US green card backlog crosses 15.6 lakh, with over 2.68 lakh employment-based cases pending

The number of pending US green card applications has crossed 15.6 lakh, with family-based cases accounting for the largest share of the backlog, according to the latest data released by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

As of June 30, 2026, USCIS had 1,560,290 pending Form I-485 applications. The agency received 242,989 applications and completed 118,366 cases between April 1 and June 30, 2026, indicating that new applications exceeded the number of decisions during the quarter.

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Form I-485, also known as the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is used by eligible immigrants already in the US to apply for lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card. It allows applicants to seek permanent residence without returning to their home country for consular processing.

Family-based applications account for the biggest backlog

Family-based applications formed the largest category, with 611,067 cases pending as of June 30. USCIS received 95,175 applications in the April-June quarter and completed 66,918.

Of the completed family-based cases, 54,678 were approved and 12,240 were denied. The median processing time was seven months, while denials accounted for around 18% of decisions.

Employment-based applications recorded 268,408 pending cases. USCIS received 97,501 applications and completed 45,236 during the quarter.

Of these decisions, 42,076 were approvals and 3,160 were denials. The median processing time was six months, making employment-based applications the faster of the two major categories.

Employment-based green card applications

For the ongoing fiscal year, USCIS had received 210,738 employment-based applications. It had approved 105,979 and denied 7,953, completing 113,932 cases.

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Family-based applications recorded 325,552 filings during the same period. The agency approved 220,547 and denied 36,384, completing 256,931 cases.

Other categories also face long waits

The backlog extends beyond family and employment-based immigration. Cuban applicants had 342,360 pending cases, despite 6,279 applications being filed during the quarter. USCIS completed only 586 cases, with 139 approvals and 447 denials.

Refugee applications had 149,470 pending cases, while asylum-based applications accounted for another 126,267. The median processing time for refugee cases was 17.6 months, while asylum-based cases recorded the longest median wait at 25.6 months.

The figures highlight the scale of the US green card processing backlog. For Indian applicants, particularly those pursuing employment-based permanent residence, the pending-case numbers underline the importance of distinguishing between application processing times and the separate wait for an immigrant visa number to become available.