New data shows that the backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continued to grow during the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, even as the agency received significantly fewer applications and petitions.
According to an analysis by the American Immigration Council using USCIS data, approximately 12.1 million cases were pending in FY2026 Q2, a 7.2% increase from the same period last year. At the same time, the number of filings received by USCIS decreased by 45% compared with FY2025 Q2, while the number of completed cases declined by 44.5%.
The estimated amount of time needed to clear the existing backlog has also increased. According to the analysis, the estimated backlog clearance time rose from 12.5 months in FY2025 Q2 to 24.1 months in FY2026 Q2. It was 18.6 months just one quarter earlier.
USCIS completed approximately 1.5 million applications and petitions during the quarter. For comparison, the agency completed about 3.3 million cases during FY2024 Q2. The latest quarter marked the eighth consecutive quarter in which the number of completed cases declined.
Certain Immigration Categories Face Larger Backlogs
While the overall backlog has increased, some immigration categories have experienced particularly significant changes.
Pending Form I-765 employment authorization applications filed by individuals with pending adjustment-of-status applications increased from approximately 191,000 in FY2025 Q2 to 585,000 in FY2026 Q2—a 206% increase.
Pending Form I-129 petitions, which are used for several nonimmigrant worker categories, including H-1B, L-1, and O-1 workers, increased from approximately 63,000 to 120,000 during the same period. This occurred even though the number of I-129 petitions received decreased by less than 1%.
The data also shows changes in approval rates across several immigration categories. For example, approval rates declined for certain adjustment-of-status applications and employment-based immigrant petitions, including EB-1 extraordinary ability and EB-2 National Interest Waiver petitions. These are overall statistics, however, and do not indicate how any individual case will be decided.
Employment-Based Cases Show Some Improvement
Not all of the recent data reflects increased delays. Approvals of employment-based I-485 adjustment-of-status applications increased from 21,924 in FY2026 Q1 to 41,979 in Q2, nearly doubling in one quarter.
The timing is important because there are 186,317 employment-based immigrant visa numbers available for FY2026, according to the American Immigration Council. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and employment-based visa numbers that go unused generally cannot be carried into the following fiscal year.
What This Means for Applicants
The latest numbers show that fewer filings have not yet translated into a smaller USCIS backlog. With millions of cases still pending, applicants, families, and employers may continue to experience uncertainty and longer waits in some immigration categories.
However, processing times can vary widely depending on the type of application, USCIS office, immigration category, and circumstances of an individual case. Applicants should continue monitoring their case status and current USCIS processing information rather than relying solely on nationwide backlog figures.
As USCIS moves into the final part of FY2026, its processing levels and the size of the pending caseload will remain important issues for individuals and employers navigating the U.S. immigration system.
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