USCIS Update: Very Long Processing Times, What’s Happening?

5.5 Million Applications are still pending since President Trump signed a new Presidential Proclamation that prevents nearly 167,000 visa holders from entering the United States. Since June 24, 2020, the following individuals will be denied entry unless they previously obtained a visa or already have a valid travel document:

• Specialty occupation workers (H-1B) and their spouses and children (H-4)
• Seasonal non-agricultural workers (H-2B), with an exception for those working in the food supply chain
• Exchange visitors including interns, trainees, teachers, camp counselors, au pairs, and summer workers (J-1) and their spouses and children (J-2)
• Employees of multinational companies (L-1) and their spouses and children (L-2)

It is important to note that the proclamation does not apply to individuals who are already working in the United States with a valid immigration status.

While the entry ban is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020, it could be renewed for as long as President Trump is in office.

The total number of pending cases at the end of 2015 was 3,356,984; four years later that number grew to 5,538,609; the difference is nearly 2.2 million. That’s an increase of nearly 65 percent. A table below shows the major 23 categories of benefits and differences in numeric and in percentage between 2016 and 2020.

Population	Total Q1, FY 2016	Total Q1, FY 2020	Numerical Difference	Pct. Difference
Asylum Application	128,307	338,931	210,624	164.20%
U Nonimmigrant Status Applications	108,623	257,837	149,214	137.40%
Waivers	102,737	217,292	114,555	111.50%
Advance Parole	74,266	148,176	73,910	99.50%
Remove Conditions on Residence	122,558	242,840	120,282	98.10%
Immediate and Preference Relatives	801,583	1,570,512	768,929	95.90%
Asylum Adjustments	25,646	44,849	19,203	74.90%
Family-Based Adjustments	199,422	336,335	136,913	68.70%
Application for Naturalization (Non-Military)	384,850	649,021	264,171	68.60%
Renew/Replace Permanent Resident Cards	323,366	499,404	176,038	54.40%
Employment Authorization Documents	433,848	645,611	211,763	48.80%
Recognition of Citizenship Application	32,056	41,205	9,149	28.50%
Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status	81,046	100,842	19,796	24.40%
Other Adjustments of Status	23,803	28,827	5,024	21.10%
Employment-Based Adjustments	125,161	143,231	18,070	14.40%
Immigrant Petitions for Workers	43,509	44,980	1,471	3.40%
Reentry Permit/Refugee Travel Document	24,100	22,000	-2,100	-8.70%
Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions	126,900	103,879	-23,021	-18.10%
Petitions by Entrepreneurs	21,988	17,468	-4,520	-20.60%
Refugee Adjustments	37,340	24,128	-13,212	-35.40%
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals	56,821	36,031	-20,790	-36.60%
Cuban Adjustment Act	24,960	13,149	-11,811	-47.30%
Temporary Protected Status	54,094	12,061	-42,033	-77.70%
Total	3,356,984	5,538,609	2,181,625	65%

To check the processing time for petitions, visit the USCIS website.

Source: USCIS Has 5.5 Million Applications Pending, Up 2.2 Million from 2015

Source: ” Number of Service-wide Forms Fiscal Year to Date by Quarterand Year”, USCIS.