Introduction:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is experiencing nationwide processing delays and backlogs in Fiscal Year 2025 that heavily impact Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) applicants. Both family-based and employment-based green card applicants within the United States are seeing longer wait times. Official USCIS data for FY2025 Q3 (April–June 2025) shows the net backlog of pending cases reached about 5.4 million – a sharp increase from earlier in the year. A significant portion of this backlog comes from I-485 applications, the crucial final step for many foreign nationals, visa holders, and investors seeking permanent residency. Below we analyze the latest USCIS backlog trends, comparing family-based vs. employment-based Adjustment of Status, current average wait times for key applications (I-485, I-765 work permits, and I-131 travel documents), and the factors contributing to these delays. All data and insights are drawn from USCIS and Department of Homeland Security sources for accuracy and reliability.
Backlog Trends in FY2025 and Impact on I-485 Applications
USCIS’s workload reached record highs in 2025. By the end of Q2 2025, the agency had over 11.3 million pending cases in its pipeline (all form types). Of those, about 5.4 million were considered part of the “net backlog”, meaning cases that have exceeded USCIS’s processing time goals. This net backlog metric excludes cases still within normal processing times or awaiting external action (like visa number availability), focusing only on delayed cases under USCIS control.
Adjustment of Status applications make up a large share of these backlogs. As of Q3 FY2025, family-based I-485 applications had a net backlog of roughly 354,900 cases, while employment-based I-485 applications had about 70,200 cases backlogged beyond normal timelines. In total, pending I-485 applications numbered in the hundreds of thousands. USCIS’s September 2025 report to Congress (covering end of FY2025) illustrates this high volume: over 543,000 family-based adjustment cases were pending, alongside 172,000+ employment-based adjustment cases in the system. These figures underscore that both families and employers are feeling the strain of delayed green card adjudications.
To visualize the scope and USCIS’s recent processing output, the table below summarizes key metrics for Adjustment of Status and related applications at the end of FY2025 Q4 (September 2025):
| Form & Category | Pending Cases (Sep 30, 2025) | Approvals (Sep 2025) | Denials (Sep 2025) | Avg. Processing Time (months) |
| I-485 (Family) – Green card via family | 543,464 | 48,751 | 6,771 | 8.8 |
| I-485 (Employment) – Employment-based GC | 172,563 | 2,662 | 980 | 14.1 |
| I-765 (Work Permit, all categories) | 1,698,599 | 262,688 | 22,980 | 3.7 |
Table: USCIS pending caseload and monthly completions for key forms (September 2025). “Pending Cases” include all cases in process; “Approvals” and “Denials” are those completed in that month. Average processing time is the average across recent completions.
Several observations emerge from the data: Family-based I-485 petitions greatly outnumber employment-based, with over half a million family adjustment cases in the backlog. Despite the higher volume, family-based adjustments are being approved in under 9 months on average, whereas employment-based adjustments are taking well over 1 year on average (14+ months). This disparity may stem from visa availability issues in employment categories (many employment-based applicants from oversubscribed countries must wait for a visa number even after filing I-485) as well as different adjudication workflows. Notably, the number of employment-based I-485 completions is very low – only ~2,662 approvals in September 2025 – reflecting the bottleneck in those categories (often due to annual visa caps and USCIS focusing resources elsewhere). Family-based adjustments had far more completions (over 48k approvals that month) yet still face significant backlogs due to sheer volume.
Another critical piece of the backlog puzzle is the “pending over 6 months” metric. By end of FY2025, about 363,697 family-based I-485 cases – two-thirds of pending family AOS applications – had been waiting over 6 months. For employment-based I-485, 133,820 cases (over 77% of pending EB adjustments) were older than 6 months. In other words, the majority of applicants in both categories have been waiting longer than the informal 6-month benchmark that USCIS often aims to meet. Many employment-based applicants’ cases are stalled far beyond six months, some awaiting visa availability, which reduces the “net backlog” count but not the real-world waiting time for applicants. Overall, these statistics confirm what many immigrants are experiencing: Adjustment of Status approvals have slowed, and the queue of pending green card cases is at a historic high.
