How to Check USCIS Case Processing Times: Examples for I-130, I-485, I-539 and OPT EAD
This article explains how to check USCIS case processing times by form type and office, using examples of I-130 at the California Service Center, I-485 at the Texas Service Center, I-539 at the California Service Center and OPT EAD, and explains how to tell whether a case is outside normal processing time and when an inquiry may be submitted.
- Visit this USCIS webpage.
- Select your corresponding application form type.
- Select the USCIS office where your case is located, then click 'Get Processing Time'.
Below I will demonstrate using I-130, I-485, and I-539 respectively. If you don't know
California Service Center I-130 Processing Progress
Taking green card applications as an example, if you have only submitted a petition and it has not yet been approved, you should check the processing time for I-130 (family-based immigration) or I-140 (employment-based immigration). Suppose you are in the family-based category and your case is at the California Service Center; the original author's query results from late April 2018 are as follows.
CA I-130 processing time as of April 2018, click here to view the large image
Translated into Chinese and organized as follows (the English is too long).
| Estimated Processing Time | Application Type | Inquiry Date |
|---|---|---|
| 15~19 months | F2A | 2016/10/06 |
| 23.5~30.5 months | F1 | 2015/11/04 |
| 33~42.5 months | F2B | 2014/10/29 |
| 71.5~92.5 months | F3 | 2010/11/20 |
| 82~106.5 months | F4 | 2009/08/07 |
What does this mean? Suppose you are F2A, and the current I-130 processing time is approximately 15~19 months:
- If you submitted your I-130 before October 6, 2016, and have not yet received a decision, you can submit an inquiry to USCIS (colloquially, to urge them along); go to this USCIS page and select 'Case outside normal processing time'.
- If your I-130 was submitted after October 6, 2016, it is still within the 'normal processing time', and USCIS will not accept an inquiry.
If you are in the F1 category, the processing time is approximately 23.5 to 30.5 months. If your I-130 was submitted before November 4, 2015, and you have not yet received a decision, you may contact USCIS to inquire. The current inquiry dates for F2B, F3, and F4 are October 29, 2014; November 20, 2010; and August 7, 2009, respectively.
Texas Service Center I-485 Green Card Application Processing Progress
If your I-130/I-140 petition has been approved and you have already submitted your I-485, you can check the processing time for I-485. Taking the Texas Service Center as an example, the query results from April 2018 are as follows.
| Processing Time | Application Type | Inquiry Date |
|---|---|---|
| 14-21 Months | Asylum | 2016/07/19 |
| 9-11.5 Months | Employment-based | 2017/04/29 |
If you are applying for a green card based on political asylum, the processing time is 14 to 21 months. If your I-485 AOS application was submitted before July 19, 2016, it is considered beyond normal processing time, and you may submit an inquiry to USCIS. Conversely, if your application was submitted after July 19, 2016, and you have not yet received a response, it is still within USCIS's normal processing time, so you cannot submit an inquiry to USCIS.
After Trump took office, employment-based immigration also requires an interview. Applications that require an interview include N-400 naturalization, and I-485 green card applications based on marriage and employment. Therefore, regardless of which service center initially processed your case, you should check the processing time for the local field office responsible for the interview. See this article: {https://gonglue.us/98113}.
- {https://gonglue.us/14941}
B1/B2 Extension and I-539 Processing Progress
I-539 stands for "Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status." It is used for change of status and extension of stay for various nonimmigrant visas, such as the most common B1/B2 extension (see this B1/B2 extension guide). Taking the California Service Center as an example, the original author's query results from January 2022 are as follows.
California Service Center I-539 Processing Time | January 2022
B1/B2 extension falls under "All other change-of-status application," and the current processing time is 19 to 25 months, so there is basically no need to expedite.
OPT EAD Processing Time
Today someone asked when the EAD would be received after submitting the OPT application, so I checked it casually.
The OPT EAD falls under category (c)(3); see {https://gonglue.us/77324}. According to the query results on the USCIS official website, it appears to be processed only at the Potomac Service Center, and the results are as follows.
OPT EAD processing time is about 3.5~4 months
In light of the many approval delays caused by the pandemic, USCIS has implemented a compensatory measure: OPT is valid for 12 months from the date of approval. See {https://gonglue.us/82344}.
