USCIS Releases First Quarter FY2026 Waiver Processing Data
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has published its fiscal year 2026 first quarter waiver report, providing updated data on receipts, approvals, denials, and pending cases across multiple waiver categories. The report reflects activity from October 1 through December 31, 2025. However, it excludes Form I-601A provisional unlawful presence waivers.
According to the agency’s data, 43,455 waiver applications were received during the first quarter of FY2026. At the close of the quarter, 494,362 waiver cases remained pending. During the same period, USCIS approved 7,786 cases and denied 3,405. As a result, there was an overall approval rate of approximately 70 percent among completed adjudications.
These figures provide a snapshot of current waiver demand, adjudication outcomes, and the scale of the agency’s existing inventory.
Scope of the Quarterly Waiver Report
The quarterly waiver publication includes data by form type and case status for waivers of inadmissibility and related relief. It does not include Form I-601A. The data is organized to reflect receipts, completions, approvals, denials, and pending volumes. Therefore, it offers insight into overall processing activity and workload distribution.
Waivers covered in the report are generally tied to grounds of inadmissibility under U.S. immigration law. Applicants may seek such waivers in connection with immigrant visa applications. Additionally, they may be sought with adjustment of status filings or other immigration benefits where inadmissibility issues arise.
Because waiver adjudications often require fact-intensive review, including analysis of statutory eligibility and supporting evidence, processing patterns can vary by form type. They may also vary by fiscal quarter.
Backlog Levels and Processing Implications
The reported 494,362 pending cases indicate a substantial backlog at the end of the first quarter of FY2026. Pending case volumes directly affect queue placement and may influence overall processing times for individuals with active filings.
When receipt levels outpace completions, total pending inventories may increase over time, potentially extending adjudication timelines. Conversely, higher volumes of completions relative to new filings can reduce backlog pressure. The first quarter data reflects both ongoing demand and continued accumulation of pending cases across waiver categories.
Approval and denial numbers also provide context regarding adjudication trends. With approximately 70 percent of adjudicated cases approved during the quarter, the data reflects a majority approval outcome among completed decisions. Still, individual results depend on case-specific statutory and evidentiary factors.
Practical Significance for Applicants and Practitioners
For individuals seeking waivers of inadmissibility, quarterly USCIS reporting offers insight into overall agency workload and adjudication outcomes. Applicants with pending cases may experience shifting timelines depending on changes in receipt volumes and completion rates in subsequent quarters.
Immigration attorneys and accredited representatives may use the data to assess filing demand patterns and overall adjudication trends when planning case strategy. Employers and HR professionals with foreign national employees may also monitor waiver statistics. This is especially true where inadmissibility issues intersect with employment-based immigration processes.
Because waiver filings often involve complex eligibility standards and supporting documentation, trends in receipts and approvals can influence preparation timelines and broader compliance planning. Notably, stakeholders will likely continue to review future quarterly reports. They will look to determine whether pending inventories increase, stabilize, or decline as fiscal year 2026 progresses.
USCIS is expected to release additional quarterly data throughout the fiscal year. This may provide further clarity regarding processing trajectories and workload management across waiver form types.