Current Wait Times for I-485, Work Permits, and Travel Documents (AOS Applicants)
For applicants navigating the Adjustment of Status process in 2025, the waiting game now extends beyond the I-485 itself. Most AOS applicants file ancillary applications for work authorization (Form I-765) and advance parole travel permission (Form I-131) while their green card case is pending. These interim benefits are essential – they allow applicants to work and travel during the lengthy I-485 processing period. Unfortunately, backlogs have affected these as well.
- Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status): Based on USCIS data from late 2025, the average processing time for family-based I-485 applications was about 8.8 months, while employment-based I-485 averaged around 14.1 months. In practical terms, a straightforward family green card applicant (e.g. spouse of a U.S. citizen) might anticipate roughly 8–12 months for approval, whereas an employment-based applicant (e.g. in EB-1 or EB-2 category with a current priority date) could be facing over a year, often longer. These are national averages – actual wait times vary by USCIS field office and caseload. Family-based cases are handled at local field offices (e.g. interviews at district offices), some of which are faster and others slower. Employment-based adjustments are often processed via USCIS service centers and the National Benefits Center, where staffing and the complexity of background checks can affect timing. It’s important to note that if an employment-based applicant’s priority date isn’t current (visa number unavailable), the I-485 cannot be approved regardless of USCIS’s processing speed. Those cases linger in “pending” status (not counted in the net backlog) until the State Department allocates a green card number, which can add years of waiting for some nationalities.
- Form I-765 (Employment Authorization Document): For many Adjustment applicants, the work permit is obtained much sooner than the green card. USCIS has, in recent times, prioritized reducing Employment Authorization Document (EAD) delays. In September 2025, USCIS reported an average processing time of ~3.7 months for Form I-765 (across all categories of EADs). This suggests that AOS applicants typically receive their initial EAD in about 3–5 months. Indeed, the median processing time for adjustment-based EADs was around 2 months in mid-2025, thanks in part to USCIS efforts to streamline EAD processing. However, not all EAD requests are timely – USCIS had over 1.69 million pending I-765 applications at FY2025’s end, and about 911,000 of those were pending >6 months. Those extended delays often involve certain categories (for example, renewals or cases where background checks hit snags). Family- and employment-based AOS EADs (category c(9)) generally benefit from automatic extensions on renewals and are often processed within a few months, but any surge in volume can quickly create backlogs. Many applicants and employers still experience anxious periods where work authorization hangs in the balance due to these processing times. Bottom line: while considerably faster than most other applications, work permits for AOS applicants still take on average a few months, and one should apply early to account for potential delays.
- Form I-131 (Advance Parole travel document): Advance Parole (AP) allows Adjustment of Status applicants to re-enter the U.S. after temporary travel abroad while their I-485 is pending. Processing times for Advance Parole have grown longer in 2025. Unlike EADs, AP documents do not have premium processing or strict statutory deadlines, and they’ve often been de-prioritized. According to USCIS data compiled in August 2025, the median processing time for Advance Parole was about 6.1 months. Many applicants thus wait 6–7 months on average to receive a travel document. Moreover, there is significant variation depending on which service center handles the I-131 – some centers processed AP cases in ~3–4 months, while others exceeded 7 months. This means two applicants filing at the same time might see very different timelines if their cases are routed to different USCIS locations. By the end of FY2025, USCIS’s backlog report showed approximately 191,000 pending Advance Parole applications that were beyond normal processing times, reflecting these pervasive delays. Applicants are strongly advised to plan travel only after AP approval, as leaving the U.S. without a valid advance parole (or other valid visa) can abandon the I-485. Given the current wait, urgent travel needs often require seeking an expedite or emergency AP appointment, but those are granted at USCIS’s discretion for true emergencies. In summary, AOS applicants in 2025 should be prepared for roughly half a year of waiting for travel permission, and build that into their relocation or travel plans.
