The latest data released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reveals a troubling trend for immigrants seeking family petitions, green cards, and naturalization in the United States: processing delays and backlogs are increasing, creating significant hurdles for applicants.
For the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, a critical step in family reunification, the average processing time rose to 17.4 months in January 2025, up from 16.8 months in December 2024. In January, 94,739 new petitions were filed, but only 49,395 were approved, while 8,332 were denied.
This left a staggering 2,355,271 applications pending—a 1.8% increase from December’s 2,313,876—with 1,872,469 delayed for over six months. Immigration advocates warn that these delays are tearing families apart, as spouses, children, and parents remain separated by borders for years, with no clear timeline in sight.
Green card applications under the I-485 category faced similar challenges, with total pending cases rising to 1,124,021 in January from 1,102,338 in December, a 2% increase. Across subcategories like family-, employment-, and asylum-based adjustments, processing times averaged 12.2 months, up from 11.8 months, though Cuban adjustments saw some relief, dropping to 8.3 months.
Approvals surged by 14.3% to 65,107, reflecting efforts to process cases, yet the backlog grew as 92,424 new applications poured in. Notably, long-pending cases (over six months) decreased slightly to 681,771, offering a rare bright spot amid the broader slowdown.
Naturalization hopefuls applying via the N-400 form faced a bittersweet reality: while the average processing time of 6.4 months remains the fastest among major forms, it rose from 6.1 months in December, and the backlog increased to 540,820 from 535,601.
January saw a 16.4% spike in new applications (87,174), with approvals climbing to 74,957—still not enough to offset the influx. The number of cases pending for over six months jumped by 6.8% to 127,193, signaling that even this relatively efficient process is buckling under increased demand as more immigrants seek citizenship amid uncertain times.
The USCIS backlog for these key forms alone grew from 5.56 million in December 2024 to 5.67 million in January 2025, with significant contributions from forms like employment authorizations (I-765), which alone accounted for over 1.2 million pending cases.
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Suresh Shahi
View More PostsSuresh Shahi is the editor of NepYork, the showcase of Nepalis in the USA. He has also been an editor of Khasokhas, the voice of the Nepali diaspora in the USA, since 2012. Currently, he hosts the podcast ‘Community Cornerstone.’ Previously, he served as a host, anchor, and news reporter for ABC TV Nepal.
