Reference Tool · USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
USCIS Processing Times by Form & Category
How long USCIS takes to adjudicate employment-based green card petitions (Form I-140), work visas (Form I-129), adjustment of status (Form I-485), EADs and Advance Parole (Forms I-765 & I-131), EB-5 investor filings (Forms I-526E & I-829), family petitions (Forms I-130 & I-751), and naturalization (Form N-400)—side by side with Form I-907 premium processing rules and direct links to the official USCIS source pages.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool (80th percentile of cases completed over the prior six months) and the USCIS Form I-907 Premium Processing schedule (91 FR 1078 (effective March 1, 2026)).
Key Employment, Investor & Adjustment Benchmarks
Based on USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026.
32.5 months regular
Premium: 15 business days ($2,965)
USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
30 months regular
Premium: 45 business days ($2,965)
USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
6.5 – 14.5 months regular
Premium: 15 business days ($2,965)
L-1 6.5 mo · H-1B 10–11.5 mo · O-1 14.5 mo (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026)
9.5 months when current
Excludes Visa Bulletin priority-date wait; no premium processing.
USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
35 months consolidated
Rural TEA receives statutory priority processing under the RIA.
USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
12.5 months office median
Fastest 9 mo · slowest 18 mo across 90 USCIS field offices.
USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026
Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
Underlying immigrant petition for EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-1C, EB-2 (NIW and PERM), and EB-3 green cards. Adjudicated under Service Center Operations (SCOPS).
USCIS publishes the time required to complete 80% of adjudicated cases over the prior six months at Service Center Operations (SCOPS). USCIS notes that it prioritizes I-140 petitions when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available; this prioritization does not affect premium-processed petitions.
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (E11)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Standard queue includes petitions waiting without premium upgrade; most petitioners seeking near-term adjudication file or upgrade with Form I-907.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-1B Outstanding Professor or Researcher (E12)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Employer-sponsored first-preference category for tenured/tenure-track faculty and permanent industrial researchers.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-1C Multinational Executive or Manager (E13)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Unlike EB-1A and EB-1B (15 business days), USCIS sets a 45-business-day premium processing clock for EB-1C multinational manager/executive petitions.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Self-petitioned EB-2 category. Premium processing sets a 45-business-day adjudication clock and bypasses SCOPS visa-availability queue prioritization; it does not accelerate Visa Bulletin priority dates.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-2 Advanced Degree or Exceptional Ability with PERM (E21 non-NIW)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Reflects only the USCIS I-140 stage after Department of Labor PERM certification is already approved. USCIS excludes premium-processed petitions from its published 80th-percentile figure and prioritizes non-premium I-140s when an immigrant visa is available.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-3 Skilled Worker or Professional (E31, E32)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Covers the USCIS I-140 stage following DOL PERM labor certification approval.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
EB-3 Other (Unskilled) Worker (EW3) & Schedule A Nurses
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
USCIS reports 9 months for EW3 unskilled worker petitions and 25.5 months for Schedule A nurse/physical therapist petitions under SCOPS.
80% of cases: 9 mo (EW3) · 25.5 mo (Schedule A nurses)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
Employer- or agent-sponsored petitions for O-1, H-1B, L-1A/L-1B, TN, E-3, and H-1B1 work authorization at Service Center Operations (SCOPS).
USCIS adjudicates Form I-129 under Service Center Operations (SCOPS). Standard timelines reflect the published SCOPS 80th-percentile figures for non-premium completions; Form I-907 guarantees action within 15 business days.
O-1A / O-1B Extraordinary Ability Nonimmigrant
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Applies to non-premium O-1A and O-1B filings at SCOPS. Advisory peer-consultation opinion must be included at filing; most time-sensitive petitioners file with Form I-907.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
H-1B Specialty Occupation (Change of Status, Consular, or Extension)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
USCIS reports 10 months for H-1B change of status in the U.S., 11 months for consular visa issuance abroad, and 11.5 months for extension of stay. Excludes the up to 7 working days required for Department of Labor LCA (Form ETA-9035) certification prior to filing.
80% of cases: 10 mo (change of status) · 11 mo (consular) · 11.5 mo (extension)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
L-1A Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
USCIS publishes a single SCOPS line covering intracompany transferees (L-1A/L-1B) and blanket L petitions. Canadian citizens may also present L-1 petitions directly at a Class A port of entry or pre-clearance airport under USMCA rules.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS L & blanket L)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
L-1B Intracompany Transferee Specialized Knowledge
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Reflects the USCIS SCOPS intracompany transferee line; blanket L-1 applications filed directly at a U.S. consulate follow Department of State interview scheduling.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS L & blanket L)
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
TN USMCA Professional & E-3 Australian Specialty Occupation (USCIS I-129)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
USCIS reports 4.5 months for TN and 5 months for E-3 when filing Form I-129 for an in-country change of status or extension. Border port-of-entry (TN) and direct consular (E-3/H-1B1) filings bypass USCIS.
