AAO Processing Times (December 1, 2011)

Our office has established a reputation as one of the leading practices for handling appeals with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) and we often receive inquiries not only  about the procedural aspects of an AAO appeal but also about the current processing times for AAO cases.    The AAO processing times are published monthly, at the beginning of the month, and we are providing monthly updates and analysis for the benefit of our clients and readers.

About the AAO

The AAO is an appeals office which handles appeals of certain decisions made by USCIS field offices and regional processing centers.  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires that all AAO decisions be made available to the public.  As a result, AAO decisions are accessible in reading rooms at USCIS headquarters here in Washington, DC and at field offices.  Also, some (but not all) AAO decisions are available online.

Current AAO Processing Times

USCIS has released the average processing times for cases pending at the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) as of December 1, 2011.  Read the full AAO Processing Times report.

Among the most notable AAO processing times:

  • H-1B appeal takes 22 months (no change compared to our last report as of October 1, 2011);
  • L-1 appeal takes 22 months (improvement, or decrease, of one month);
  • I-140 EB1 Extraordinary Ability takes 16 months (no change), Multinational Manager or Executive takes 21 months (increase of one month) while EB1 Outstanding Professor or Researcher category takes 10 months (increase of one month);
  • I-140 EB2 (Advanced Degree) takes 32 months (increase by three months) while EB2 (NIW) takes 12 months (decrease of one month); and
  • I-140 EB3 Skilled Worker takes 35 months (increase of one month) while EB3 Other Worker is current (6 months or less) on appeal (no change).
Conclusion
The AAO processing times have been going up slightly over the past few months.   We notice increased delays in AAO processing times across almost all types of cases.     EB-2, for example, decreased in October by three months, only to see it increase again to 32 months.  Unfortunately, increasing filings and lack of corresponding increase in staffing has led to very long AAO appeal wait times.

If our office can be of any assistance regarding AAO representation or consultation, please contact us.  Also, please feel free to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive updates and immigration news.

By | Last Updated: May 20th, 2017| Categories: Articles, I-290B|

About the Author: Dimo Michailov

Dimo Michailov
Dimo has over 15 years of experience in US immigration including employment-based immigration benefits, corporate compliance and family based immigration. He represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of cross-border immigration matters including mobility of key foreign executives and managers, specialized knowledge workers, and foreign nationals with extraordinary ability.

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The Capitol Immigration Law Group has been serving the business community for over 15 years and is one of the most widely respected immigration law firms focused solely on U.S. employment-based immigration.   Disclaimer:  we make all efforts to provide timely and accurate information; however, the information in this article may become outdated or may not be applicable to a specific set of facts.  It is not to be construed as legal advice.