Employment-Based Visa Processing Times
Processing times for employment-based immigration petitions, including immigrant worker petitions, EB-5 investor visas, and related applications.
9 forms tracked. Data from Jul 15, 2026. Lowest single-office average upper bound: I-129CW at 10.0 mo.
Employment-Based Immigration Trends
Upper bound of processing time range shown. Source: USCIS.
Employment-Based Immigration Forms
9Status labels are relative to each form's own historical processing-time distribution, based on the current average upper-bound estimate. They are not absolute rankings across forms.
| Form | Avg. Processing Time | Status |
|---|---|---|
| I-129CW | 8.0 mo – 10.0 mo | Very Slow |
| I-485 — Green Card (AOS) | 15.5 mo – 30.1 mo | Normal |
| I-129 (H-1B / L-1) | 9.2 mo – 12.6 mo | Slow |
| I-956F | 11.5 mo – 16.5 mo | Fast |
| I-140 (EB-1 / EB-2 / EB-3) | 17.0 mo – 20.4 mo | Normal |
| I-526E | 35.0 mo – 37.0 mo | Very Slow |
| I-956 | 13.5 mo – 38.0 mo | Very Slow |
| I-526 | 34.0 mo – 40.5 mo | Fast |
| I-526(L) | 105.5 mo – 116.8 mo | Slow |
Frequently Asked Questions
Current employment-based immigration average processing times range from 10.0 mo for I-129CW to 116.8 mo for I-526(L) depending on the form. Data is updated daily.
Among currently reporting offices, I-129CW (Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker) has the lowest single-office average upper bound at 10.0 mo. This compares each form at its fastest reporting office; the table reports each form's average across all of its offices.
Cite This Data
Citation
ImmigrationTimes.org. (2026). Employment-Based Immigration Processing Times (data as of Jul 15, 2026). Retrieved Aug 14, 2026, from https://immigrationtimes.org/employment-based/
Compare by service center — see how wait times for these forms vary by USCIS office.
See all green card processing times — compare family-based, employment-based, and other pathways.
Source: USCIS. Data from Jul 15, 2026. Permanent link.