80% of cases: 4.5 mo (TN) · 5 mo (E-3) at SCOPS
$2,965 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
In-country green card application for applicants physically present in the United States with a current priority date under the monthly Visa Bulletin.
USCIS calculates Form I-485 processing times from receipt to decision for applications with an available immigrant visa number. Time spent waiting in a retrogressed Visa Bulletin queue does not count toward the published processing-time window.
Employment-Based Adjustment (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) — All Field Offices
Adjudicating office: All USCIS Field Offices & National Benefits Center
Measures USCIS adjudication when a visa number is available; if a priority date retrogresses after filing, the application is held in abeyance until the date becomes current again.
80% of cases completed within (all field offices)
Family-Based Adjustment — Varies by Local Field Office
Adjudicating office: 90 USCIS Field Offices (National Median of 80th-Percentile Figures)
Because marriage and immediate-relative I-485s frequently require a local field-office interview, timelines depend heavily on the applicant's residential ZIP code.
Field-office median (fastest 8.5 mo, slowest 36 mo across 90 offices)
EB-4 and EB-5 Adjustment of Status
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
An I-485 filed concurrently with Form I-526E cannot be approved until the underlying I-526E petition is approved and an EB-5 visa number is available.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
Asylum, Refugee, U Visa & T Visa Adjustment
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases: 25 mo (U visa) · 30 mo (refugee) · 34.5 mo (asylum) · 43.5 mo (T visa)
Application for Employment Authorization (EAD)
Work permit application filed alongside a pending Form I-485 [(c)(9)], by H-4 spouses [(c)(26)], or by F-1 students seeking OPT/STEM OPT [(c)(3)].
Published 80th-percentile figures vary by eligibility code and adjudicating center. Note that L-2 and E-1/E-2/E-3 spouses with an I-94 bearing an 'S' spousal designation are work-authorized incident to status and do not require an EAD card to work.
Based on a Pending I-485 Adjustment [(c)(9)] — National Benefits Center
Adjudicating office: National Benefits Center (NBC)
Many initial (c)(9) EADs are issued earlier right after biometrics, but the 80th-percentile tail across NBC reaches 12 months (12.5 months at SCOPS).
80% of cases completed within (NBC)
Based on a Pending I-485 Adjustment [(c)(9)] — Service Center Operations
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
H-4 Spouse of an H-1B Worker [(c)(26)] — Filed with Form I-539
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Standalone H-4 EAD filings not bundled with Form I-539 take substantially longer (80% completed within 17.5 months at SCOPS).
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
F-1 Student OPT / STEM OPT [(c)(3)(A), (c)(3)(B), (c)(3)(C)]
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
F-1 OPT and STEM OPT applicants are the only Form I-765 categories eligible for Form I-907 premium processing (30 business days).
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$1,780 · Form I-907 · USCIS I-907 source
Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
Advance Parole travel authorization for pending I-485 applicants and Reentry Permits for lawful permanent residents spending extended periods abroad.
USCIS frequently adjudicates Form I-765 first as a standalone EAD card and leaves Form I-131 Advance Parole in a separate queue unless issued as a combo card. Departing the U.S. while an I-485 is pending without valid Advance Parole or dual-intent H-1B/L-1 status abandons the I-485.
Advance Parole (Pending I-485 Travel Authorization)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations & National Benefits Center
Applicants maintaining valid H-1B, H-4, L-1, or L-2 status can generally travel internationally on a valid visa stamp without waiting for Advance Parole under 8 CFR § 245.2(a)(4)(ii)(C).
80% of cases completed within
Reentry Permit or Refugee Travel Document
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
A Reentry Permit applicant must be physically present in the United States when Form I-131 is filed and received by USCIS, and must appear for biometrics if required.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor
Post-RIA EB-5 immigrant investor petition for regional center projects (Rural, High-Unemployment TEA, Infrastructure, and Unreserved), adjudicated by the Investor Program Office (IPO).
The single consolidated Form I-526E figure on egov.uscis.gov/processing-times blends rural priority-track petitions (granted statutory priority processing under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022) with high-unemployment TEA and unreserved filings. Pre-RIA legacy Form I-526 petitions are reported separately by USCIS.
Regional Center Investor Petition (Form I-526E — Post-RIA Consolidated)
Adjudicating office: Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO)
Covers post-March 2022 regional center filings on Form I-526E across reserved (Rural, High-Unemployment TEA, Infrastructure) and unreserved categories. Pre-RIA legacy Form I-526 petitions are tracked on a separate USCIS line.
