US employer-sponsored green card backlog hits record 1.8M pending

(UNITED STATES) The green card backlog has hit a new peak, with employer-sponsored petitions now topping 1.8 million pending cases as of August 14, 2025. Across all categories, USCIS reports about 11.3 million pending immigration applications, the highest in more than a decade.

For workers and employers, the headline numbers mean longer waits and tougher planning: employer-sponsored green cards now take an average of 1,256 days (about 3.44 years) to complete, up sharply from 705 days (1.9 years) in recent years.

Why Backlogs Have Grown

Officials say demand for green cards—especially in high-skill categories—has risen while processing capacity has not kept pace. Throughput slowed in Q2 FY2025, when USCIS completed 2.7 million cases, an 18% drop from a year earlier. The agency also reported a “frontlog” of more than 34,000 unopened cases, indicating delays can begin even before files reach an officer’s desk.

• Backlogs tied to both the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have more than doubled since 2016.
• More than half a million employer-sponsored cases were pending at the end of Q2 2025.

Processing Times and Bottlenecks

• The average adjudication time for Form I-140 (immigrant petition for workers) is about 7.9 months on regular processing.
• Premium processing remains available and typically promises action in 21 days, but it doesn’t shorten the wait for an available visa number.
• Adjustment of Status for employment-based applicants, filed on Form I-485, averages about 7 months at USCIS.

The real bottleneck is often the monthly Visa Bulletin, which determines when a priority date becomes current. Many employment-based categories remain retrogressed, pushing final green card approvals years beyond the initial petition stage. Check the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin page for the latest cut-offs: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html.

Category-specific pressures

• EB-1 petitions are at record-high pending levels, topping 16,000, with a recent approval rate near 72%—lower than in past years.
• USCIS processing sped up in 2024 but slowed again in 2025.
• Non-employment categories, such as fiancé visas, have also seen steep increases in wait times.

Procedural changes

The Adjustment of Status packet updated in December 2024 expects applicants to file their medical exam up front using Form I-693. While this can reduce later requests for evidence, it increases upfront preparation and cost.

Impact on Workers and Employers

Most people stuck in the backlog remain in the United States on temporary status.

• Over 90% of employer-sponsored applicants are already living in the U.S., often on H-1B visas.
• Long waits can affect job changes, promotions, travel, and family plans.
• Employers face extended compliance responsibilities: repeat prevailing wage checks, newly timed filings, and careful planning around worksite or role changes.

Policy analysts, including the Cato Institute, argue the system contains redundant steps—such as repeatedly proving there are no available U.S. workers—and call for a broad reset to reduce paperwork and shorten recruitment rules. USCIS and DOL leadership say they are monitoring performance, but as of mid-2025 there have been no major policy shifts; officials focus primarily on smaller operational improvements.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, strong demand paired with limited processing capacity means many employment-based immigrants should expect multi-year waits even when using premium processing for certain filings. That forces workers and HR teams to incorporate long timelines into hiring and mobility strategies.

Practical Steps — What Applicants and Employers Can Do

• For applicants:
  1. Track your priority date monthly and compare Dates for Filing and Final Action Dates on the Visa Bulletin. If your employer filed Form I-140 years ago, cut-off date movement will matter more than USCIS processing times.
  2. Use premium processing when it makes sense, especially for employer filings where faster decisions prevent job-change problems.
  3. File a complete Adjustment of Status packet with the medical exam on Form I-693 when allowed to reduce risk of later delays.
  4. Keep temporary status valid — extend H-1B status or rely on automatic work authorization extensions while the green card case proceeds.
  5. Save records (pay stubs, tax forms, employment letters) to prove ongoing eligibility if USCIS requests evidence.
• For employers:
  • Build realistic hiring timelines. Start the PERM Labor Certification process early and map business needs across multi-year horizons.
  • Coordinate with counsel before role changes, location moves, or wage updates—small changes can trigger new recruitment or filings.
  • Budget for premium processing where it provides clear time savings, such as fast decisions on Form I-140.
  • Communicate clearly with candidates about long waits and limits of employer control to improve retention during lengthy backlogs.

What to Watch in the Months Ahead

The near-term outlook points to continued pressure:

• USCIS capacity remains tight and more demand is queued in the pipeline.
• Throughput dropped in early 2025, and while leadership acknowledges delays, no large policy changes had been announced as of August 2025.
• Lawmakers and advocates discuss reforms—such as lifting or reshaping per-country caps or rolling over unused visas—but none had taken effect by mid-2025.

Two milestones matter most for those in the queue:

1. Approval of the immigrant petition — this can sometimes be sped up with premium processing.
2. When your priority date becomes current on the Visa Bulletin — this depends on annual visa numbers and country caps.

When the date is current, file Adjustment of Status promptly and include the medical exam to avoid a later hold.

The debate over fixing the green card backlog will continue: proposals range from congressional changes to per-country caps to administrative streamlining. For now, the main levers are small operational changes, staffing increases, and improved caseflow—none of which quickly eliminate long wait times.

Human Cost and Key Takeaways

For families and employers, the consequences are tangible: postponed moves, open positions, and life plans put on hold.

• The scale matters: 1.8 million employer cases pending and 11.3 million total pending applications.
• Day-to-day, the issue is about people and planning—maintaining work and life stability through a long process.

Best practical advice until bigger changes occur:

• Plan carefully, file completely and timely, use premium processing where appropriate, and track USCIS updates and the Visa Bulletin closely.