Factors Contributing to USCIS Delays and Backlogs
Several compounding factors have led to the extensive USCIS backlogs and prolonged processing times in FY2025. Understanding these can provide context – and perhaps some measure of reassurance – to applicants stuck in the queue. Key contributors include:
- Surge in Case Volume: Simply put, incoming applications have outpaced USCIS’s processing capacity. After some relief in FY2023-24 (when backlogs temporarily shrank), new filings spiked again in 2025. Early in FY2025, case receipts began exceeding completions quarter after quarter. This automatic imbalance means even if USCIS works at full throttle, the pending load grows. By mid-2025 the agency was handling the highest workload on record (over 11 million pending cases). Adjustment of Status applications contributed to this surge, with large numbers of family petitions (spouses, parents of U.S. citizens) and employment petitions (including a wave of filings when visa bulletin cut-off dates advanced, followed by retrogressions) entering the system. High demand – reflecting more people eligible for green cards, work permits, humanitarian programs, etc. – has simply strained the system’s throughput.
- Staffing and Resource Constraints: USCIS relies on a combination of application fees and congressional funding to run its operations. Although the agency boosted hiring and introduced process improvements in FY2022–2024, helping slow backlog growth during that period, those gains have been outpaced by 2025’s volume. Hiring and training new adjudication officers takes time, and USCIS was still recovering from the fiscal and staffing setbacks of the pandemic years. The agency’s own data and outreach acknowledge workforce shortages – for example, in congressional hearings USCIS has been urged to detail its staffing and hiring strategies to address the backlog. A legacy Texas-based immigration firm like ours has seen first-hand that adjudicator workloads are very high, and sometimes cases languish simply because there aren’t enough officers available. Overtime and details (temporary reassignment of officers to high-queue workloads) have been used to chip away at certain backlogs, but sustained improvement will likely require additional personnel and funding for USCIS. The agency’s recent push to improve salaries and retain employees is a step in the right direction, but for now many field offices and service centers remain under strain.
- Service Center & Field Office Load Imbalances: Where your case is processed can significantly affect timing. USCIS distributes applications across various service centers and field offices, and in FY2025 some locations are clearly over-burdened. For instance, one USCIS center might process Advance Parole in 3–4 months, while another takes 7+ months. Similarly, certain field offices handling I-485 interviews (for family cases) have much longer scheduling backlogs than others – often big-city offices (e.g. Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles) face heavier demand, translating to slower interview scheduling, whereas smaller offices may be faster. USCIS does attempt workload balancing (transferring cases between offices), but inefficiencies remain. The National Benefits Center (NBC) handles initial processing of many AOS packages and was reportedly inundated in 2025, causing downstream delays in scheduling interviews and issuing work permits. In short, geography and internal workload assignment can introduce additional delay through no fault of the applicant. We counsel applicants to be aware of their processing office’s typical timeframe and not to compare directly with friends in different regions.
- Congressional Appropriations Shortfalls: Unlike most federal agencies, USCIS is largely funded by application fees, not by taxpayer money – except for certain programs (e.g. refugee processing, asylum, and some backlog reduction funds that Congress allocates). This funding model means budget shortfalls can seriously hamper USCIS’s ability to ramp up capacity. In recent budget cycles, Congress did provide some funds specifically for backlog reduction (for example, $133 million in FY2023 and similar in FY2024) to help USCIS tackle the mounting cases. However, for FY2025 the appropriations process has been fraught, and proposed cuts have threatened USCIS resources. A House Appropriations Committee report in 2024 warned that a proposed $300 million reduction in asylum processing funds would “decimate the agency’s ability” to address its caseload backlog. Less funding means fewer officers hired, fewer overtime hours, and delays in technology upgrades. Additionally, the lack of discretionary funding can slow down initiatives like expanded premium processing, IT modernization, and backlog elimination teams. USCIS did announce plans to implement a fee increase (to raise more revenue for operations), but if that process stalls or those funds take time to materialize, backlogs could persist. In summary, insufficient funding and delayed budget approvals have directly contributed to slower processing by limiting the agency’s agility in tackling the surge.
