Form I-485 Processing Times in September 2026: How Long Does Adjustment of Status Take?

How Long Does Form I-485 Take in September 2026?

There is no single USCIS processing time for Form I-485. How long adjustment of status takes depends on the basis for your application and, for some categories, the USCIS field office or reporting unit handling the case.

USCIS publishes separate processing times for family-based, employment-based, asylum-based, refugee-based, T visa, U visa, and certain other Form I-485 categories.

For workloads using USCIS’s current processing-time methodology, the displayed time represents how long it took USCIS to complete 80% of adjudicated cases during the previous six months. It is a reference point, not a prediction of when an individual case will be approved.

Use the current processing-time tables below to find the category and office that apply to your case.

You can also see what happens after biometrics, how long a case may remain pending after an interview, and how to track your Green Card after Form I-485 is approved.

September 2026 USCIS Update for Form I-485

USCIS will introduce a new edition of Form I-485 on September 18, 2026. The new edition is dated 09/18/26, and USCIS says there will be no grace period between editions.

USCIS will accept the current 01/20/25 edition only if it is postmarked or electronically submitted before September 18, 2026. USCIS will reject the 01/20/25 edition if it is submitted on or after September 18. The new 09/18/26 edition should not be filed before September 18 and will be accepted only for filings submitted on or after that date.

USCIS says the revised form aligns with updated public-charge rules that also take effect September 18, 2026. Applicants preparing Form I-485 around the changeover date should verify the edition shown on the official USCIS Form I-485 page before filing.

What Does the USCIS I-485 Processing Time Mean?

USCIS processing times are based on previously completed cases. They do not guarantee how long a pending Form I-485 will take.

For workloads using USCIS’s 80% methodology, the published processing time represents the amount of time in which USCIS completed 80% of adjudicated cases during the previous six months.

USCIS uses a different threshold to determine when an applicant may submit a case inquiry. The case-inquiry calculation is based on the time required to complete 93% of adjudicated cases.

USCIS updates the processing-time website monthly, and the numbers can change as workloads and case completion patterns change.

Last reviewed: September 7, 2026. Always check the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool for the latest estimate before relying on a published number.

For more detail, read our USCIS Processing Times Explained guide.

Form I-485 Timeline at a Glance

USCIS does not publish one standard number of weeks between every I-485 milestone. The timing of biometrics, interviews and other steps can vary by case.

Current Form I-485 Processing Times by USCIS Office

Form I-485 processing times differ by adjustment category and, for some cases, the USCIS office handling the application. Use the category that matches the basis for your Form I-485 and the relevant USCIS office or reporting unit.

USCIS processing-time numbers change as new adjudication data become available. The tables below should therefore show a specific last checked date, rather than implying that one number applies throughout the entire month.

Processing-time data last checked: September 7, 2026.

Always verify the latest estimate using the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool.

Employment-Based Form I-485 Processing Time

Employment-based processing time is only one part of the timeline. Final approval may also depend on immigrant visa availability for the applicant’s employment-based preference category.

A case may therefore remain pending even after other USCIS processing steps have been completed.

Family-Based Form I-485 Processing Time

Family-based Form I-485 processing times can vary substantially by field office. Find the USCIS office applicable to your case and compare its current processing time with your Form I-485 receipt date.

HRIFA Form I-485 Processing Time

Asylum-Based Form I-485 Processing Time

Refugee-Based Form I-485 Processing Time

Form I-485 Processing Time Based on an Approved T Visa

Form I-485 Processing Time Based on an Approved U Visa

Historical Form I-485 Processing Times: FY 2014–2026

Historical USCIS processing times show how national Form I-485 completion times have changed over time. These figures are medians, meaning half of completed cases were processed within the reported number of months.

Historical medians should not be treated as the expected processing time for an individual pending application or directly compared with the current USCIS 80% processing-time figures.

FY2026 uses partial-year USCIS data from October 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026. USCIS may revise the figures as more FY2026 cases are completed.

Current vs. historical processing times: The table above reports national median processing times. The current USCIS Case Processing Times tool uses a different methodology for applicable workloads, so the two datasets answer different questions.

Check Your Eligibility

Before sending Form I‑485, confirm that a visa is immediately available in your category and that you meet all statutory and admissibility requirements. See our I‑485 Eligibility Checklist for a line‑by‑line walkthrough.

How Visa Availability and Priority Dates Affect I-485 Processing Time

For family-sponsored and employment-based preference cases, visa availability can affect both when Form I-485 may be filed and when USCIS can approve it.

