USCIS Speeds Up Green Card Processing: Some Applicants Approved Within Three Months

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now processing some green card applications in as little as three months. While the typical processing time for the I-485 form, used for green card applications, ranges from four to thirteen months depending on the category, some applicants are seeing their applications approved much faster.

Man Mohan Singh Ghimire, a New York-based paralegal and immigration assistance service provider, has witnessed this expedited processing firsthand. Ghimire reports that some of his clients have received their green cards within three months.

“Some applicants’ green card applications have been approved within three months,” Ghimire told Khasokhas. “However, for asylum-based green cards, one year must be completed after asylum is granted. But one year does not have to be completed to file the I-485 form.”

Legal experts suggest that including a medical report with the green card application can significantly boost the chances of a swift approval. Keshab Raj Seadie, a New York-based immigration attorney, notes that green cards could be approved within three months in uncomplicated cases, especially when an interview is not required.

“Since some applications do not even require an interview, green cards have started to be approved very quickly,” Seadie explained. “In the case of family-based green cards, for spouses of U.S. citizens or green card holders, approval is happening even without an interview.”

The average processing times for different types of green cards vary: asylum-based green cards typically take around 13.5 months, employment-based green cards around 6 months, and family-based green cards about 10 months.

USCIS has also introduced changes to expedite the process. Last April, USCIS announced that medical reports (Form I-693) prepared and signed by a civil surgeon on or after November 1, 2023, will no longer expire. This change allows applicants to submit their medical reports indefinitely, which can streamline the application process.