- Complex Cases and Security Checks: While not a headline factor like the above, it’s worth noting that the nature of cases in FY2025 has also added complexity. Many employment-based AOS cases involve lengthy background checks or multiple dependent applications. Certain family-based cases (for example, those requiring waivers of inadmissibility) also extend processing times. USCIS has to coordinate with other agencies (FBI name checks, security advisory opinions, medical exam reviews), and any bottleneck there can slow an entire category. Humanitarian programs (TPS, asylum adjustments, U and T visa cases) also grew in 2025, and officers often had to divert to handle urgent humanitarian workload (like Afghan evacuee adjustments or parole programs) at the expense of routine family/employment cases. These factors, combined with policy shifts (e.g. new programs or court injunctions requiring compliance), created operational ripple effects that further bogged down processing across the board.
Outlook and Guidance for Applicants
USCIS acknowledges the backlog challenges and has taken some steps to mitigate them. In late 2023, the agency celebrated a 15% reduction in overall backlog thanks to efficiency measures, but the gains were short-lived in 2025’s new surge. USCIS is now required to report monthly backlog statistics to Congress, which has increased transparency and pressure to improve. We anticipate incremental improvements as USCIS hires additional staff and potentially implements a fee hike in 2025/2026 earmarked for backlog reduction. Additionally, if visa demand in employment categories stabilizes (or if legislative relief for backlogged countries occurs), some employment-based adjustment delays could shorten.
For now, applicants should remain proactive: check USCIS processing times regularly, respond swiftly to any Requests for Evidence (RFEs) to avoid “customer-induced” delays, and consider premium processing for eligible steps (e.g. I-140 petitions) to shorten the critical path. Family-based applicants should ensure all initial evidence (medical exams, affidavits of support) is complete to avoid later delays. It’s also wise to renew work permits and travel permits well in advance (up to 180 days before expiry for EAD/AP), given the current timelines. Our law office continues to monitor the evolving USCIS data closely. We are advising clients on realistic timeframes and exploring solutions (such as humanitarian expedite requests or litigation in egregious delays) when appropriate.
Conclusion: The FY2025 USCIS backlogs represent an unprecedented strain on the U.S. immigration system. Both family-based and employment-based adjustment applicants are waiting longer for their American dreams to be realized. The average immediate relative now faces the better part of a year before a green card, and a skilled worker might wait well over a year even after gaining a prized visa number. Work permits and travel documents, once routine, are now a critical lifeline subject to months of delay. While USCIS and Congress are aware of the problem – as evidenced by detailed data reports and budget discussions – meaningful relief will take time to materialize. In the interim, foreign nationals and their sponsors should stay informed, maintain compliance with all interim requirements, and consult experienced immigration counsel to navigate these challenges. Ahluwalia Law Offices remains committed to guiding families, professionals, and investors through this backlog maze with up-to-date information and strategic advice, until normalcy returns to immigration processing.
Sources:
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “National Performance Report (NPR), FY2025 Q3 Net Backlog Data (as of June 30, 2025)”
- USCIS Congressional Report, “Number of Service-Wide Forms by Month (September 2025)” – pending cases, completions, and processing times.
- Cecilia Esterline, Niskanen Center, “Legal immigration in numbers: October 2025 status update,” analysis of USCIS FY2025 Q3 data
- Freedom for All Americans, “USCIS Backlog Surpasses 11.3 Million Pending Applications in 2025,” overview of FY2025 Q2–Q3 trends
- U.S. House of Representatives Report 118-553 (Appropriations Bill 2025), commentary on USCIS backlog and funding impacts
- Department of Homeland Security, USCIS Monthly Backlog Report (Sept 2025), source data for pending over 6 months and processing averages.
