Bad news for legal immigrants: huge backlog hits application

If you are a legal immigrant waiting on a green card, work permit, or visa update—you are not alone. The U.S. immigration system is facing a massive backlog, and it is now causing serious delays for millions of people like you.

The second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year (January through March) saw a sharp slowdown in case processing by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). And while you may have been hoping for progress, the numbers are going in the opposite direction.

How bad is the immigration backlog right now?

The numbers tell a clear story—things have slowed down, a lot. Here are the highlights:

• USCIS completed 2.7 million cases in Q2 FY2025
  
• That is an 18% drop from the same time last year
  
• Compared to the previous quarter (Q1 FY2025), completions fell 12%
  
• There are now over 11.3 million pending cases, the highest on record
  
• Over 34,000 unopened cases are sitting in a queue, waiting to be reviewed
  

This marks the first time in at least a decade that the total pending caseload has crossed 10 million. And for many of you, this means even more time waiting—with no clear end in sight.

Which immigration forms are seeing the worst delays?

Not all immigration forms are being delayed at the same rate. Some are seeing far worse wait times than others. Here is a breakdown:

• Form I-90 (used to replace or renew a green card):
  
  • Median wait time jumped from 0.8 months to 8 months
    
  • That is a 938% increase in just one quarter
    
• Form I-765 (used for work permits and employment authorizations):
  
  • Initial applications pending rose 87%
    
  • Total pending I-765s now exceed 2 million
    
  • Net backlog (cases delayed beyond the normal timeframe) rose 181%
    
• Form I-129 (for most temporary work visas):
  
  • Median processing time rose 25% from the last quarter
    
  • It is up over 80% compared to one year ago
    

These delays are not just statistics—they affect real lives. Many legal immigrants are now left unable to work, travel, or renew vital documents.

What caused the immigration slowdown?

The backlog appears to be tied to multiple issues, including:

• Leadership changes in USCIS under the new administration
  
• Staffing limitations and budget constraints
  
• Higher application volume as demand continues to rise
  
• A growing number of cases that are complex or require extra review
  

According to USCIS’s own reporting, this quarter’s backlog increase of 1.6 million cases is one of the steepest in recent years. And many are worried that unless major changes are made, the delays could continue well into the future.

Are there any improvements?

While most categories got worse, there was one bright spot. The net backlog of Form I-129 (used for H-1B and other employment-based visas) dropped nearly 75% from Q1 to Q2.

Still, that improvement is not enough to offset the broader issues. Meanwhile, the number of active DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients has dropped by over 8,000 individuals during the same period.

So, if you are waiting for a response from USCIS, this data shows that the system is under serious strain.

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