USCIS Reports 1.33 Million Pending I-485 Applications at Start of FY2026
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published its Form I-485 performance data for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. This covers activity through December 31, 2025. The data shows that 1.33 million adjustment of status applications were pending at the end of the quarter. This underscores the scale of the current green card backlog.
During Q1 FY2026, USCIS approved 133,531 Form I-485 applications. At that quarterly pace, and assuming no additional filings, it would take roughly 30 months to adjudicate the existing inventory. However, new applications continue to be filed. Therefore, actual wait times will be influenced by incoming case volume, office capacity, and visa number availability.
The quarter-one data provides an early snapshot of operational trends for the new fiscal year. Processing patterns in later quarters may shift based on staffing, policy direction, workload distribution, and application volumes.
Approval Rates Remain High Across All Categories
Although the backlog remains substantial, approval rates for cases that reach adjudication continue to be strong. USCIS reported an overall approval rate of approximately 89 percent during the first quarter. This reflects an approval-to-denial ratio of more than eight to one.
Approval rates were high across major immigrant categories. Employment-based adjustment applicants experienced an approval rate of approximately 91 percent. In contrast, family-based applicants saw an approval rate near 88 percent. Additionally, humanitarian-based applicants had the highest approval rate, at approximately 94 percent.
For applicants, employers, and practitioners, this data reinforces a consistent trend. The primary challenge in the current environment is not adjudicative denial rates, but the time required for a case to move through the queue to final decision.
Humanitarian Backlog Nearly Surpasses Family-Based Inventory
One of the most significant developments in the Q1 FY2026 data is the composition of the pending caseload. USCIS reported 539,439 pending humanitarian-based I-485 applications, compared to 536,170 pending family-based applications. This marks a notable shift in the agency’s overall workload distribution.
During the quarter, USCIS received 63,663 new humanitarian adjustment applications but approved only 11,569 in the same category. As a result, the humanitarian inventory continued to grow. The data indicates that, for this category, incoming filings are exceeding quarterly adjudications.
Field office distribution also reflects concentrated pressure in certain regions. Florida offices, including Kendall, Hialeah, and Tampa, collectively account for more than 105,000 pending humanitarian cases. This geographic concentration may influence local processing times and resource allocation in those jurisdictions.
Practical Implications for Applicants and Employers
For individuals pursuing adjustment of status, the size of the pending inventory highlights ongoing wait times at the field office level. It also highlights the importance of maintaining eligibility throughout the adjudication period. Extended processing may affect employment authorization renewals, travel planning, and dependent status considerations.
For employment-based applicants and sponsoring employers, the strong approval rates offer some predictability in case outcomes once visa numbers are available and applications are adjudicated. However, workforce planning may continue to be affected by the overall processing queue. This is particularly true where visa retrogression or high-demand categories limit immediate green card availability.
Humanitarian applicants, including those adjusting from asylum or related relief categories, face increasing backlogs despite high approval rates. The growth in pending inventory signals sustained demand and continued pressure on field office resources.
Monitoring FY2026 Trends
Because this release reflects only the first quarter of the fiscal year, it represents an initial benchmark rather than a full-year projection. Changes in staffing levels, funding, operational initiatives, or filing patterns in subsequent quarters could alter approval volumes and pending totals.
USCIS is expected to publish updated Form I-485 performance data as fiscal year 2026 progresses. Ongoing quarterly releases will provide additional clarity on whether the agency is able to increase adjudication volume, reduce backlog levels, or shift workload distribution among case types and field offices.
Immigration stakeholders, including applicants, employers, and legal professionals, may continue to monitor these quarterly updates to assess processing trends and operational impacts moving forward.
