Inmigreat · Data report

The backlog of USCIS, explained.

6,332,000 cases stuck. 197,684 unopened. We show you exactly where the queue is — and how to track yours.

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Official USCIS data · FY2026 Q1 · as of December 31, 2025

What counts as Net Backlog?

Net Backlog = only the portion of those pending cases that have already passed USCIS’s target processing time (its “cycle time”) and are within USCIS’s control. The backlog excludes: cases still within normal processing time, cases delayed by the applicant, and —crucially— cases waiting for visa availability.

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The concept almost no one knows

Not the same: "unopened" vs. "stuck".

Frontlog

What arrived but hasn't entered the system yet. The unopened mail, waiting for someone to log it.

Net Backlog

The truly stuck queue. Cases in the system, pending, past the acceptable processing time.

At the same scale each bar = real cases

Frontlog197,684 · 3.1%

Net Backlog6,332,000 · 100%

The backlog is 32 times larger than the frontlog. The bottleneck isn't opening the mail — it's deciding the cases.

larger backlog than frontlog

is asylum (I-589) — 1 in 5 cases

of the backlog is humanitarian

work permits (I-765) pending

Chapter 01 · Where the queue is

6.3 million cases, by category.

One in three pending applications is humanitarian. Here's how the full backlog breaks down.

Humanitarian2,092,800 · 33.1%

Employment-Based1,195,000 · 18.9%

Other1,087,000 · 17.2%

Lawful Permanent Residence923,800 · 14.6%

Family-Based819,100 · 12.9%

Citizenship & Nationality193,100 · 3.0%

Supplemental Processing21,300 · 0.3%

Chapter 02 · The biggest queues

The 10 heaviest queues.

The biggest queues are exactly the ones that most affect our community: asylum, work permits and TPS.

I-589 · Asylum & Withholding of Removal1,320,900 · 20.9%

I-765 · Employment Authorization (All Other)682,900 · 10.8%

I-821 · Temporary Protected Status (TPS)573,400 · 9.1%

I-130 · Petition for Alien Relative (Immediate Relative)489,800 · 7.7%

I-485 · Adjust Status (Family)355,200 · 5.6%

I-90 · Replace Permanent Resident Card322,800 · 5.1%

I-485 · Adjust Status (Cuban)293,000 · 4.6%

I-765 · Employment Authorization (Adjustment of Status)286,500 · 4.5%

I-131 · Travel Document (Advance Parole)217,900 · 3.4%

Waivers · Various204,000 · 3.2%

What does it mean for you?

Your wait is the system's, not yours.

If your case hasn't moved in months, it's not because you did something wrong. It's a 6.3-million queue that moves slowly for everyone. What you can do: track your status, know how long you might wait, and prepare for each step.

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