The Department of State publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin containing two sets of charts:

• Final Action Dates, which determine when immigrant visa numbers are available for final action; and
• Dates for Filing, which may be used for filing when USCIS determines that chart can be used for adjustment applications.

Applicants filing Form I-485 with USCIS should therefore check which Visa Bulletin chart USCIS has designated for that month rather than automatically using the Dates for Filing chart.

If a preference category retrogresses while Form I-485 is pending, USCIS may continue working on the application, but final approval generally must wait until an immigrant visa number is available.

Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens—spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21—are not subject to the family-preference numerical limits.

I-485 Processing Time After I-140 Approval

Approval of Form I-140 does not create a fixed countdown to Form I-485 approval. If Form I-485 is already pending, USCIS continues processing the adjustment application, but final approval may still depend on eligibility, visa availability and other case-specific requirements.

If Form I-140 and Form I-485 were filed concurrently, the two forms are separate applications with separate adjudication processes. Premium processing may be available for qualifying Form I-140 petitions, but premium processing is not available for Form I-485.

An approved or premium-processed I-140 therefore does not guarantee that Form I-485 will be approved within a particular number of days or months.

Form I-485 Timeline & Process Steps

After USCIS accepts Form I-485, the application may move through several stages before a decision. The exact sequence varies, and not every applicant will have every step below.

USCIS does not publish a universal timeframe for each individual milestone, so receipt notices, biometrics and interviews should not be treated as fixed countdowns to approval. For the evidence commonly required with an application, see our Form I-485 document checklist.

1. Receipt Notice — Form I-797C

If USCIS accepts the filing, it issues Form I-797C, Notice of Action. The notice contains the receipt number used to track Form I-485 through USCIS Case Status Online.

Keep the receipt notice because the receipt date and receipt number are also needed when checking processing times or determining whether the case is eligible for an inquiry.

2. Biometrics Appointment Notice, if Required

USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center. The appointment notice provides the date, time, location and instructions.

Biometrics timing varies by case, so USCIS does not provide one standard number of weeks from Form I-485 filing to the appointment.

3. Complete Biometrics, if Required

At the appointment, USCIS may collect fingerprints, a photograph and a signature for identity verification and required background or security checks.

Follow the appointment notice carefully. See our biometrics appointment guide for what to bring and what to expect.

How Long After Biometrics Does Form I-485 Take?

USCIS does not publish a standard processing time from biometrics to Form I-485 approval. Completing biometrics is one part of the adjustment process; it does not start a new approval countdown.

After biometrics, USCIS may still need to complete eligibility review, background checks, review additional evidence, schedule an interview, or wait for an immigrant visa number when visa availability applies.

To determine whether a case is taking longer than normal, use the Form I-485 receipt date, rather than the biometrics date, with the USCIS Case Processing Times tool.

4. Employment Authorization and Advance Parole, if Requested

Applicants with a pending Form I-485 may separately file Form I-765 for employment authorization and Form I-131 for a travel document when eligible.

USCIS processes these forms separately from Form I-485. Receiving an Employment Authorization Document or advance parole document therefore does not indicate that Form I-485 is about to be approved.

Check the current processing time for Form I-765 or Form I-131 separately if you are waiting for one of those documents.

5. Interview Notice, if Required

If USCIS determines that an interview is required, it will issue an appointment notice containing the date, time and location. Follow the notice for the documents USCIS asks you to bring.

Interview scheduling varies by application and office, so there is no single USCIS timeframe from Form I-485 filing to interview.

6. Form I-485 Interview

During the interview, a USCIS officer may review Form I-485, supporting evidence, eligibility and information relevant to admissibility.

Not every Form I-485 case requires an interview. USCIS may waive an interview when it determines an interview is unnecessary under its procedures.

See our Form I-485 interview guide for interview preparation and common questions.

How Long After an I-485 Interview Does USCIS Make a Decision?

USCIS does not publish a fixed deadline for deciding Form I-485 after an interview. Some cases may be decided soon afterward, while others remain pending for additional review, background checks, requested evidence or visa availability.

If your case remains pending after the interview, continue checking USCIS Case Status Online and use the overall Form I-485 processing-time tool to determine whether the case has reached the case-inquiry threshold.

7. Form I-485 Decision and Green Card Production

If USCIS approves Form I-485, the adjustment application has been approved and USCIS can proceed with production of the Permanent Resident Card.

Form I-485 approval and delivery of the physical Green Card are separate stages. After approval, monitor USCIS Case Status Online for card-production and mailing updates.

