I-129 (H-1B / L-1) Processing Times
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
8.9 mo – 12.2 mo
avg. across filing categories
Current I-129 Processing Time
As of , USCIS I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) processing times average 8.9 mo to 12.2 mo across all filing categories, with full range < 1 mo to 33.0 mo. Processing is handled at Service Center Operations. Processing times have been increasing over the past three months. Data is checked daily from official USCIS estimates.
Processing Time by Subtype
| Subtype | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Named Beneficiary (137-H2AN) | < 1 mo | 4.0 mo |
| H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Unnamed Beneficiary (137-H2AU) | < 1 mo | 4.0 mo |
| E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia (137-E3) | 4.0 mo | 6.5 mo |
| TN - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly NAFTA) professional (137-TN) | 4.5 mo | 7.0 mo |
| H-2B - Temporary nonagricultural workers (137-H2B) | 5.5 mo | 8.5 mo |
| R - Religious occupation (137-R) | 7.5 mo | 9.5 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Change of status in the U.S. (137-H1B2) | 9.0 mo | 10.0 mo |
| Intracompany transferees and blanket L (137-L) | 6.5 mo | 10.0 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Visa to be issued abroad (137-H1B1) | 9.5 mo | 10.5 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Extension of stay in the U.S. (137-H1B3) | 10.5 mo | 11.0 mo |
| P - Athletes, artists, and entertainers (137-P) | 11.5 mo | 13.5 mo |
| H-3 - Temporary trainees (137-H3) | 15.0 mo | 17.0 mo |
| O - Extraordinary ability (137-O) | 12.5 mo | 17.0 mo |
| E - Treaty traders and investors (137-E) | 17.5 mo | 21.0 mo |
| Q - Cultural exchange visitors (137-Q) | 19.5 mo | 33.0 mo |
Processing Time Trend
Upper bound of processing time range shown. Source: USCIS Processing Times.
The chart includes historical office series (California Service Center, Vermont Service Center, and Nebraska Service Center and 1 other office) from offices that previously reported this form. The current table below lists only offices with current USCIS estimates.
Trend Summary
I-129 processing times have held roughly steady over the past year, near 12.2 months at the upper end of the average range. The average peaked at 13.8 months in July 2025 and has since receded to current levels.
<iframe src="https://immigrationtimes.org/embed/i-129.html" width="600" height="400" frameborder="0" title="I-129 Processing Times"></iframe> <p>Source: <a href="https://immigrationtimes.org/forms/i-129/">I-129 Processing Times — ImmigrationTimes.org</a></p>
USCIS Service Center Consolidation
As of , USCIS publishes I-129 processing times at 1 reporting level (Service Center Operations), down from 5 as recently as July 2025 — when reporting included individual service centers (e.g., California and Nebraska) that now roll up to the divisional level. Source: USCIS published processing times.
I-129 Processing Times by Service Center
1| Service Center | Min | Max | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Center Operations (SCD) Only reporting locationOnly location | 8.9 mo | 12.2 mo | Slow |
Cite This Data
Citation
As of Jun 23, 2026, USCIS processing times for I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) range from < 1 mo to 33.0 mo across all filing categories (full range; average 8.9 mo–12.2 mo across categories). Source: ImmigrationTimes.org/forms/i-129/. Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19529862
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<iframe src="https://immigrationtimes.org/embed/i-129.html" width="600" height="400" frameborder="0" title="I-129 Processing Times"></iframe> <p>Source: <a href="https://immigrationtimes.org/forms/i-129/">I-129 Processing Times — ImmigrationTimes.org</a></p>
Frequently Asked Questions
Current USCIS I-129 processing times range from < 1 mo to 33.0 mo across all filing categories (full range; average 8.9 mo–12.2 mo across categories). This data is updated daily from USCIS official processing time estimates.
H-1B / L-1 petitions are filed using USCIS Form I-129. Current processing times range from < 1 mo to 33.0 mo across all filing categories (full range; average 8.9 mo–12.2 mo across categories). This data is updated daily from official USCIS processing time estimates.
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Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Data aggregated from daily USCIS processing time snapshots. Data last updated . Permanent link.