Immigration Hub

I-485 (asylum) processing time

Adjustment of Status, asylee

Data as of · Source: USCIS monthly report to Congress

Average, Aug 2026

29.9 months

A year earlier

14.9 months

Pending

138,562

Received this month

5,274

USCIS took an average of 29.9 months to decide Form I-485 (asylum) cases in August 2026. That is 15 months longer than a year earlier (14.9 months). In our records the range is 11.5 months (December 2024) to 30.6 months (July 2026). Among the 10 form groups tracked here, I-485 (asylum) has the longest average this month. Pending cases are up 45% from a year ago.

What Form I-485 is for

Form I-485 is used to apply for lawful permanent resident status from inside the United States. This page covers people granted asylum.

Asylees may apply for a green card one year after being granted asylum, if they still meet the requirements.

I-485 fee: $1,440I-485 (refugee)I-765 work permits

Average processing time by month

USCIS calculates the average processing time from receipt to completion using all cases completed in that month. It can differ from the processing times shown on the USCIS Check Case Processing Times page, which are by office.

10.4 mo15.7 mo21.1 mo26.4 mo31.7 moNov 2022Sep 2023Sep 2024Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026
Average months

Pending cases by month

26k56k86k115k145kNov 2022Sep 2023Sep 2024Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026
PendingPending over 6 months

Monthly data

MonthAverage (months)ReceivedApprovedDeniedPending
August 202629.95,274786105138,562
July 202630.65,174827128134,162
June 202629.35,207974117130,090
May 202629.64,85167696125,883
April 202625.85,10470788121,860
March 202625.04,66276985117,410
February 202626.13,72237061113,718
January 202625.03,82033156110,442
December 202519.54,48759854107,056
November 202514.73,8751,50589103,183
October 202515.34,6631,999138100,895
September 202514.44,8771,9118498,534
August 202514.95,1521,88210695,630
July 202516.36,5981,3309192,479
June 202515.65,7199528787,287
May 202516.86,23689911382,549
April 202514.96,5351,0959377,345
March 202511.56,1266,92220872,181
February 202511.66,1119,01225373,067
January 202511.97,1058,50927476,107
December 202411.57,0828,31031677,686
November 202411.67,1329,48325579,136
September 202413.55,4597,69324784,766
August 202414.54,8385,90117887,326
July 202416.45,7703,34214788,614
December 202318.74,9973,64022063,706
October 202319.74,6784,34020761,137
September 202321.14,6934,02625960,972
May 202322.74,9714,10019658,681
February 202324.52,5312,58324055,102
January 202325.82,1432,46617355,338
December 202224.62,3822,56818255,731
November 202224.22,1492,75221156,190

FAQ

How long does I-485 (asylum) take in August 2026?

USCIS reported an average of 29.9 months from receipt to decision for Form I-485 (asylum) cases completed in August 2026.

When can an asylee apply for a green card?

USCIS says asylees may apply one year after they were granted asylum, as long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

How many I-485 (asylum) cases are pending?

138,562 cases were pending at the end of August 2026, of which 109,605 had been pending for more than six months.

What share of I-485 (asylum) decisions were approvals?

In August 2026, USCIS approved 786 and denied 105 cases, so 88.2% of decisions that month were approvals. This is one month of decisions, not the chance for any single case.

Other forms

I-130I-485 (employment)I-485 (family)I-485 (refugee)I-485 (other)N-400I-751I-765 (EAD)I-360

Source: USCIS, Immigration and Citizenship Data (monthly report to Congress). For your own case, use USCIS Case Status Online and the USCIS processing times page.