 to 250,000 cases between FY 2024 and FY 2025.

• Pending cases at end of FY 2025: 11.6 million.
• Backlogged cases within agency control: 6.28 million.
• Frontlog of unopened cases: roughly 250,000, up from 60,000 the year before.
• Q4 FY 2025 case completions: 2.5 million, 22 percent fewer than Q4 FY 2024.
• Net backlog growth in Q4 alone: more than 800,000 cases.

The headline number is simple. The system is processing fewer cases while receiving more. The backlog is growing, not shrinking, and that trend has now held for four consecutive quarters.

I-485 - Adjustment of Status processing times

Form I-485 is the application by which a person already inside the United States adjusts their status to lawful permanent resident. There is no Premium Processing for I-485 - applicants cannot pay for a faster decision.

By service center the picture varies widely:

After May 22, 2026, USCIS treats adjustment of status as 'extraordinary relief' under a new policy memo. Many applicants may be redirected to consular processing abroad. The detail is in our end of adjustment of status guide, and the partial H-1B walk-back is covered in our USCIS H-1B clarification.

I-765 - EAD work permit processing times

Form I-765 is the application for an Employment Authorization Document. As of June 2025 there were 1.8 million EADs pending - the highest backlog in three years. Most categories now process in 2 to 5 months, with significant variation by eligibility code.

If an EAD expires while the renewal is pending, the 180-day automatic extension keeps you working - but only if you filed the renewal before the expiration date. If you did not, you cannot work until the new EAD arrives. File renewals at least six months before expiration to protect against agency delay.

I-140 - Immigrant Worker Petition processing times

Form I-140 is the employer-filed or self-filed immigrant petition that establishes eligibility for an employment-based green card. Premium Processing is available across all categories.

For the underlying eligibility standards see our EB-2 NIW guide and our EB-1A extraordinary ability guide. For per-country backlog detail see the green card backlog report.

I-130 - Family Petition processing times

Form I-130 is the family-based immigrant petition filed by US citizens and lawful permanent residents for qualifying relatives. Immediate-relative petitions filed by US citizens process in approximately 10 to 14 months. Preference-category petitions run 12 to 24 months or longer, with significant variation by relationship type.

Family-based petitions account for roughly 53 percent of all green cards issued each year. The May 2026 adjustment-of-status policy change hits this category hardest, since most I-130 beneficiaries inside the US planned to adjust rather than consular-process.

PERM Labor Certification - DOL processing times

PERM is the labor certification step required for most EB-2 and EB-3 green cards. It is processed by the Department of Labor, not USCIS, and runs on its own backlog. As of mid-2026 the average PERM decision takes approximately 501 days, an improvement from the 512-day peak in February 2026.

PERM is the step that EB-2 NIW and EB-1A petitioners skip entirely. For most other EB-2 and EB-3 applicants, the 501-day PERM wait sits on top of the I-140 and I-485 timelines, adding more than a year to the H-1B-to-green-card pipeline.

I-129 - H-1B and L-1 petition processing times

How to check your case status

1. Go to egov.uscis.gov/casestatus.
2. Enter your 13-character receipt number, which starts with three letters (EAC, IOE, LIN, MSC, NBC, SRC, WAC, YSC).
3. View the current status message and the date the status last changed.

The most common status messages mean the following:

• Case Was Received - USCIS has logged your filing into the case management system.
• Case Is Being Actively Reviewed - your case has been assigned to an adjudicator.
• Request for Evidence Was Sent - USCIS needs more documents; respond within the deadline.
• Case Was Approved - the petition has been approved.
• Case Was Denied - the petition has been denied; appeal options may apply.
• Card Is Being Produced - your green card or EAD is being printed.
• Card Was Mailed to Me - the physical card is in the mail.

What to do if your case is delayed

1. Check the official processing times on egov.uscis.gov/processingtimes for your form, category, and service center.
2. If your case is outside normal processing time, submit a free e-Request through the USCIS website.
3. Call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 to request a service inquiry.
4. Request a Congressional inquiry through your US Senator or Representative - surprisingly effective for stuck cases.
5. File a complaint with the USCIS Ombudsman at the Department of Homeland Security.
6. As a last resort, consider a mandamus lawsuit in federal district court; attorney fees typically run $3,000 to $8,000.

Do not file a mandamus lawsuit as your first step. Try the free options first. Congressional inquiries are surprisingly effective at unsticking cases that have been pending for months past the published processing time.

Premium processing - which forms qualify

For broader strategic planning, see our current visa bulletin tracker for priority-date movement and our H-1B alternatives 2026 guide for non-US options when timelines become untenable.