Immigration Hub

I-485 (refugee) processing time

Adjustment of Status, refugee

Data as of · Source: USCIS monthly report to Congress

Average, Aug 2026

16.3 months

A year earlier

8.5 months

Pending

157,877

Received this month

2,620

USCIS took an average of 16.3 months to decide Form I-485 (refugee) cases in August 2026. That is 7.8 months longer than a year earlier (8.5 months). In our records the range is 8.0 months (March 2025) to 87.6 months (February 2026). Among the 10 form groups tracked here, I-485 (refugee) has the 5th longest average this month. Pending cases are up 89% 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 admitted as refugees.

Refugees are required by law to apply for a green card one year after being admitted to the United States as a refugee.

I-485 fee: $1,440I-485 (asylum)N-400 naturalization

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.

3.2 mo25.5 mo47.8 mo70.1 mo92.4 moNov 2022Sep 2023Sep 2024Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026
Average months

Pending cases by month

5k45k86k126k167kNov 2022Sep 2023Sep 2024Mar 2025Aug 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026
PendingPending over 6 months

Monthly data

MonthAverage (months)ReceivedApprovedDeniedPending
August 202616.32,6207720157,877
July 202621.33,3006015155,341
June 202629.14,0314932152,175
May 202628.55,470297148,166
April 202634.37,318225142,754
March 202624.19,9284112135,058
February 202687.67,72927125,531
January 202622.75,7873917117,813
December 202516.28,807216112,124
November 202510.78,0081,22355103,318
October 20258.68,9262,1518796,569
September 20259.28,7522,2947889,959
August 20258.57,9752,3338083,594
July 202512.79,2619876478,117
June 202512.17,5846139869,887
May 202512.58,38269910762,934
April 20259.98,4181,0546555,384
March 20258.07,8444,6828948,156
February 20258.46,6176,84618744,964
January 20259.15,2895,59419545,371
December 20249.15,9574,79916145,907
November 20249.04,9716,52413344,859
September 202412.84,4863,83711846,700
August 202413.54,7572,62119846,283
July 202415.94,2851,0139244,405
December 202318.22,4411,63317128,320
October 202317.12,2762,11114625,477
September 202320.52,2571,68818725,453
May 202319.71,6831,9407824,811
February 202325.51,3909048924,188
January 202322.21,0855128023,746
December 202220.81,2944775823,208
November 202220.11,3026124622,398

FAQ

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

USCIS reported an average of 16.3 months from receipt to decision for Form I-485 (refugee) cases completed in August 2026.

Do refugees have to apply for a green card?

Yes. USCIS says refugees are required to apply for permanent residence one year after their admission to the United States as a refugee.

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

157,877 cases were pending at the end of August 2026, of which 126,850 had been pending for more than six months.

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

In August 2026, USCIS approved 77 and denied 20 cases, so 79.4% 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 (asylum)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.