Applicants frustrated by long waits are not imagining it: USCIS is managing a record backlog of nearly 12 million pending cases as of the close of Fiscal Year 2025, and processing times for several common forms have continued to climb into 2026.
The numbers tell the story. Processing for Form I-130 (family-based petitions) is running around 14.5 months for U.S.-citizen sponsors and longer for permanent-resident sponsors. Form I-129F (fiancé(e) petitions) now ranges from roughly 8 to 11 months for the USCIS approval phase alone. And Form I-90 (green card renewal or replacement) has surged to more than 8 months, up from about 4 months a year earlier.
Oversight bodies have repeatedly flagged the backlog. The USCIS Ombudsman and outside analysts have urged the agency to accelerate digitization and process innovation to dig out from the volume, noting that paper-based workflows and staffing constraints continue to slow adjudications.
For employment-based applicants — including those pursuing EB-2 NIW and EB-1A — backlog growth has real consequences. Delays can affect work authorization, travel documents, and the timing of adjustment of status, and they compound the uncertainty created by retrogressing priority dates. The recent expansion of online filing for standalone I-140 petitions is one bright spot that can shave time off the front end of the process.
What can applicants do? File complete, well-documented petitions to avoid Requests for Evidence (which add months); use online filing where available; track your case and processing times regularly; and consider premium processing where it is offered. When delays become unreasonable, applicants sometimes pursue legal remedies such as a mandamus action. Above all, a clean, thorough initial filing remains the single best way to avoid adding to the backlog’s drag on your own case.
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