80% of cases completed within (IPO consolidated I-526E)
Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status
Filed within the 90-day window preceding the second anniversary of an EB-5 investor's conditional permanent residence to prove capital sustainment and job creation.
While Form I-829 is pending, the Form I-797 receipt notice automatically extends the investor's conditional permanent resident card for 48 months beyond its expiration date.
All Form I-829 Removal-of-Conditions Petitions
Adjudicating office: Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO)
80% of cases completed within (IPO)
Petition for Alien Relative
Family-sponsored immigrant petition establishing a qualifying relationship between a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and a foreign-national relative.
USCIS adjudicates standalone consular I-130s for immediate relatives primarily under Service Center Operations (SCOPS), while family-preference petitions and National Benefits Center routings carry multi-year windows tied to Visa Bulletin availability.
U.S. Citizen Filing for Spouse, Parent, or Unmarried Child Under 21 (Immediate Relative)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
When filed concurrently in the U.S. with Form I-485, the package generally moves on the local field office's family-based I-485 timeline (median 16 months).
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS; 53 mo at NBC)
F2A — Lawful Permanent Resident Filing for Spouse or Unmarried Child Under 21
Adjudicating office: National Benefits Center (NBC)
80% of cases completed within (NBC)
Adult Family Preference Categories (F1, F2B, F3, F4)
Adjudicating office: National Benefits Center (NBC)
80% of cases: 52.5 mo (F1) · 53.5 mo (F2B/F3) · 57 mo (F4)
Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
Filed by marriage-based conditional permanent residents to transition from a 2-year conditional green card to a 10-year permanent resident card.
The Form I-751 receipt notice automatically extends conditional resident status and work/travel authorization for 48 months. Eligible spouses who reach their 3-year or 5-year statutory period often file Form N-400 while Form I-751 is still pending.
Service Center Operations (Interview Waived / Standard Queue)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
USCIS Field Offices (Cases Referred for Interview)
Adjudicating office: All USCIS Field Offices
80% of cases completed within (up to 58.5 mo tail)
Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status
Used by H-4, L-2, O-3, TD, E-3D, F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2, and B-1/B-2 nonimmigrants to extend stay or change status inside the United States.
Standalone Form I-539 processing times vary by dependent classification and whether an accompanying Form I-765 is filed.
H-4 Extension of Stay Filed Concurrently with Form I-765
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
H-4 Extension or Change of Status to H-4 (Without I-765)
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
L-2 Dependent Extension of Stay
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
Change of Status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 Academic / Exchange Status
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
Form I-907 premium processing on Form I-539 applies to changes of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 nonimmigrant status.
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
$2,075 · Form I-907 (change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, J-2) · USCIS I-907 source
F, M, or J Academic / Exchange Extension of Stay
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases completed within (SCOPS)
B-1 / B-2 Visitor Extension or Change of Status
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations (SCOPS)
80% of cases: 8 mo (change of status) · 8.5 mo (extension of stay)
Application for Naturalization
Application for U.S. citizenship by lawful permanent residents meeting the 5-year general residence rule or 3-year U.S.-citizen spouse rule.
Form N-400 is adjudicated by local USCIS field offices. The national figure below is the median of the 80th-percentile completion times across 90 USCIS field offices.
All Naturalization Applicants — Varies by Local Field Office
Adjudicating office: 90 USCIS Field Offices (National Median of 80th-Percentile Figures)
If USCIS fails to issue a decision within 120 days AFTER the naturalization examination interview, the applicant may seek judicial review in federal district court under INA § 336(b), 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b).
Field-office median (fastest 9 mo, slowest 18 mo across 90 offices)
Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
10-year green card renewal or replacement of a lost, stolen, damaged, or biographically incorrect Permanent Resident Card.
The Form I-90 receipt notice automatically extends the validity of an expiring 10-year Permanent Resident Card for 36 months from the card's face expiration date.
10-Year Permanent Resident Card Renewal
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations / Potomac Service Center
80% of cases completed within
Initial Issuance or Replacement of Lost/Damaged Card
Adjudicating office: Service Center Operations / Potomac Service Center
80% of cases completed within
Data Methodology & Caveats
How to Read USCIS Processing Times (and Why Two Official Pages Often Disagree)
USCIS publishes processing data in multiple places using different statistical formulas. Before planning a filing strategy around a single month figure, check which metric you are reading (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026):
1. 80th Percentile (“Case Processing Times”) vs. 50th Percentile (“Historic Medians”)
The main USCIS Case Processing Times tool reports the time in which 80% of non-premium adjudicated cases were completed over the prior six months (premium-processed filings are excluded from this metric). By contrast, the USCIS Historical National Median page reports the 50th-percentile median across the fiscal year. Both can be cited accurately only when labeled with the metric they measure.
