USCIS Case Processing Times – Overview and FAQs

As many of our readers and clients are aware, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) provides some tools for applicants to obtain case processing information.  The online case status check is one of them.

In addition, USCIS posts each month a schedule of the standard processing times for most of the types of cases being processed at the different USCIS offices.  The Processing Times Schedule is very helpful as it provides at least some overview of how long an application would remain pending.   While the posted processing times are updated only once a month (on the 15th of each month) and while the data is often outdated by a few months, nonetheless, it provides a useful source of general information on how long a USCIS case should take.

How Does USCIS Calculate Processing Times?

For each type of application or petition, USCIS has established processing time goals. Specific processing time calculations are based on the number of months of application or petition receipts that comprise the level of active pending cases on hand within the agency.  Processing times are posted 45 days after they are reported from the field offices or service centers to allow for a quality control process that ensures the integrity of the data.

Additionally, USCIS does not distinguish between premium and regular processing and calculates processing times together.  As a result, posted processing times for cases which are premium processing-eligible may be skewed because the posted time reflects the processing time for premium processing cases (often less than 15 days) which is certainly shorter than the regular processing time for the same case type.

Similarly, cases with requests for evidence (RFEs) and notice for intent to deny or revoke (NOID/NOIR) are not considered active cases and are not calculated under these processing times.

Why Are Processing Times Posted for Certain Applications and Petitions and Not Others?

Only a few applications for immigration benefits are not included in the processing time tables, and this is primarily due to the low volume of applications received and related customer inquiries.  Additionally, some forms are not considered applications for immigration benefits because they only provide supporting evidence, so they are not included in the processing time tables.

When Are Actual Processing Times Posted Versus Processing Time Goals?

Processing time goals are posted if an office is processing a particular type of application in less time than the stated processing time goal.  Sometimes the volume of cases USCIS receives is larger than expected, which prevents USCIS from achieving the processing time goals. In these cases, a date will be listed in the processing time table. Customers can compare their application or petition receipt notice dates to this posted date, which represents the date of the last application or petition processed by the USCIS location handling the case, to gauge potential wait time.