U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released data for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 (October–December 2024), providing a detailed look at how immigration patterns are shifting in response to global migration pressures, changes in U.S. processing capacity, and rising humanitarian demand.
The numbers show both growth and strain: certain application categories surged, others remained high, and some — like humanitarian filings — continue to overwhelm the system. Below, we break down key shifts in employment-based and family-based immigration, along with important developments in humanitarian filings.
EB-1 Extraordinary Ability Petitions Increase
One of the most notable jumps this quarter came in the EB-1A category — green cards for those with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.
USCIS received 7,338 EB-1A petitions in Q1 FY25, up from 4,704 the previous quarter — a 56% increase. This marks one of the largest quarter-over-quarter spikes in recent years for this subcategory.
Several factors likely contributed to this surge. For one, EB-1A allows high-skilled individuals to self-petition without a U.S. employer sponsor, making it especially attractive for researchers, entrepreneurs, and others navigating long wait times in other categories, like EB-2. New USCIS guidance clarifying EB-1A criteria may have also encouraged more filings.
If we look at all EB-1 subcategories (including multinational executives and outstanding professors), total EB-1 filings reached over 13,000 in Q1 — well above pre-pandemic norms, when a typical quarter might see half that.
K-1 Fiancé Visa Petitions Remain High
USCIS received 11,609 K-1 visa petitions in Q1 FY25 — a 6% increase over the prior quarter. While not a dramatic spike, it continues a post-pandemic trend of elevated demand.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, annual K-1 filings typically hovered around 20,000. In FY2024, the number more than doubled, with over 43,000 petitions submitted across the year. Many of these cases reflect delayed plans and backlogs from pandemic-era travel restrictions and embassy closures.
Processing times have improved — averaging around 5 to 6 months, down from year-long delays seen during the pandemic. But overall, K-1 volumes remain high, suggesting a new baseline for this visa type.
Family-Based Green Card Applications Rise Again
Adjustment of status applications for family-based green cards (Form I-485) increased by about 7%, from 120,643 in Q4 FY24 to roughly 129,000 in Q1 FY25.
These filings come mainly from spouses, parents, and children of U.S. citizens who are already in the United States. Compared to pre-2020, these numbers remain high — in FY2019, family-based I-485 filings were often closer to 80,000-90,000 per quarter. The continued uptick reflects growing interest in adjusting status domestically, possibly due to long consular wait times abroad or improved processing timelines at USCIS.
Removal of Conditions Filings Double
Filings for Form I-751 — used to remove conditions on two-year marriage-based green cards — doubled quarter-over-quarter, jumping from 14,910 to 29,804 in Q1.
This sharp increase suggests two trends converging:
- Backlog clearance — USCIS processed a large number of pending I-751s in late FY24, opening up capacity for new filings.
- Eligibility timing — Those who received conditional green cards in late 2022 (during a spike in marriage-based approvals) are now eligible to apply for permanent status.
Historically, USCIS received around 15,000 I-751 filings per quarter. The recent jump to nearly 30,000 points not only to the agency’s progress in reducing backlogs, but also the longer-term impact of earlier policy changes and parole programs, as more applicants become eligible for permanent residency.
Humanitarian Categories Drive Record Workloads
Beyond family and employment categories, humanitarian immigration continues to define the USCIS workload:
- Asylum filings (Form I-589) remained extremely high, with nearly 100,000 applications submitted in Q1 — more than double the annual volume seen in FY2019.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) filings spiked following several new or extended designations. In Q4 FY24 alone, USCIS received over 440,000 TPS applications, and high filing volume likely continued into Q1 FY25.
- DACA renewals held steady, with around 50,000 filings in Q4. While new DACA applications remain blocked by court order, the existing program continues to generate significant volume.
These numbers illustrate how external factors — global crises, court rulings, and executive actions — are driving demand for protection programs far beyond historical norms. At the same time, these surges put additional pressure on USCIS capacity and processing times across the board.
Looking Ahead
The Q1 FY25 data confirms that U.S. immigration remains in a high-volume era — not just recovering from the pandemic, but entering a new phase of sustained demand. Green card filings are up. Humanitarian applications remain near record highs. And highly skilled workers are increasingly seeking permanent pathways like EB-1A.
However, these numbers reflect applications submitted before Donald Trump returned to office. His administration has made sweeping changes to immigration policy, and the real test will come in Q2, when we begin to see how those changes affect application behavior, filing volumes, and processing times.