USCIS Processing Times: What Do They Mean?

_{June 26, 2018}

The processing times listed on the USCIS website now show a range of expected completion dates as opposed to a concrete date. For example, change-of-status applications (I-539) filed at the Vermont Service Center for the H-4 category show processing times of 10.5 to 13.5 months. This “cycle time” indicates that 50 percent of these cases are adjudicated within 9.5 months, and 93 percent are adjudicated within 13.5 months. Other types of applications and petitions have greater ranges, sometimes because these cases are handled by one of the numerous field offices, which vary considerably in efficiency and speed. Cycle times for naturalization applications are 10 to 19 months; employment-based green card applications have a cycle times of 8.5 to 22 months.

USCIS is currently proceeding with naturalization applications in the order that they were filed, but about 10 percent of cases (likely selected at random) are being processed through the ELIS system for training purposes, which is why some cases seem to be adjudicated far more quickly than most. Also, InfoPass appointments will become increasingly sparse as USCIS continues to pull more of its staff from InfoPass assignments so they can continue working on their respective caseloads.

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