I-129 (H-1B / L-1) Processing Times
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
8.5 mo – 12.4 mo
avg. across filing categories
Current I-129 Processing Time
As of , USCIS I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) processing times average 8.5 mo to 12.4 mo across all filing categories, with full range 3.5 mo to 33.0 mo depending on the filing category. Processing is handled at Service Center Operations. Processing times have been relatively stable 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 - Unnamed Beneficiary (137-H2AU) | 3.5 mo | 4.0 mo |
| E3 - Specialty occupation workers from Australia (137-E3) | 3.5 mo | 6.5 mo |
| TN - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly NAFTA) professional (137-TN) | 3.5 mo | 6.5 mo |
| R - Religious occupation (137-R) | 6.5 mo | 8.0 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Change of status in the U.S. (137-H1B2) | 6.5 mo | 8.5 mo |
| H-2B - Temporary nonagricultural workers (137-H2B) | 6.0 mo | 8.5 mo |
| Intracompany transferees and blanket L (137-L) | 6.5 mo | 9.0 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Visa to be issued abroad (137-H1B1) | 9.0 mo | 9.5 mo |
| H-1B - Specialty occupation - Extension of stay in the U.S. (137-H1B3) | 9.0 mo | 10.5 mo |
| P - Athletes, artists, and entertainers (137-P) | 10.5 mo | 13.0 mo |
| H-2A - Temporary agricultural workers - Named Beneficiary (137-H2AN) | 4.0 mo | 15.0 mo |
| O - Extraordinary ability (137-O) | 12.0 mo | 17.0 mo |
| E - Treaty traders and investors (137-E) | 13.0 mo | 18.0 mo |
| H-3 - Temporary trainees (137-H3) | 15.0 mo | 18.5 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.
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USCIS Service Center Consolidation
As of , USCIS publishes I-129 processing times at 1 reporting level (Service Center Operations), down from 4 in 2024 — 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) Fastest | 8.5 mo | 12.4 mo | Slow |
Cite This Data
Citation
ImmigrationTimes.org. (2026). I-129 Processing Times (data as of Apr 21, 2026). Retrieved May 13, 2026, from https://immigrationtimes.org/forms/i-129/. Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19529862
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Frequently Asked Questions
Current USCIS I-129 processing times range from 3.5 mo to 33.0 mo across all filing categories (full range; average 8.5 mo–12.4 mo across categories) depending on the filing category. 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 3.5 mo to 33.0 mo across all filing categories (full range; average 8.5 mo–12.4 mo across categories) depending on the filing category. 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.