Status as of October 26, 2026. USCIS processing times are a guide to how long comparable cases took – not a deadline or a prediction that your application will be approved on a particular day. To check your case, choose the correct form, eligibility category and office on the official USCIS tool, then enter your receipt date to see when you may ask about a delay. There is no single processing time for every I-765, I-130, I-485 or N-400.
Open the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool. Its figures are updated periodically, and the same form can have different results depending on the category and the office handling it. The receipt notice (usually Form I-797C) is the starting point. FACTUM does not check individual immigration records or collect receipt numbers.
How to check USCIS processing times
Find your USCIS receipt notice. Identify the form (for example, I-765, I-130, I-485 or N-400), its category, the receipt date and the office listed if applicable.
On USCIS Check Case Processing Times, select the form and then the form category. Do not assume that different categories of the same form share a waiting time.
Select the field office or service-center grouping offered by the tool. USCIS now groups some service-center workloads under Service Center Operations (SCOPS), even if a notice names an individual service center.
Read the published time as a historical indicator, not an appointment or personal deadline. Use the on-page receipt-date inquiry feature to find when USCIS permits you to raise an outside-normal-processing-time question.
For the latest status of your particular application, use USCIS Case Status Online with the receipt number. Processing-time estimates and case-status updates answer different questions.
What does the 80% processing-time figure mean?
USCIS reports how long it took to complete 80% of cases it decided during the previous six months for that form, category and office. The agency counts time from receipt to decision, including time connected with biometrics, requests for evidence (RFE) and interviews. It does not mean 80% of currently pending cases will finish by that date, or that an individual case is legally overdue once the displayed number passes.
Case complexity, missing evidence, interview scheduling, workload changes and office transfers can change an individual's wait. USCIS also says adjustment-of-status cases delayed by visa retrogression are excluded from the processing-time calculation. If your family- or employment-based green-card case is waiting for a visa number, the figure may therefore be misleading without checking visa availability.
When can you submit an inquiry about a delayed case?
Do not rely solely on the displayed 80% figure. USCIS uses a separate case inquiry date based on the time needed to complete approximately 93% of decided cases. In the processing-times tool, enter the receipt date shown on your notice. The tool provides an estimated date to contact the agency or a link when a case inquiry is available. This date may change as USCIS updates its data.
If the tool says your case qualifies, follow the link or open the official USCIS e-Request service and choose the option for a case outside normal processing time. Supply case details only through the government service. Keep the acknowledgment or reference number. If the website does not list your form or office, USCIS's processing-times FAQ describes a general inquiry rule after six months for many such cases; that is not a promise of a decision within six months and exceptions can apply.
A lost notice, missing card, change of address, or urgent situation may require a different service route rather than a normal delayed-case request. USCIS provides separate options in its online self-service tools. An inquiry is not an approval and normally does not speed up adjudication by itself.
Which office do you choose? NBC and SCOPS explained
USCIS has been moving certain form types away from individual center names to the SCOPS designation. Follow the current form-specific choices shown by the tool, even when your I-797C uses an older office label.
If the notice names the National Benefits Center (NBC) and you filed a family- or employment-based I-485, or an N-400 or N-600, USCIS instructs you to look at your local field office processing times. If USCIS transferred the case to another office, use the relevant new-office information; do not treat a transfer as an automatic restart of your filing date.
Why do I-765, I-130, I-485 and N-400 times differ?
I-765 (work permit/EAD): use the correct employment authorization eligibility category, such as the category related to your underlying immigration filing. The estimate for one category does not apply to every applicant. See the EAD guide for the difference between eligibility and an actual work permit.
I-130 (family petition): select the applicable family relationship and petitioner category. An I-130 approval confirms the petition's classification; it does not by itself grant the beneficiary a green card, lawful status or permission to work. Family immigration steps are explained in the family-based immigration guide.
I-485 (adjustment of status): the USCIS office and the immigration category matter. A separate visa-availability requirement can also delay final approval. See the green-card guide.
N-400 (naturalization): the relevant field office can be important; the case timeline can include biometrics, an interview and an oath ceremony. The citizenship guide explains these stages.
Is the myProgress countdown more accurate?
Some online USCIS accounts display a personal myProgress estimate. It is a model-based forecast and can move forward or backward; it does not guarantee a decision date. It is also not the official test of eligibility for an outside-normal-processing-time inquiry. For that, follow the public USCIS processing-times tool and its case inquiry date. Likewise, a message such as “Case Is Being Actively Reviewed” does not guarantee a prompt decision; see USCIS case-status message explanations.
Common questions
My case has exceeded the listed number of months. Can I contact USCIS today?
Not necessarily. Enter your receipt date in the USCIS processing-times inquiry tool. Its separate case inquiry date determines when the ordinary outside-normal-processing-time request becomes available.
Does the processing time start again after a transfer?
The receiving office may have a different published benchmark, but a transfer does not erase the original receipt date. Read the transfer notice and use USCIS's current office/category guidance.
Can FACTUM tell me the exact date my case will be approved?
No. Neither this article nor a public USCIS percentage provides an individual decision date. Check your personal case status through USCIS and follow any notices addressed to you.