USCIS Backlog Nears 6.5 Million: Family-Based Green Card and Petition Processing Accelerates, Naturalization Delays Increase

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released its June 2025 report to Congress, detailing the processing of service-wide forms. This report, mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, provides a snapshot of forms received, approvals, denials, pending cases, and average processing times for key immigration forms during June 2025, revealing both progress and ongoing challenges.

The report shows significant activity across various form types. The I-765 Application for Employment Authorization led in volume, with USCIS receiving 358,919 applications in June. Of these, 275,035 were approved and 24,585 denied, but a staggering 1,813,690 applications remain pending, including 541,870 pending for over six months. Despite the high volume, the average processing time for I-765 applications was a relatively swift 2.5 months, making it the fastest among reported forms.

The I-130 Petition for Alien Relative saw 77,112 new submissions, with 77,411 approvals and 9,414 denials. However, the backlog remains substantial, with 2,411,946 petitions pending, of which 1,928,316 have been awaiting decisions for over six months. The average processing time for I-130 petitions was 13.9 months, reflecting the strain on family-based immigration processing.

Applications for adjustment of status (I-485) varied by category. The family-based I-485 had the highest volume, with 41,900 new applications, 47,713 approvals, and 5,595 denials. Still, 586,762 cases remain pending, with 365,530 exceeding six months. The “Other” I-485 category, which includes miscellaneous adjustment cases, had the longest average processing time at 22.4 months, despite a lower volume of 1,734 new applications.

For the N-400 Application for Naturalization, 80,259 new applications were processed, with 70,704 approvals and 7,105 denials. The backlog for naturalization stands at 532,310, with 112,551 pending over six months, and an average processing time of 6.5 months.

The I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, critical for conditional permanent residents, reported 12,795 new filings, 7,299 approvals, and 235 denials. There are 256,168 pending cases, 173,881 of which have been pending for over six months. The average processing time was 21.1 months, one of the longest reported.

The report notes significant fluctuations in the I-765 Employment Authorization Document (EAD) data due to a March 2025 Federal Register notice terminating parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. This led to the reversion of approved EADs to pending status. However, a court-ordered stay in April 2025 halted this action, reverting pending EADs back to approved status, contributing to volatility in the reported figures.

The report underscores persistent backlogs across multiple form types. The total pending cases in May was 6,411,376, which increased to 6,494,679 in June 2025. Forms like the I-130 and I-485 (Family) have particularly large backlogs, with nearly 80% of pending I-130 cases and over 60% of pending family-based I-485 cases exceeding six months. These delays highlight ongoing capacity issues within USCIS, despite efforts to streamline processing.

Compared to May 2025, June saw varied trends across key immigration forms. New I-765 (Employment Authorization) applications decreased by 9.3% (from 395,958 to 358,919), and approvals dropped by 11.8% (311,684 to 275,035). Denials fell sharply by 68.7% (78,588 to 24,585). The pending backlog grew by 3.4% (1,753,599 to 1,813,690), with pending cases over six months increasing by 7.1% (506,084 to 541,870). Processing time improved slightly from 2.6 to 2.5 months.

New I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) submissions dropped by 7.9% (83,758 to 77,112). Approvals slightly decreased by 1.2% (78,368 to 77,411), and denials fell by 27.3% (12,951 to 9,414). The pending backlog decreased marginally by 0.2% (2,416,102 to 2,411,946), but cases pending over six months rose by 0.6% (1,916,571 to 1,928,316). Processing time improved from 15.4 to 13.9 months.

New I-485 (Family-Based Adjustment) applications fell by 7.8% (45,424 to 41,900), while approvals increased by 7.2% (44,518 to 47,713). Denials decreased by 6.5% (5,985 to 5,595). The pending backlog dropped by 1.8% (597,695 to 586,762), with cases pending over six months slightly down by 0.5% (367,356 to 365,530). Processing time improved from 9.9 to 8.9 months.

New N-400 (Naturalization) applications decreased by 4.7% (84,238 to 80,259), and approvals fell by 13.9% (82,102 to 70,704). Denials dropped by 5.1% (7,488 to 7,105). The pending backlog increased by 0.4% (530,238 to 532,310), but cases pending over six months decreased by 5.3% (118,829 to 112,551). Processing time rose slightly from 6.1 to 6.5 months.

New I-751 (Remove Conditions) filings increased slightly by 1.6% (12,597 to 12,795), and approvals rose by a significant 39.4% (5,237 to 7,299). Denials decreased by 9.3% (259 to 235). The pending backlog grew by 2.0% (251,159 to 256,168), with cases pending over six months up by 2.2% (170,202 to 173,881). Processing time improved from 22.1 to 21.1 months.