Current estimated USCIS processing times across service centers and form types for 2026. Check where I-130, I-485, I-765, N-400, I-751, I-589, and other common forms stand today.
Most common family-based cases run 8 to 18 months. Current 2026 ballpark numbers: I-130 for spouse of U.S. citizen 12โ18 months; I-485 adjustment of status 12โ20 months; I-765 employment authorization (standard) 4โ8 months; N-400 naturalization 8โ14 months; I-751 removal of conditions 16โ28 months; I-589 asylum highly variable. Times vary significantly by service center and whether the case is routed to a local field office. The table below reflects current published USCIS estimates.
What this tracker shows: the published USCIS estimate for each form at each service center. These are estimates of recent completions, not a promise about your case.
How to read this table
โฐ Data reflects published USCIS processing times for 2026. Actual times vary by case complexity, service center workload, and security checks.
| Form | Description | Service Center | Processing Time | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | TSC | 7โ11 months | |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | NSC | 9โ13 months | |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative | CSC | 8โ12 months | |
| I-140 | Immigrant Worker Petition | TSC | 5โ9 months | |
| I-140 | Immigrant Worker Petition | NSC | 6โ10 months | |
| I-140 | Immigrant Worker Petition (Premium) | TSC | 15 business days | |
| I-485 | Adjustment of Status (family) | NBC | 8โ16 months | |
| I-485 | Adjustment of Status (employment) | NBC | 10โ18 months | |
| I-485 | Adjustment of Status | FO | 8โ14 months | |
| I-751 | Remove Conditions on Residence | CSC | 14โ22 months | |
| I-751 | Remove Conditions on Residence | VSC | 16โ24 months | |
| I-765 | Employment Authorization (initial) | NSC | 3โ7 months | |
| I-765 | Employment Authorization (renewal) | NSC | 4โ8 months | |
| I-765 | Employment Authorization (asylum) | TSC | 2โ6 months | |
| I-131 | Travel Document (Advance Parole) | NSC | 3โ5 months | |
| I-131 | Travel Document | TSC | 3โ7 months | |
| N-400 | Naturalization/Citizenship | FO | 6โ10 months | |
| I-589 | Asylum (affirmative) | Asylum Offices | 12โ36+ months | |
| I-589 | Asylum (defensive/court) | Immigration Court | 24โ48+ months | |
| I-129 | H-1B Petition | CSC | 2โ6 months | |
| I-129 | H-1B (Premium) | CSC | 15 business days | |
| I-129 | L-1 Petition | VSC | 3โ7 months | |
| I-526E | EB-5 Investor Petition | TSC | 30โ46 months | |
| I-360 | VAWA Self-Petition | VSC | 12โ20 months | |
| I-918 | U Visa Petition | VSC | 48โ72+ months |
If a family petition, adjustment of status, asylum application, or naturalization case is outside normal processing times, an attorney can review the file and advise on a case inquiry, expedite request, or federal mandamus action.
Talk to an Immigration Lawyer โ (888) 902-9285USCIS publishes an estimated processing time for each form at each service center. That number is the time it took USCIS to complete 80% of cases in the prior month โ not a guarantee. Three things change what your specific case will actually take: where the case is routed, whether the service center is hitting its target pace, and whether your case hits a Request for Evidence, RFE on criminal history, or security check. Cases with RFEs commonly add 4 to 8 additional months.
When your case has been pending longer than the published estimate at your service center, three tools exist: (1) a Case Inquiry through the USCIS Contact Center, which puts the case on a review queue; (2) a Service Request for Expedited Processing, available on limited grounds such as severe financial loss, humanitarian reasons, USCIS error, or compelling U.S. government interest; and (3) a writ of mandamus in federal district court, which asks a judge to order USCIS to make a decision. Mandamus works โ in many districts 80%+ of mandamus filings resolve within 60 to 90 days โ but it is a federal lawsuit and should be filed by an attorney.
In 2026, a Form I-130 filed by a U.S. citizen for a spouse, parent, or minor child is taking roughly 9 to 14 months at most service centers. Petitions filed by permanent residents, and petitions for adult or married children and siblings, are approved on a similar clock but then wait for a visa number under the Visa Bulletin.
Family-based adjustment of status is running about 8 to 16 months from receipt to decision, with interview scheduling at the local field office driving most of the variation. Cases with a pending I-130, an RFE, or open background checks take longer. Work permits and travel documents filed with the I-485 are decided separately, usually sooner.
Most N-400 applications are decided within 6 to 10 months, with the fastest field offices scheduling the interview in under six months. After approval, the oath ceremony can add several weeks. Applicants with travel gaps, tax issues, or a criminal record should expect additional review before the interview.
No. USCIS processing times measure only how long the agency takes to decide a form. For family preference categories such as F2A, F1, F3, and F4, the visa number wait set by the Visa Bulletin is separate and often much longer. Our family green card timeline explains how the two waits combine.
Affirmative asylum interviews are taking anywhere from one to five or more years depending on the asylum office, with USCIS scheduling many newer filings first. Defensive asylum in immigration court follows the court docket, not USCIS times. No timeline is guaranteed; an attorney can help keep the record complete while the case waits.
USCIS publishes a rolling window based on the prior month's completed work. Staffing changes, new rulemaking, policy memos, and surge intake for humanitarian categories all move the numbers.
Premium processing is currently available on I-129 employment petitions, many I-140 categories, some I-539 change of status categories, and some I-765 categories. It is not available on I-130, I-485, N-400, I-751, I-589, or most family-based forms.
Filing a mandamus does not legally affect the merits decision. Most mandamus cases resolve by USCIS adjudicating the underlying petition rather than contesting the lawsuit. You still need the underlying case to qualify on the merits.
The most common reasons: the case was routed to a slower service center; an RFE or NOID is pending; security checks (FBI name check, background) are open; or a related case (such as a derivative or priority date) is holding the file. We review the FOIA and case history to diagnose which of these applies.
In many cases, yes โ through expedite requests on qualifying grounds, written complaints via the CIS Ombudsman, congressional casework via a U.S. Senator or Representative, and when warranted, a federal mandamus action. Which tool fits depends on the form, the reason for the delay, and how long the case has been pending.
Processing times are estimates based on publicly available USCIS data. Actual processing times vary by case complexity, service center workload, and security checks. This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