2. Visa-Availability Queue Prioritization at SCOPS
On Form I-140, USCIS states that Service Center Operations prioritizes non-premium petitions when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is available. Because many PERM-backed E21 petitions reach the I-140 stage with an older priority date established at labor certification filing—while many self-petitioned EB-2 NIW filings sit in the standard queue awaiting visa availability—the non-premium NIW 80th percentile sits at 30 months while EB-2 with PERM sits at 3 months (excluding the prior 12–24+ months at DOL). Read our NIW Processing Time analysis for a full breakdown.
3. Adjudication Time vs. Visa Bulletin Priority-Date Wait
Form I-485 processing times (9.5 months for employment-based adjustment) measure how long USCIS takes to decide an application when a visa number is available. They do not include multi-year Visa Bulletin waits for India, China, or retrogressed categories. To estimate priority-date movement, use our Green Card Wait Calculator.
4. When a Case Exceeds Normal Processing Times
Once your receipt date passes the USCIS “case inquiry date” (roughly the 93rd percentile of completions), you can file an online e-Request or congressional inquiry. When an I-485, I-526E, I-829, I-751, or post-interview N-400 remains stuck for an unreasonable period with no premium-processing option, federal court relief may be available—see our guide to Writ of Mandamus & APA Unreasonable-Delay Lawsuits.
Frequently Asked Questions About USCIS Processing Times
Based on USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026.
What does the USCIS '80% of cases completed within' number actually mean?
On the USCIS Case Processing Times tool (https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times), the headline figure is the 80th percentile of non-premium completions over the preceding six months: 80% of adjudicated cases were decided from receipt to completion within that number of months, and the remaining 20% took longer. USCIS excludes cases processed under Form I-907 premium processing from this calculation, and treats processing time as distinct from "cycle time" (which measures how many months of pending inventory await a decision). It is a backward-looking measure of recently completed cases, not a forward-looking guarantee for a newly filed petition (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026).
Why does USCIS show 3 months for an EB-2 PERM I-140, 30 months for an EB-2 NIW, and 32.5 months for an EB-1A?
USCIS excludes premium-processed cases from its published 80th-percentile figures, so the difference reflects how Service Center Operations (SCOPS) sequences the non-premium queue (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026). USCIS explicitly states on its processing-times page that SCOPS prioritizes non-premium I-140 petitions when the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows an immigrant visa is immediately available. Because many PERM-backed E21 petitions reach the I-140 stage with an older priority date established when the labor certification was filed (and many self-petitioned NIW and non-premium EB-1A filings sit in the standard queue while waiting on visa availability), the non-premium E21 completion window is much shorter. Moreover, the 3-month E21 figure excludes the 12 to 24+ months spent at the Department of Labor for prevailing wage determination and PERM recruitment before the I-140 can even be filed.
Which immigration forms qualify for Form I-907 Premium Processing, and what are the timeframes and fees?
Under the DHS inflation-adjustment rule effective March 1, 2026 (91 FR 1078 (effective March 1, 2026)), Form I-907 premium processing costs $2,965 for Form I-140 and Form I-129 petitions. USCIS guarantees action (approval, RFE, NOID, or referral) within 15 business days for EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 PERM, EB-3, O-1, H-1B, L-1A/L-1B, TN, and E-3 petitions, and within 45 business days for EB-1C Multinational Executive/Manager and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petitions. Separate Form I-907 tiers apply to F-1 OPT/STEM OPT Form I-765 filings ($1,780 / 30 business days) and F/M/J change-of-status Form I-539 filings ($2,075 / 30 business days). Forms I-485, I-131, I-526E, I-829, I-130, I-751, and N-400 are not eligible for premium processing (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026).
Does a 9.5-month Employment-Based Form I-485 processing time include the Visa Bulletin priority-date backlog?
No. USCIS Form I-485 processing times (USCIS data accessed October 5, 2026) measure the adjudication period for applications where an immigrant visa number is available. If your priority date is not current under the monthly Department of State Visa Bulletin—or if your priority date retrogresses while your I-485 is pending—your case is held until a visa number becomes available. To estimate when a backlogged priority date may become current, use our Green Card Wait Calculator.
What can I do if my petition is delayed beyond normal USCIS processing times?
First, check the "When can I ask about my case?" inquiry date tool at https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times (which corresponds to roughly the 93rd percentile of completions) to submit an official USCIS e-Request service inquiry. Second, if premium processing is available for your form classification (such as Form I-140 or Form I-129), upgrading via Form I-907 forces action within 15 or 45 business days. Third, for forms without premium processing—such as Form I-485, Form I-526E, Form I-829, Form I-751, or post-interview Form N-400—an unreasonable agency delay may be challenged in federal district court under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. § 706(1)), the Mandamus Act (28 U.S.C. § 1361), or INA § 336(b) for naturalization delays exceeding 120 days post-interview.
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