After I-485 Approval, How Long Until the Green Card Arrives?

Once Form I-485 is approved, the original I-485 processing-time estimate is no longer the best way to track the case. The remaining steps involve production and delivery of the physical Green Card.

Check USCIS Case Status Online for card-production and mailing updates. If USCIS provides USPS tracking information, use it to follow delivery. If USCIS shows that the card was mailed but you did not receive it, use the USCIS process for a card that was not received by mail.

How to Check Your I-485 Case Status and Processing Time

There is no official I-485 tracker that can predict an exact approval date. USCIS provides separate tools for checking case activity, processing times and inquiry eligibility.

1. Find the 13-character USCIS receipt number on Form I-797. It normally contains three letters followed by 10 numbers.
2. Use USCIS Case Status Online to check the latest status.
3. Use the USCIS Case Processing Times tool to find the relevant I-485 category and office.
4. Enter the receipt date when USCIS asks for it to determine whether the case is eligible for an inquiry.
5. If USCIS says the case can be submitted for an inquiry, follow the provided e-Request process.

For an explanation of USCIS’s methodology, see our USCIS Processing Times Explained guide.

Using USCIS myProgress for Form I-485

USCIS myProgress provides personalized processing estimates for eligible cases through a USCIS online account. Availability depends on the type of Form I-485 case and account eligibility.

If myProgress is available for your case, remember:

• the displayed timeframe is an estimate, not a guaranteed decision date;
• the estimate may change while USCIS processes the application;
• actual processing can take longer than the estimate; and
• myProgress does not determine when you are eligible to submit a case inquiry.

Use the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool to determine when a pending case may be outside normal processing time.

Reasons Form I-485 May Take Longer

A Form I-485 case may take longer than the published processing time because of case-specific issues, visa availability, or USCIS operational factors.

Common reasons include:

• USCIS needs additional evidence or clarification;
• required initial evidence is missing or incomplete;
• a biometrics appointment or interview is missed or rescheduled;
• USCIS transfers the case to another office;
• additional background, security or eligibility review is required;
• visa availability changes for a preference-category applicant;
• USCIS is waiting for a response to an RFE or another notice; or
• an address change causes a notice or document-delivery problem.

August 2026 USCIS Evidence Policy Update

Effective August 5, 2026, USCIS restored officer discretion to deny an immigration benefit request without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when the applicant fails to establish eligibility or fails to provide required initial evidence.

Applicants should therefore not assume that USCIS will always send an RFE before deciding an incomplete Form I-485 filing. Review the current Form I-485 instructions and include the required initial evidence when filing.

Form I-693 and I-485 Filing

When Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, is required for an adjustment application, current USCIS Form I-485 requirements call for it to be submitted with Form I-485.

USCIS also changed its Form I-693 validity policy in June 2025. A Form I-693 is generally valid only while the immigration benefit application with which it was submitted remains pending. If that application is denied or withdrawn, a new Form I-693 generally must be submitted with a later benefit application when required.

What to Do When Your I-485 Is Outside Normal Processing Time

Start with the official USCIS Case Processing Times tool. Select the applicable Form I-485 category and office, then enter the receipt date shown on Form I-797 when prompted.

USCIS’s displayed processing time and case-inquiry threshold are not the same. The processing-time figure describes completed cases, while the case-inquiry calculation uses the time needed to complete 93% of adjudicated cases.

If USCIS says your case is eligible for an inquiry:

1. Submit an Outside Normal Processing Time e-Request.
2. Save the service-request number and follow USCIS’s response instructions.
3. Contact the USCIS Contact Center when further follow-up is appropriate.
4. If normal USCIS channels have not resolved an unusually delayed case, review whether CIS Ombudsman case assistance is available.
5. For unusually prolonged or complex delays, consider speaking with a qualified immigration attorney about the legal options that may apply to the specific case.

A case exceeding the published 80% processing-time figure does not automatically mean USCIS has made an error or that the application will be denied.

FAQs on I-485 Processing Time

Preparing to File Form I-485?

If you have not yet filed Form I-485, preparing a complete application and including the required supporting evidence can help avoid preventable filing problems. No preparation service can control USCIS processing times, guarantee approval, or guarantee that USCIS will not issue an RFE.

ImmigrationDirect can help you prepare Form I-485 and organize the information required for your filing path. Always use the USCIS form edition and instructions that are valid on the date you submit your application.

Already filed Form I-485? Use USCIS Case Status Online and the USCIS Case Processing Times tool to monitor your case and determine when you may submit an inquiry.