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The Latest USCIS Processing Times – 2024

Understanding USCIS processing times for green cards, citizenship, and K-1 visas

Understanding USCIS wait times

Processing times vary by the type of application (citizenship, green card, K-1 visa) and the specific U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) service center or field office in charge. USCIS provides monthly updates on application processing times for 37 immigration forms, including Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)), and the N-400 (Application for Naturalization). This information, based on data from the previous month, helps applicants understand the expected wait times. Processing times vary by the type of application (citizenship, green card, K-1 visa) and the specific USCIS service center or field office in charge.

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Understanding USCIS processing times

USCIS relies on field offices throughout the U.S. to manage its massive application workload. Applicants are assigned to specific field offices based on their ZIP code. Since each office handles a varying number of applications, processing speeds differ significantly across locations.

This is especially noticeable when comparing less-populated regions to major cities like New York or Los Angeles. USCIS openly publishes monthly updates on processing wait times for each field office.

How to find your processing time

  • ︎To find the office handling your case, enter your zip code into the USCIS search box. This will bring up the relevant field office. Importantly, for some key forms, such as Form I-130 and Form I-129, a USCIS service center will handle the application.
  • Once you have found the field office or service center handling your application, go to the USCIS Case Processing Time tool. In the first dropdown box, select your type of application, and in the second dropdown box, select the field office or service center handling the application.
  • You will see the processing times presented as a range between two numbers. For example, say the processing time range for naturalization applications (Form N-400) at the Seattle, WA field office was 12.5 to 36 months. The first number reflects “the time it takes to complete 50% of cases (the median)” while the second number refers to the completion time for 93% of cases.
  • Using these two numbers, you will be able to see the range that the majority of cases fall into during that specific period of time—remember, these numbers are updated weekly.

Wait times for green cards

Form I-130 processing time (officially called the “Petition for Alien Relative”):

  • When the sponsor is a U.S. citizen (known as the CR1 visa) is 10.8 months.
  • When the sponsor is a green card holder (known as the F2A visa) is: 25 months.
  • For more up-to-date timelines, Boundless analyzes monthly processing times at USCIS field offices across the country; you can find our timeline estimates for Form I-130 here.

Form I-485 processing time (“Application for Adjustment of Status”):

Processing times for Form I-485 differ significantly based on your adjustment category and the USCIS field office handling your application.

  • Family-based green card applications (in other words, immediate relatives or spouses of a U.S. citizen) for applicants filing from within the United States average 10.1 months.
  • Employment-based green card applications average 7.5 months. (Note: An approved Form I-140 is required before you can proceed with employment-based adjustment of status.)

For more up-to-date timelines, Boundless analyzes monthly processing times at USCIS field offices across the country; you can find our timeline estimates for Form I-485 here.

Form I-131 (“Application for Travel Document – Advance Parole”):

  • Applications for advance parole are currently taking 6.1 months to process.

Form I-765 (“Application for Employment Authorization Document”):

The timeline for work permit applications is currently 6.7 months.

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Wait times for fiancé visas

Form I-129F (officially called the “Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)”):

The timeline for the first step in the K-1 visa process is currently 6 months.

A note on processing times:

Boundless has teamed up with Track My Visa Now to bring you more up-to-date timing on I-129F wait times, and their current processing time is 6 months. This calculation is based on their latest analysis for Form I-129F applications filed today. Keep in mind this does not include the time from when your form is approved to your interview date, which differs based on your home country.


Wait times for naturalization applications

Processing times for Form N-400 (officially called the “Application for Naturalization”) in 2024 average 9 months. For more up to date timelines, we analyzes monthly processing times at USCIS field offices across the country; you can find our timeline estimates for Form N-400 here.

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Using USCIS’s historic processing times data, you can see the trend line for how long the government will take to process your application. Importantly, USCIS uses Fiscal Years (FY), which run from October 1 of the prior year through September 30 of the year described. For instance, FY 2024 would run from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

Each quarter, USCIS releases its updated processing times for key forms. In the graph below, you can see how wait times have changed in the past couple of years for Form I-485, Form I-130, and Form I-129F. Overall, wait times for all three forms have experienced downward improvements since the beginning of FY 2023 (with the exception of a slight uptick for Form I-485 between Q1 and Q2).

Processing time backlogs

In February 2024, USCIS announced it had reduced its case backlog for the first time in over a decade. The overall backlog decreased by 15%, processing nearly 11 million case filings and completing 10 million cases.

In 2022, the agency established new internal cycle time goals to reduce the backlog. Here’s a breakdown of the targeted processing times:

Cycle Time GoalForms
2 WeeksI-129 Premium, I-140 Premium
2 MonthsI-129 Non-Premium
3 MonthsI-765, I-131 Advance Parole, I-539, I-824
6 MonthsN-400, N-600, N-600K, I-485, I-140 Non-Premium, I-130 Immediate Relative, I-129F Fiancé(e), I-290B, I-360, I-102, I-526, I-600, I-600A, I-730, I-800, I-800A, I-90, I-821D Renewals
Source: USCIS

Is Your Visa Taking Too Long? Here’s How to Check and Follow Up

It’s normal to experience wait times when applying for a visa, but how do you know if it’s taking longer than usual? Here’s what to do:

  • Check Normal Processing Times: The USCIS processing time tool provides estimated processing times for different visa applications. Find your form type and check the “Receipt date for a case inquiry” to see if your application falls outside the normal window.
  • Track Your Case Online: USCIS lets you track your application status online for updates. The process is slightly different depending on whether you applied inside or outside the US.
  • When to Inquire: If your application date is before the “Receipt date for case inquiry” and you haven’t heard back, you can file a Case Inquiry with USCIS using their e-form. This will prompt them to investigate any potential delays.

Important Note: Don’t contact USCIS if your application is still within the normal processing times. You’ll likely receive a generic response.


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