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I-765 processing time

Application for Employment Authorization

The work permit (EAD): filed with or after a pending I-485, by asylum applicants, by H-4 and L-2 spouses and others.

USCIS decided half its with a pending i-485 I-765s within 6.4 months in FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026), its median.

Median, FY26 Q3

6.4 months

2.1 months slower than FY26 Q2

With a pending I-485

Waiting at the quarter's end

2,110,712

10% more than FY26 Q2

Every I-765 line, FY26 Q3

Received in the quarter

572,947

3% fewer than FY26 Q2

FY26 Q3

Approved, of those decided

85%

5 points below FY26 Q2

366,079 approved, 67,022 denied

Median months, quarter by quarter

Half of each quarter's decided I-765s took less time than this. FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) to FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026).

  • With a pending I-485

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765, With a pending I-485: median months to a decision, each quarter
    Period months
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 4
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 3.9
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 3.6
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 2.2
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 2
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 2.3
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 2.3
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 4.4
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 4.3
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 6.4

  • Every other basis (H-4, L-2 and others)

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765, Every other basis (H-4, L-2 and others): median months to a decision, each quarter
    Period months
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 1.9
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 1.3
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 1.5
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 1
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 1.5
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 3.2
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 3.3
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 4.1
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 4.5
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 3.3

  • With a pending asylum application

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765, With a pending asylum application: median months to a decision, each quarter
    Period months
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 0.6
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 0.6
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 0.4
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 0.4
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 0.7
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 0.8
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 1.3
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 0.8
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 0.6
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 0.8

A dashed frame is a quarter whose workbook no one kept: USCIS keeps only its last four quarters, and the Internet Archive holds no copy of FY24 Q2.

What USCIS took in, decided and had waiting

Every I-765 line together, each quarter.

  • Received

    1,535,331

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765: received, each quarter
    Period received
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 1,121,135
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 1,180,443
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 1,190,343
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 1,255,471
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 1,535,331
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 1,177,109
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 750,762
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 591,127
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 588,642
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 572,947

  • Decided

    1,314,377

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765: decided, each quarter
    Period decided
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 1,148,299
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 1,256,349
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 1,314,377
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 1,277,074
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 1,082,933
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 1,072,815
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 920,319
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 590,309
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 385,222
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 433,101

  • Waiting at the quarter's end

    2,110,712

    FY24 Q1 FY26 Q3
    • No record for this period
    I-765: waiting at the quarter's end, each quarter
    Period waiting
    FY2024 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2023) 1,550,572
    FY2024 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2024) No record
    FY2024 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2024) 1,414,230
    FY2024 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2024) 1,180,517
    FY2025 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2024) 1,174,540
    FY2025 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2025) 2,097,885
    FY2025 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2025) 1,810,651
    FY2025 Q4 (Jul to Sep 2025) 1,696,897
    FY2026 Q1 (Oct to Dec 2025) 1,621,190
    FY2026 Q2 (Jan to Mar 2026) 1,917,467
    FY2026 Q3 (Apr to Jun 2026) 2,110,712

Medians from FY2016

The only longer history USCIS has published for its medians, one figure a fiscal year.

  • With a pending I-485

    FY2016 FY2024
    • Still filling
    I-765, With a pending I-485: median months each fiscal year, FY2016 to FY2024
    Period months
    FY2016 2.5
    FY2017 3
    FY2018 4.1
    FY2019 5.1
    FY2020 4.8
    FY2021 7.1
    FY2022 6.7
    FY2023 5.5
    FY2024 3.6 so far

  • Every other basis (H-4, L-2 and others)

    FY2016 FY2024
    • Still filling
    I-765, Every other basis (H-4, L-2 and others): median months each fiscal year, FY2016 to FY2024
    Period months
    FY2016 2.2
    FY2017 2.5
    FY2018 2.9
    FY2019 3.3
    FY2020 2.4
    FY2021 3
    FY2022 4.7
    FY2023 3.2
    FY2024 2.9 so far

  • With a pending asylum application

    FY2016 FY2024
    • Still filling
    I-765, With a pending asylum application: median months each fiscal year, FY2016 to FY2024
    Period months
    FY2016 2
    FY2017 1.7
    FY2018 0.9
    FY2019 2
    FY2020 2.5
    FY2021 3.2
    FY2022 9.2
    FY2023 1.6
    FY2024 0.6 so far

FY2024 there covers October 2023 to January 2024 only (hatched), as USCIS's factsheet says. The factsheet is dated 2024-03-05.

Where to go next

Other forms

Why USCIS's own case page shows a different time

This is USCIS's median: half of the cases it finished in a quarter took less time than this. Its processing-times page prints a different figure, the time within which it finished 80% of recent cases, so it reads longer. Both are USCIS's, and the hub sets them side by side for the I-140.

USCIS quarterly form data through Jun 30, 2026. How these figures are counted. Spotted an error? Tell us; every fix is dated in the corrections log.

The sources in full

USCIS quarterly form data: USCIS quarterly all-forms performance data (uscis.gov) · data through Jun 30, 2026 · quarterly

What this data includes

USCIS quarterly form data: Every USCIS form's receipts, approvals, denials, pending count and MEDIAN months to a decision, per quarter, as USCIS publishes them. The median isn't the 80th-percentile figure on USCIS's processing-times page.

Cite this page

Waiting on a PERM case?

  • When it'll likely be decided
  • An email when DOL moves it

It's on your ETA-9089 receipt.

Don't have the number? Find a case by employer name.